A 28-year-old Cleveland woman has been arrested on murder charges after the discovery of the bodies of two young girls found in suitcases, authorities confirmed.
Aliyah Henderson was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail Wednesday evening, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department told The Independent Thursday. She also faces charges related to endangering children, according to police.
Cleveland police received a tip Monday from a dog walker whose pet detected a scent coming from a suitcase found in fields near Ginn Academy, an all-boys public school,
Investigators at the scene soon discovered a second body in another suitcase nearby. Both suitcases had been partially buried in shallow graves, and authorities believe the bodies had been there for “some time.” They were not dismembered, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said in a Tuesday news conference, adding that the victims were both girls under the age of 14.
Preliminary DNA testing by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Wednesday that the two girls were half-sisters, though their identities have not yet been released. Investigators estimate that one girl was between 8-and-a-half and 13 years old, and the other between 10-and-a-half and 14. The causes of death have not yet been determined.
Using technology and other strategies, detectives in Cleveland found probable cause to carry out a search warrant Wednesday night at a home in the 700 block of East 162nd Street, Spectrum 1 News reports. Within 24 hours, they had detained a person of interest and recovered what they called “substantial evidence” related to the case, though officials haven’t shared additional details.
During the search, a child was also found inside the home. Officials confirmed the child was in good health and has since been placed under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.
Todd described the scene as deeply traumatic for both investigators and the local community.
“It is traumatic for everyone. It is traumatic for those who live in the area to know that this was right there at their doorstep,” she said during a news conference.
Police say they have not found any missing children reports in the Cleveland area that match the victims’ descriptions. Investigators are now collaborating with state and federal partners to review missing persons cases across a wider region.
Meanwhile, residents are urged to review home security camera footage for any suspicious activity and contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464 with tips.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Cuyahoga County Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463. Authorities emphasize that there is currently no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
