Cleveland law enforcement officials spent Wednesday working to determine the identities of two young half-sisters whose remains were discovered inside buried suitcases in the eastern part of the city.
The remains were uncovered Monday in Cleveland’s Collinwood area following an alert from someone walking their dog, police reported. Investigators believe one child was aged 8 to 13 years old, while the second was between 10 and 14 years old.
During a Tuesday press briefing, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd stated that the cause of death for both African American girls remains unknown, though evidence suggests the bodies had been buried for an extended period.
“We are hoping to find answers,” Todd stated. “This is a terrible, tragic situation.”
DNA relationship analysis conducted by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the two children were half-sisters, officials announced in a public statement. Additional details will be shared when they become available, the office indicated.
Todd noted that the details of this case do not align with any current missing person reports in the region.
