Police say two bodies were found in shallow graves near Ginn Academy on the city’s East Side.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A 28-year-old woman was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail on murder and child endangering charges after investigators linked her to the deaths of two girls whose bodies were found buried in suitcases near a Cleveland school earlier this week.
The arrests and court records mark the first major step in a case that has rattled the South Collinwood neighborhood and left detectives working to answer basic questions, including the girls’ names and how they died. Police have said the investigation is in its early stages and that the cause of death has not been released.
Jail records identified the woman as Aliyah Henderson, 28. Cleveland police have not publicly confirmed the name, but officers said Wednesday that a person of interest was taken into custody after investigators served a search warrant at a nearby home. Neighbors said the detained woman lived in a house across from the field where the suitcases were found.
The bodies were discovered Monday evening after a man walking his dog in the area noticed something unusual, police said. Officers were called just after 6 p.m. to a field near Ginn Academy on the city’s East Side. Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said responding officers found a “deceased individual that was in a shallow grave inside of a suitcase,” and then located a second body nearby in another suitcase. Todd said both suitcases were partially buried and that investigators believe the girls had been there “quite some time.”
Authorities have described the victims as two girls who were likely related and appeared to be school-age children. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said DNA testing indicated the girls were half-sisters. Police have estimated one child was between about 8 and 13 years old, and the other was between about 10 and 14 years old, though those age ranges remain approximations until identifications are made. Todd said no local missing-child reports immediately matched the girls’ descriptions, and detectives began checking statewide and with federal partners.
Investigators returned to the neighborhood in the days after the discovery as they built a timeline and searched for evidence. Cleveland Police Sgt. Freddie Diaz said detectives identified the person of interest while serving a search warrant at a nearby address. “Part of the investigation led us to this home,” Diaz said. “It’s been a nonstop, ongoing investigation. Our homicide unit, they have been working around the clock.”
Police said the search also led them to a third child inside the home. That child appeared to be in good health and was placed with the county’s Department of Children and Family Services, according to local reports. Investigators have not said how the child is related to the victims, or whether additional arrests are expected.
Public officials and neighbors expressed anger and grief as word spread. Cleveland City Council member Michael Polensek, who represents the area, said he wants accountability and justice for the girls. “What kind of monster-demon would do this to two children? Just throw them away like they’re garbage?” Polensek said in remarks shared by local outlets. “There’s got to be justice for these two kids.”
Mayor Justin Bibb praised detectives for what he called a quick development in the case and said the community was shocked by the deaths. In a written statement carried by local media, Bibb said the city “love(s) and protect(s) our young people,” and called the loss “unimaginable.” Police have emphasized that the investigation is still unfolding, and Todd has said there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
As of Thursday, investigators had not publicly released the girls’ identities or the medical examiner’s findings on a cause and manner of death. Police have not described how the suitcases came to be in the field, when they were placed there, or whether anyone else may have been involved. Those details typically depend on forensic testing, interviews, and a review of records that can take days or weeks.
The area around East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, near the school campus, has seen a steady presence of officers and investigators since Monday night. Residents have said the field sits close to homes and everyday foot traffic, a detail that has intensified the fear and disbelief in the neighborhood. Todd described the discovery as traumatic not only for investigators but also for people who live nearby, saying it was “right there at their doorstep.”
Henderson’s booking on murder and child endangering charges suggests investigators believe a child was placed at risk in connection with the case, but police have not released the facts supporting those counts. Court records and charging documents often provide more detail once they are filed in open court, though some information can be withheld early in an investigation.
The next milestones in the case are expected to come through the courts and the medical examiner’s office. Detectives are continuing to work with state and federal partners to identify the girls, including by comparing DNA profiles and other records across jurisdictions. Police have also said they are reviewing tips and encouraging anyone with information to contact homicide investigators.
For now, authorities say the case remains active and sensitive, with key answers still unknown. Investigators are expected to provide additional updates after formal charging decisions are made and the victims are identified, steps that could shape the timeline for court hearings and any future arrests.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.