Cleveland horror: Two girls found dead in suitcases, half-sisters
A preliminary DNA analysis determined that the girls, believed to be between 8 and 14 years old, were half-sisters. However, authorities clarified that they have not yet been officially identified and the cause of death has not been disclosed.
A forensic specialist analyzes a case (File).
The two girls found lifeless inside suitcases and buried in shallow graves on the east side of Cleveland were related to each other, the county Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Wednesday.
A preliminary DNA analysis determined that the minors, believed to be between the ages of 8 and 14, were half-sisters. However, authorities clarified that they have not yet been officially identified and the cause of death has not been released.
How were they found?
The bodies were discovered Monday night by a man walking his dog in a lightly traveled area near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, in the vicinity of Ginn Academy, an all-boys public school.
According to what the witness told local media, his dog began sniffing insistently at a small mound of dirt. As he approached, the man found a suitcase partially buried. Upon opening it, he discovered that it contained the body of a girl and immediately called the police.
During a subsequent search of the area, homicide detectives found a second shallow grave, with another suitcase also containing a body.
What is known so far
- The girls were half-sisters, according to preliminary DNA tests.
- They have not been formally identified.
- No cause of death has been reported.
- Police indicated that the bodies did not appear to have been dismembered.
- They have not been linked to active missing persons reports in the area.
- So far, there are no suspects or clear leads.
The Cleveland police chief noted that the area where they were found has little foot traffic, which could have allowed the bodies to remain buried undetected.
The man who made the find said the mound of dirt appeared to have been there for at least a week.
Ongoing investigation
Police continue to work to identify the minors and determine what happened. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact the Cleveland Police Department's homicide unit.
The case has generated deep shock in the local community as investigators try to piece together the events and name the victims.
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