The remains of two young girls were found hidden inside suitcases and buried in shallow graves near a Cleveland school on the evening of March 2, 2026. The shocking discovery has triggered a homicide investigation, rattling the South Collinwood community and leaving authorities urgently seeking answers about the unidentified children.
A neighborhood resident walking his dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue made the disturbing find around 6 p.m. His dog stopped near a dirt mound at Saranac Playground, close to Ginn Academy, a public all-boys high school. What Phillip Donaldson uncovered in a partially buried suitcase stunned even veteran investigators.
Donaldson told local outlets he went back to the area after noticing his dog lingering at the dirt pile. When he checked, he spotted a suitcase partially covered in soil, unzipped it, and saw a child’s head inside. He immediately contacted 911.
When Cleveland police arrived in the residential area, they located the first victim inside a suitcase placed in a shallow grave. As officers searched the grounds near the Saranac Playground fence, they uncovered a second shallow grave containing another suitcase with another child’s body.
At a Tuesday press briefing, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd addressed the horrifying situation. She confirmed both victims were young Black girls — one estimated to be between eight and 13 years old, the other between 10 and 14. Their bodies were intact and had not been dismembered, authorities said.
“It’s just a tragic, deeply disturbing case,” Todd stated, adding that investigators are working with the community to gather any possible leads.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office took custody of the bodies and announced Wednesday morning that preliminary DNA tests show the girls were half-sisters. Neither child has been identified, and no current missing persons reports in Cleveland match their descriptions.
Police have provided no details about potential suspects, and investigators have not yet determined how the girls died. Todd noted that evidence suggests the bodies had been there for some time, though the exact duration is unknown. Investigators believe recent heavy snowfall may have helped obscure the shallow graves.
The area where the bodies were found is in a residential section near the school, but Todd pointed out it is not heavily traveled. Donaldson told police he had resumed walking his dog in that spot for the first time in a while due to recent snow, and it was his dog’s reaction that led to the discovery.
The Cleveland Division of Police has brought in additional support from the FBI and the Department of Children and Family Services. Detectives are coordinating with state and federal agencies to determine whether the girls match any missing children cases beyond the city.
Authorities stressed that there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the community, but the investigation remains urgent. The absence of local missing persons reports fitting the girls’ descriptions has further complicated the case.
Ward 10 City Councilman Mike Polensek, a lifelong Collinwood resident, told local media that he has been unable to sleep since hearing the news. Several parents reportedly pulled their children from Ginn Academy after word spread.
Neighbor Cheryl Young, who has lived across from the playground for 26 years, said she was shocked and frightened. “It’s terrifying to think something like that could happen so close to home,” she said.
Todd urged residents to review security camera footage for anything unusual, such as unfamiliar individuals or suspicious activity. She emphasized that in close-knit neighborhoods, people often notice when something seems out of place, and even minor details could help solve the case.
Police have set up a dedicated 24-hour tip line for information. Anyone with information can reach the Cleveland police homicide unit at 216-623-5464 or contact Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463.
The investigation is ongoing as officials work to identify the two young victims and determine what led to their deaths. Autopsies will be conducted to establish cause and manner of death while detectives continue to follow leads in what has become one of Cleveland’s most unsettling cases in years.
For now, the two half-sisters remain Jane Does — their identities unknown and their stories still untold. Cleveland authorities are urgently working to restore their names and bring to justice whoever is responsible for their deaths and the callous way their bodies were discarded.
