Authorities in Cleveland, Ohio, are reaching out to the community for assistance after a tragic discovery. Two young Black girls were found deceased in separate suitcases, each buried in shallow graves, prompting an urgent plea for information.
During a press conference, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd revealed that the girls, whose ages are estimated to be between 8 and 13 and 10 and 14, were discovered on Monday evening. This shocking find has left the community reeling and seeking answers.
The grim discovery unfolded when a man, out walking his dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, stumbled upon a partially buried suitcase in a field close to Ginn Academy. Disturbed by what he saw, he promptly contacted the authorities.
Upon arriving at the scene, police uncovered a shallow grave containing a suitcase with a deceased individual inside. A further search of the vicinity led to the finding of a second grave, where another suitcase and victim were located.
The man who encountered the first suitcase shared with Fox 8 that his dog had darted towards a fence near a playground. There, he found the suitcase partially buried. The chilling moment came when he unzipped it slightly and saw a head, prompting him to immediately alert the police.
The man who discovered one of the suitcases told Fox 8 that his dog ran toward a fence near a playground where the partially buried suitcase was found. He said he called police after unzipping the suitcase and seeing a head.
The girls have not been identified, and authorities have not determined a cause of death.
There are no active missing persons reports in Cleveland matching the victims, according to police, and it was unclear how long the girls had been inside the suitcases.
Authorities responded to a field in Cleveland where two girls were discovered in buried suitcases. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Todd described the discovery as a “terrible, horrific situation.”
“This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community. This is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can. That’s why we are also asking for the community’s help,” Todd said.
“We know that this didn’t just happen. We still have to develop exactly when this happened. We don’t have any indication this is a clear threat to safety,” Todd said.
On March 2, two girls were found dead in suitcases buried in shallow graves, police said. (Cleveland Division of Police)
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has custody of the bodies.
Todd said the bodies had not been dismembered.
The Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit launched a 24-hour tip line at 216-623-5464.
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