A Cleveland father says one of the two young girls whose bodies were discovered buried in suitcases earlier this week is his missing daughter, a child he says he had been desperately searching for over the past five years.

DeShaun Chatman told reporters that 8-year-old Mila Chatman, one of the victims identified by investigators, is believed to be his daughter. Chatman said he had spent years attempting to locate and regain contact with the child through legal channels and by reaching out to authorities.

“I’ve been looking for my daughter for five years,” Chatman said. “I’ve been calling child protective services, going to the courts, trying to get emergency custody, and calling the police for welfare checks. But they denied all access.”

The tragic discovery occurred Monday evening in Cleveland after a local resident walking his dog noticed the animal repeatedly sniffing around a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue.

The man contacted police after the dog led him to a partially buried suitcase. When officers responded to the scene, they located a shallow grave containing a suitcase with the body of a young girl inside.

As investigators canvassed the surrounding area, they discovered a second shallow grave nearby containing another suitcase with the body of another child.

Authorities later identified the victims as Mila Chatman, 8, and her half-sister, Amor Wilson, 10.

Both girls were found inside the suitcases buried in the field. The Cleveland Division of Police continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Investigators subsequently arrested the girls’ mother, Aliyah Henderson, on Wednesday evening. She is currently facing charges of murder and endangering children in connection with the deaths.

Following the discovery, Chatman visited the site where the girls were found. A memorial has since formed there, with community members leaving flowers, candles, and stuffed animals in remembrance of the children. Witnesses described Chatman being visibly distraught as friends comforted him at the scene.

“What I’m feeling is hate. I’m not going to lie, I feel hate,” Chatman said while speaking about the loss. “I just want my daughter.”

Chatman said the last time he saw Mila was several years ago when he helped purchase clothing for her kindergarten school year. He alleged that the child’s mother had avoided contact with him and frequently moved residences, making it difficult for him to locate the girl.

“I don’t get how you can hate your kids enough to kill them,” he said. “To bury them. To do all this, go right to that home and live there when your kids are right here.”

The grieving father is now calling for changes to family court and child welfare laws, saying he believes the current system prevented him from being able to protect his daughter and maintain contact with her.

“Change these laws. Make it better,” he said. “A man does have a say in their child’s life, married or unmarried.”

Chatman also confirmed that he is currently cooperating with investigators and undergoing DNA testing to formally confirm paternity as part of the ongoing investigation.

“I’m still in contact with the detectives,” he said. “We’re doing the DNA samples, so I’ll get more details within the next couple of days.”

Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing, and additional details are expected to be released as detectives continue working to determine when and how the two children were killed.