2 young girls found dead in suitcases in Cleveland, police say
The bodies of two young girls were found inside suitcases in Cleveland, Ohio, police said on Tuesday.
In a press conference, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said on Tuesday that the bodies of the two girls were found in suitcases buried in shallow graves on Monday evening. One of the girls was believed to be between the ages of 8 and 13 years old, while the other was believed to be 10 to 14 years old. Neither girl was identified as of Tuesday night.
"This is a priority," Todd said during Tuesday's press conference. "This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community, and this is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can."
Police said there are no active missing persons reports in Cleveland that match the two victims.
Officials said someone walking their dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue found what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase around 6 p.m. on Monday. When officers responded to the scene near Ginn Academy, they found one of the bodies stuffed in a suitcase in a shallow grave. The second shallow grave with the body stuffed in a suitcase was found after officers searched the area.
"This is a field close to the school over there," Todd said. "This is just a residential neighborhood that I'm sure a lot of people do frequent."
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has custody of the bodies and will identify the girls. Todd said there is no clear indication of possible causes of death for the girls or how long the girls were there.
"It was some time, so it's not something that was recent," Todd said.
There is no suspect, Todd added. Anyone with information can contact the Cleveland police at 216-623-5464.
"Usually in residential areas, you know what's happening in your neighborhood, something just seems a little bit off," Todd said. "That's why we're asking that anyone who has anything that they believe to be information directly related to or suspicious, that they give us a call."
