Two Unidentified Black Girls Found Dead in Buried Suitcases in Cleveland

Cleveland police have opened a homicide investigation after two young Black girls were found dead Monday evening inside separate suitcases buried in shallow graves in a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, close to Ginn Academy. Police Chief Dorothy Todd said the victims appear to be between about 8 and 13 and 10 and 14 years old, and were discovered after a man walking his dog noticed a partially buried suitcase near a playground, unzipped it, saw a head and called 911, prompting officers to locate a second grave and suitcase nearby. The girls’ identities and causes of death remain unknown; the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office now has custody of the bodies, which Todd said were not dismembered, and there are currently no active missing‑persons reports in Cleveland that match them. Investigators have not determined how long the girls were in the ground but say there is no clear indication of an ongoing public threat, even as officials describe the case as a “terrible, horrific” and traumatic event for the community and officers. Police have set up a 24‑hour homicide tip line at 216‑623‑5464 and are appealing for information from anyone who may recognize the girls or saw suspicious activity in the area.