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Inset: Aliyah Henderson (Cuyahoga County Jail). Background: The suitcase containing the body of one of the victims (Cleveland Division of Police/WJW).
A 28-year-old woman from Ohio has been arrested in connection with the tragic deaths of two young sisters whose remains were discovered inside abandoned suitcases.
The woman, identified as Aliyah Henderson, was apprehended this week and faces charges of murder and child endangerment, according to authorities.
The Cleveland Police Department reported that officers responded to a call for assistance around 6 p.m. on Monday at an address near East 162nd and Midland Avenue. A man, who was walking his dog in a different area due to recent snowfall, stumbled upon the unsettling scene.
“The caller stated they found what appeared to be a body inside of a suitcase at this location,” Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd said during a Tuesday news conference. “The officers responded out and located the deceased individual, who was in a shallow grave, inside of a suitcase.”
Police immediately began searching the vicinity for more evidence and found a “second shallow grave,” indicating the presence of another suitcase. Upon further investigation, they discovered a second body inside.
Shortly after, the county medical examiner took custody of the bodies and confirmed that the deceased were sisters, as reported by local CBS affiliate WOIO. For more details, visit the full article.
Police said they were able to determine that the victims were two juvenile Black females. One is believed to be between the ages of 8 1/2 and 13 years old, while the other is believed to be between 10 1/2 and 14 years old, Todd said. While investigators were unsure how long the bodies had been at the location, Todd said they appeared to have been dead “for some time.”
“It was not just something that was recent,” the chief said.
In police body-camera footage obtained by Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW, an officer can be heard describing one of the bodies saying, “It”s just like folded in a fetal position.”
While Todd said officials had not identified the victims and had no suspects in the case as of Tuesday afternoon, Henderson was arrested and booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail Wednesday evening, records show.
Neighbors told WOIO that Henderson lives across the street from the area where the suitcases were recovered. Police said they took Henderson into custody while serving a search warrant at her residence.
“Part of the investigation led us to this home. It’s been a nonstop, ongoing investigation. Our homicide unit, they have been working around the clock,” Sgt. Freddy Diaz told WOIO.
Phillip Donaldson, who discovered the bodies, said he had been seeing the shallow graves for days without realizing it.
“It’s really sad to see something like this,” he told Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS. “And I had been walking past that for at least a week, that pile of dirt, for at least a week.”
Police are urging anyone with information that may be relevant to the investigation to contact the department.
“You know what’s happening in your neighborhood, something that seems a little bit off,” Todd told WEWS. “That’s why we’re asking anyone who has anything that they believe to be information directly related to or suspicious that they give us a call.”
Councilman Michael Polensek told WOIO he was appalled by the crime and demanded the responsible party be held accountable.
“What kind of monster-demon would do this to two children? Just throw them away like they’re garbage?” he said. “No, not here, not in Collinwood. That don’t happen. We’re not going to put up with that. There’s got to be justice for these two kids.”