Police in Cleveland said Tuesday that two young girls were found dead inside separate suitcases that were partially buried in shallow graves on the city’s East Side, a discovery that launched a homicide investigation and left detectives searching for the children’s identities.
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said the case is in its early stages, with no cause of death released and no suspect named. The Cuyahoga County medical examiner has custody of the girls and will work to identify them and determine how they died. Todd said investigators do not have any local missing child reports that match the girls, and they are expanding the search with state and federal partners.
Police said the investigation began just after 6 p.m. Monday, when officers were called to a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue after a 911 caller reported what looked like a person inside a suitcase. Todd said responding officers found a deceased child in a shallow grave with the suitcase partly buried. As homicide detectives and patrol officers searched the surrounding area, they found a second shallow grave nearby and a second suitcase with another deceased child inside. Todd said both suitcases were partly buried and the area was treated as a crime scene as investigators worked into the night and through Tuesday.
Todd described the victims as Black juvenile females and said the ages were estimates based on early assessments. One child appeared to be between 8 and 13 years old, and the other appeared to be between 10 and 14 years old, she said. Todd said investigators believe the suitcases had been in the field for “quite some time,” but she did not give a specific timeline. “This is a priority,” Todd said during a briefing. She added that the investigation has been traumatic for officers and residents, and detectives are trying to develop leads quickly as they wait for the medical examiner’s work.
Police said there is no clear indication yet of how the girls died, whether the children were related, or where they lived before they were left in the field. Todd said there were no active missing person reports in Cleveland that match the girls’ descriptions. Investigators are now checking beyond the city, comparing information with state and federal partners, and looking for any report that could connect to the victims. Police also have not said when they expect identifications, noting that the medical examiner’s examinations will be central to answering questions about the manner and cause of death and how long the children had been at the location.
The crime scene sits near Ginn Academy in the South Collinwood neighborhood, a mix of homes, small businesses and school grounds that residents said is normally a place people walk when weather improves. Police said the initial caller was walking a dog when the animal lingered near disturbed ground, leading the person to notice the partly buried suitcase and call 911. Some neighbors said snow and winter conditions had kept people indoors and may have reduced foot traffic in the field. Todd said detectives are canvassing the area for information, including checking for surveillance video from nearby buildings and gathering tips from residents and business owners.
City leaders and community members reacted with grief and anger as details emerged. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb called it a “heinous crime” in a written statement and said the city’s police division is pursuing every lead and reviewing available evidence. Cleveland City Council member Mike Polensek, who represents the area, said he was heartbroken and furious about the deaths and pressed police to review cameras around the neighborhood. Polensek told local media the field has been a problem spot for illegal dumping over the years, and he said investigators should treat the scene as a place where someone may have believed they could hide evidence among trash and debris.
Todd said police have not announced any arrests and have not released details about the suitcases or any evidence recovered from the scene. She said detectives are also working to separate rumor from fact after a witness account circulated on social media. Todd said the children were not dismembered. She urged anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact investigators. The Cleveland police homicide unit has a 24-hour tip line at 216-623-5464, and police said tips can be provided anonymously.
Investigators said the next steps depend on the medical examiner’s findings and the identification process, which can involve fingerprints, dental records, DNA testing and comparisons with missing person reports. Once the girls are identified, police are expected to notify relatives and work backward through the children’s last known contacts, schools, medical records and any child welfare files that may exist. Detectives also may return to the scene to look for additional evidence as weather and ground conditions change. Todd said the department will continue to share updates as it develops reliable information, but she cautioned that many key questions remain unanswered.
As of Tuesday night, police said they still did not know who the girls were or how they died, and they were asking the public for help generating leads while forensic work continues. The next major milestone is expected to be the medical examiner’s identification and autopsy findings, which police said will guide the direction of the homicide investigation.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.