Cleveland police and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner released new details Wednesday about the bodies of two young girls discovered in suitcases near a local school. The remains were found Monday evening in a field in the South Collinwood neighborhood along East 163rd Street and Midland Avenue, close to Ginn Academy. A man walking his dog in the area made the grim discovery after the animal alerted him to a scent, prompting an immediate 911 call. Officers located one body inside a suitcase in a shallow grave and a second nearby.
Preliminary DNA testing by the medical examiner’s office confirmed the victims are half-sisters. Authorities estimate one girl was between 8.5 and 13 years old and the other between 10.5 and 14 years old. The children have not been formally identified by name, and no local missing persons reports match the descriptions. Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said the investigation is in its early stages with no indication of any ongoing threat to the community. Officials are coordinating with state and federal partners while the medical examiner continues work to determine the cause and manner of death.
The active homicide probe continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464. Tips may be submitted anonymously. This article relies solely on statements from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner and Cleveland Division of Police as reported by verified local outlets. No suspects have been named.
