CLEVELAND (AP) — Family members on Thursday identified the remains of two girls found buried in suitcases in shallow graves, and the father of one of them said he'd been trying to locate his missing daughter for five years.

DeShaun Chatman said investigators told him late Wednesday night that the body of Mila Chatman, who would have been 8 years old, was recovered from a field near Ginn Academy in Cleveland's South Collinwood neighborhood.

Nichelle Wilson confirmed her granddaughter Amor Wilson, 10, was the other child.

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Both family members spoke at the spot where the children were found buried in suitcases.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the names late Thursday and said DNA relationship testing helped identify them.

Chatman said he sought emergency custody five times and had tried to locate Mila through a child welfare agency, but those efforts were unsuccessful because he did not know where they were living.

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“It's very much horrible,” Chatman said, adding that it turned out Mila had been living within view of the graves. He said he felt “useless — I couldn't save my baby.”

Cleveland police said Thursday they expected to charge a 28-year-old woman in the investigation. Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz said police detained the woman Wednesday evening after detectives completed initial interviews and examined evidence.

The woman, whose name was not released, is considered a person of interest, Diaz said.

Chatman said he and Mila's mother were not married but lived together for about a year after their daughter was born. He last saw Mila in 2020, when she was 3 years old.

“Mila was happy-go-lucky, always smiling,” Chatman said. “Favorite color was pink — she swore that she was a princess. She was always happy. She was a kid's kid.”

He said authorities have not told him how the girls died but that he expects more information to come out Monday. Earlier this week, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said she did not know how the girls died.

“We are hoping to find answers,” Todd told reporters. “This is a terrible, tragic situation.”

The children's remains were recovered after a dog walker notified authorities.

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Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 06, 2026 05:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).