Crime
DNA Confirms Young Girls Found Buried in Suitcases in Cleveland Were Half-Sisters
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The two young girls whose bodies were discovered inside suitcases buried in shallow graves in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood have been confirmed to be half-sisters, according to new information released by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.
On Wednesday morning, the Medical Examiner’s Office announced that DNA testing established the familial relationship between the two victims.
Despite this development, authorities said the girls have not yet been positively identified by name, and additional details are being withheld as the investigation remains active and ongoing.
During a news conference Tuesday, Dorothy Todd, Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police, confirmed that the bodies of the two girls were found Monday evening on the city’s East Side.
Officers were dispatched shortly after 6 p.m. to a field near East 163rd Street and Midland Avenue following a 911 call reporting a suspected deceased individual.
According to police sources, a man walking his dog in the area — reportedly for the first time in some time due to recent snowfall — noticed his dog alert to a scent near a fence line.
Upon investigating, he discovered a partially buried suitcase and immediately contacted authorities.
Responding officers located a deceased child inside a suitcase placed within a shallow grave.
As homicide detectives and additional personnel secured and canvassed the scene, they discovered a second suitcase buried nearby, also containing the body of a young girl.
Chief Todd stated that both suitcases were partially concealed in shallow graves and indicated that investigators believe the remains had been at the location for a significant period of time.
“It is traumatic for everyone,” Todd said. “It is traumatic for those who live in the area to know that this was right there at their doorstep.”
Authorities estimate that one of the victims was between approximately 8½ and 13 years old, while the other is believed to have been between 10½ and 14 years old.
At this time, there are no local missing persons reports that match the girls’ descriptions.
Investigators are expanding their search statewide and are working closely with state and federal law enforcement partners to identify the victims and determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The crime scene is located near Ginn Academy in the South Collinwood neighborhood.
Police emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages. While the discovery has deeply impacted the community, authorities said there is currently no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464. Tips may be provided anonymously.
Crime
At least 1 dead, 2 wounded after shooting near Johns Island Parkway and Chestnut Oak Road in St. Johns County
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (St. Johns County) — Authorities are investigating a multi-victim shooting that occurred near the intersection of Johns Island Parkway and Chestnut Oak Road in St. Johns County on Tuesday.
According to preliminary information, three individuals were injured in the incident.
First responders arrived on scene and located one victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
The individual was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.
Emergency medical personnel reported the individual was conscious and breathing before being transported by air ambulance to a regional trauma center for advanced treatment.
A third victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported by ground ambulance to a nearby hospital.
The extent of that individual’s injuries has not been publicly disclosed.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it is actively investigating the shooting, which occurred in the vicinity of Crimson Leaf Drive and Johns Island Parkway.
Detectives have secured the area and are working to determine the circumstances that led to the gunfire.
Authorities have not yet released information regarding potential suspects or what may have prompted the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing.