Cleveland police said Tuesday that two young girls were found dead inside separate suitcases that were partially buried in shallow graves near a school on the city’s East Side, a discovery that opened a homicide investigation with the victims still unidentified.
Police Chief Dorothy Todd said investigators do not yet know how the girls died, how long they had been in the area, or whether the children were related. The Cuyahoga County medical examiner took custody of the bodies, and detectives have asked state and federal partners for help matching the girls to any missing child reports. City leaders called the deaths deeply disturbing, and police said they are canvassing the neighborhood for video and tips while they wait for forensic results.
Investigators traced the case to a call just after 6 p.m. Monday to a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue in the South Collinwood area. Todd said a resident walking a dog noticed disturbed ground and what looked like a suitcase partly buried, then called 911 after looking closer. Officers arrived and found a child in a shallow grave inside a suitcase, Todd said. Homicide detectives and patrol officers widened their search of the field and located what appeared to be a second shallow grave nearby, with a second suitcase holding the body of another child. Police secured the area as a crime scene and worked into the night, then briefed reporters Tuesday as investigators continued to collect evidence and map the scene. “This is a priority,” Todd said, calling the case traumatic for the community and for officers assigned to it.
Todd described both victims as Black juvenile females and said early age estimates put one child at about 8 to 13 years old and the other at about 10 to 14 years old. She said the ages are preliminary and could change as the medical examiner completes examinations. Todd said investigators believe the suitcases had been in the field for some time but did not offer a firm timeline, saying key answers depend on forensic work. She also addressed rumors that spread soon after the discovery, saying the bodies were not dismembered. Police have not released information about injuries, a possible cause of death, or whether the girls had been reported missing elsewhere. Todd said there were no active missing children cases in Cleveland that match the preliminary descriptions, and she said detectives are checking statewide and beyond to look for possible matches.
The discovery drew a strong reaction from city officials and residents in the neighborhood around Ginn Academy, where police said the crime scene sits near homes, small businesses and school grounds. Mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement that the deaths were a “heinous crime” and that police were deploying necessary resources and reviewing evidence to identify who was responsible. City Council member Mike Polensek, whose ward includes the area, said he wanted investigators to check cameras throughout the neighborhood and around the school, and he described the field as a frequent site of illegal dumping that may have made it seem like a place where something could be hidden. Residents told local media they were shaken that the suitcases were found so close to a school. Some parents said they picked up students early Tuesday, and business owners said they hoped nearby cameras could provide clues as police work to build a timeline.
Police said the next steps depend on the medical examiner’s work to identify the children and determine how they died, then on detectives tracing where the girls lived and who last saw them. That process can involve DNA testing, fingerprints, dental records and comparisons with missing person databases, along with checks of school and medical records once identities are confirmed. Todd said investigators are canvassing the area and gathering any available surveillance video, and detectives are also working with outside agencies to expand the search for matching reports. Police have not named a suspect, announced any arrests, or said whether they have a person of interest. Todd said there was no indication Tuesday of an ongoing threat to public safety, and the department set up a 24-hour line for information related to the case.
Residents who spoke publicly described a scene that was hard to process. One witness, Phillip Donaldson, told local media he noticed a mound of dirt after his dog stopped to sniff, and he said he had walked past the spot before without realizing what was there. Todd said detectives are sorting witness accounts from verified facts and focusing on evidence that can be corroborated. Police remained at the scene through Tuesday as investigators photographed the area and searched for anything that could explain how the suitcases ended up in the field. Nearby neighbors said the cold weather and snow in recent weeks had reduced foot traffic, and they questioned how long the graves had gone unnoticed. Investigators said they will continue searching for leads as forensic work moves forward and as they try to put names to two children who, so far, have no confirmed connection to a local missing child report.
By Tuesday night, police said the girls were still unidentified, the cause of death had not been released, and no suspect had been publicly identified. Detectives said the next major milestone will be the medical examiner’s findings, which are expected to guide the direction of the homicide investigation.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.