Daijiworld Media Network - Cleveland

Cleveland, Mar 4: In a shocking and tragic discovery, the bodies of two young Black girls were found stuffed inside suitcases and buried in shallow graves on the east side of Cleveland, police said on Tuesday.

According to authorities, one of the girls is believed to be between 8 and 13 years old, while the other is estimated to be between 10 and 14 years of age. So far, neither of the victims has been identified.

“We are hoping to find answers. This is a terrible, tragic situation,” Dorothy Todd, Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police, said at a news conference.

The bodies have been taken into custody by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination.

“At this time, there are no clear indicators of the cause of death of the two young females,” Todd said. “We don’t know how long the juveniles had been at this location. It was some time, so it’s not just something that was recent.”

Police said the victims have not been linked to any active missing persons cases in the area.

The grim discovery was made around 6 pm on Monday when a dog walker stumbled upon the first body near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue and alerted authorities. During a subsequent search of the vicinity, homicide detectives uncovered a second shallow grave containing another suitcase with a body inside.

Officials said the area where the bodies were found does not receive much foot traffic, complicating efforts to establish a clear timeline.

“Detectives have been actively canvassing the area, but the problem is the timeline,” Todd said.

Police said there are currently no suspects or leads in the case and have urged anyone with information to contact the Cleveland Police Department’s homicide unit. Investigations are ongoing.