A quiet Cleveland neighborhood is reeling after the bodies of two unidentified girls were discovered hidden inside suitcases and buried in shallow graves in a field near a school.
The chilling discovery was made Monday evening by a local resident walking his dog, setting off a homicide investigation that police say is now a top priority.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd confirmed that officers were called to the area of East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue around 6 p.m. on March 2 after the resident reported seeing what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase.
When officers arrived, they found far more than they expected.
Police located a suitcase buried in a shallow grave containing the body of a young girl. As investigators canvassed the surrounding area, they discovered a second shallow grave nearby. Inside that grave was another suitcase containing a second body.
Authorities say both victims are juvenile Black females.
Based on early estimates, one girl is believed to be between the ages of 8½ and 13 years old. The second girl is estimated to be between 10½ and 14.
The identities of the girls remain unknown.
Investigators have not yet linked the victims to any missing persons cases, leaving detectives with few immediate answers in a case that has shaken the community.
“At this time, there are no clear indicators of the cause of death of the two young females,” Todd said.
While the exact condition of the bodies has not been publicly described, police confirmed that the victims were not dismembered.
The medical examiner’s office has taken custody of the remains and will conduct autopsies in an effort to determine both the cause and manner of death. Investigators also hope forensic evidence will help identify the girls.
Police say it appears the bodies had been buried for some time.
“It was some time, so it’s not just something that was recent,” Todd said during the briefing.
The discovery site — a field located near a school — has now become the center of an expanding investigation as detectives search for clues about who the girls were and how they ended up there.
Authorities say they currently have no suspects and no confirmed timeline of when the girls may have died.
Despite the disturbing nature of the discovery, Todd said investigators have found no indication that the public faces an immediate threat.
Still, the emotional impact of the case is already being felt throughout the department and the surrounding community.
“This is a priority,” Todd said. “This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community, and this is just such a tragic incident.”
Police are urging anyone with information that could help identify the girls or shed light on the case to come forward.
The Cleveland Police Department has established a 24-hour response line as detectives work to gather leads.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.
