Cleveland police say the bodies were buried in shallow graves near a school.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The bodies of two young girls were found inside separate suitcases that had been buried in shallow graves near a park and school in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood, and police said Wednesday they are still working to identify the children.
The case started with a dog walker’s call to 911 and has grown into a regional search for names, records, and leads that could explain how the girls ended up in the field. Police Chief Dorothy Todd said investigators do not yet know how the girls died or how long they had been at the location, and detectives have not identified a suspect.
Police said officers were called to the area around 6 p.m. Monday, March 2, after a resident reported seeing what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase. Todd said the caller was walking a dog near a field close to a school when the suitcase was found. “The caller stated they had found what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase at this location,” Todd said in a Tuesday briefing. When officers arrived, she said, they found a deceased child inside a suitcase in a shallow grave. As investigators canvassed the area, they located a second shallow grave nearby with another suitcase, Todd said. Inside was a second child.
Authorities have described the victims only in broad terms because they have not confirmed identities. Todd said the bodies were those of two juvenile girls believed to be Black. One was estimated to be between 8 1/2 and 13 years old, and the other between 10 1/2 and 14. Police said there were no immediate indicators of the causes of death. Todd said detectives could not yet explain whether the children were killed elsewhere and brought to the site or died near where they were found. She also said investigators do not know when the suitcases were placed there, telling reporters that the bodies appeared to have been there “some time.”
The crime scene was described by police and local reports as being near Ginn Academy and a park area in a neighborhood of closely spaced homes. Todd said the location is not isolated in the way a remote dumping site might be, which is why detectives believe someone may have seen or heard something unusual. Investigators have been working door to door, speaking with residents, and looking for any video that could show vehicles or people moving in the area at odd hours. Police have also searched for evidence that could reveal where the suitcases came from, including any labels, marks, or materials that might point to a store or a prior owner.
Much of the early work now centers on identification, a step Todd said is critical for building a timeline and locating the last people who saw the girls alive. The Cuyahoga County medical examiner has custody of the bodies and is conducting examinations that can determine cause and manner of death, as well as collect identifying information. Those examinations can include fingerprinting if possible, dental comparisons, and DNA testing, along with a closer look at clothing and other materials recovered with the bodies. Investigators said that once the girls are identified, detectives can begin tracing their movements, home address, school enrollment, and any family or caregiver connections that could lead to a suspect.
Police have said the girls have not been matched to any active missing-children cases in Cleveland that fit their general descriptions. Todd said detectives were checking outside the city and working with state and federal partners to compare records and share information. That effort can include scanning statewide databases and reviewing missing-person entries that might not have been tied to Cleveland, as well as working with agencies that can run DNA profiles against unidentified-person systems. Todd said those steps are already underway as detectives try to learn whether the girls were reported missing somewhere else, or whether they were never reported missing at all.
Even as investigators wait for forensic results, Todd said the department is treating the case as a top priority. “This is a priority,” she said, describing the discovery as traumatic for officers and residents. In remarks during the briefing, she said many officers are parents and that the case has weighed heavily on those assigned to it. Todd also said police had no clear indication that residents faced an ongoing danger from an unknown offender, but she said detectives still need information from people who were in the area before the bodies were discovered.
Police asked anyone with information to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464. Spectrum News reported police are operating a 24/7 tip line, that investigators have sought support from partner agencies including the FBI, and that Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or indictment. Police said tips can be provided anonymously, and they urged residents to report anything they believe could be connected to the case, even if it seemed minor at the time.
Residents near the scene said the discovery has left many people anxious and searching for answers, especially because it happened so close to homes and a school. In the days after the suitcases were found, neighbors gathered in small groups along sidewalks and driveways, sharing what they had heard and trying to understand what investigators were doing behind the taped-off area. Todd said detectives would continue working the case as examinations progress and as new tips come in.
As of Wednesday, March 4, investigators said they still did not have confirmed identities for the girls and had not announced arrests. Authorities said the next steps depend on forensic results and identification work, which they expect will shape the search for where the girls lived, who last had contact with them, and how the suitcases came to be buried near the park.
Author note: Last updated March 4, 2026.