The woman’s 8-year-old daughter was found safe after being dropped off at a nearby fire station, officials said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Tennessee woman reported missing with her 8-year-old daughter was found dead Friday behind a home on Cleveland’s West Side, while the child was later confirmed safe, authorities said.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman as Amber Graham, 37. Cleveland police said officers found her while responding around 9 a.m. Friday to a welfare check in the 3400 block of Bosworth Road. Graham had been the subject of a missing persons case in Spring Hill, Tennessee, after relatives said they had not heard from her for days. Her cause and manner of death had not been released as of Monday, and police had not announced an arrest.
Spring Hill police said they took a missing persons report for Graham on July 2. The department said Graham had her 8-year-old daughter with her when concerns were raised about her disappearance. Graham’s mother last had contact with her on June 18, according to police. Investigators in Tennessee later confirmed they were in contact with Cleveland police after the case shifted from a missing persons search to a death investigation in Ohio.
Fire officials said the girl was dropped off last Wednesday at Cleveland Fire Station 33, at West 117th Street and Linnet Avenue. The fire station is about a half mile from the Bosworth Road property where Graham’s body was found two days later. Cleveland Fire Lt. Mike Norman said the child had a phone number for her grandmother in Tennessee in her pocket. He said the girl did not appear to have signs of abuse or urgent medical problems when she arrived at the station.
Police were called after the girl arrived at the fire station, and she was placed in the care of Child Protective Services. Authorities have not said who dropped off the child, how long she had been in Cleveland or whether she was with her mother after arriving in Ohio. Officials also have not said how Graham traveled from Tennessee to Cleveland or how she ended up at the Bosworth Road home.
Josh LaCroix, a family friend in Tennessee, said Graham’s disappearance was out of character. He said she was dependable, worked at a grocery store and was known by friends as a caring mother. “She’s a good mom,” LaCroix said. “She’s real sweet, real kind and talkative.” LaCroix said relatives and friends became alarmed after Graham stopped communicating and failed to return when expected.
LaCroix said Graham had been communicating online with a man while playing Call of Duty on Xbox. He said the man used the names “Huckleberry” or “Red.” LaCroix said Graham may have traveled to Ohio to meet him, but police have not confirmed that account, identified the man or named any suspect. LaCroix said he once heard a man who sounded agitated during a phone call with Graham before she vanished.
The scene at the Bosworth Road property raised more questions for investigators. Norman said he was not working Friday but spoke with a colleague who responded to the call. He said the home was described as being in “a bizarre condition” and appeared difficult to enter through the front door. Norman said he was told there was a body under a sheet near a door. Cleveland police confirmed officers found Graham deceased while conducting the welfare check.
Neighbors saw police and fire crews at the property Friday, but officials released few details from the scene. The home sits in a residential part of Cleveland’s West Side, not far from the fire station where Graham’s daughter was dropped off. Police initially said a child connected to the woman had been located and was safe. The medical examiner later identified the woman as Graham, connecting the Cleveland death investigation to the Tennessee missing persons case.
The case now depends heavily on findings from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office. Cleveland police said they were waiting for the medical examiner’s ruling before determining whether Graham’s death would be handled as a criminal case. Officials have not released information about injuries, a suspected weapon or any evidence recovered from the property. No person of interest had been publicly named in the initial reports.
Spring Hill, where Graham lived, is south of Nashville and more than 500 miles from Cleveland by road. The distance has added to questions about why Graham traveled to Ohio and who she may have been meeting. Investigators in both states are expected to review phone records, online communications, witness statements and the timeline between Graham’s last known contact with family and the discovery of her body.
LaCroix said he used social media to help gather information after Graham went missing. He said friends were trying to learn whether she had made contact with anyone in Ohio and where she may have gone after leaving Tennessee. “This is such a weird and crazy,” LaCroix said. “This is all new to me. I don’t know how to process.”
As of Monday, Graham’s daughter remained safe and in protective care. The next major step is the medical examiner’s ruling on how Graham died, which will guide whether Cleveland police pursue the case as a homicide or another type of death investigation.
Author note: Last updated July 6, 2026.