Police say the victims were half-sisters and had been buried for some time.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland police are trying to identify two young girls whose bodies were found buried in suitcases in a field near a school on the city’s East Side, a discovery that investigators say began with a dog walker’s tip and has grown into a homicide investigation.
The case has drawn intense attention because the victims were not immediately linked to any local missing-child reports and because the bodies were found close to homes and a school campus. The medical examiner has said DNA testing showed the girls were half-sisters, but authorities have not released their names, their exact ages, or a cause of death.
Police say the discovery happened Monday evening in the South Collinwood neighborhood, near Ginn Academy. Officers were called just after 6 p.m. after a man walking his dog noticed something in a field and contacted authorities. Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said that when officers arrived, they found a “deceased individual” inside a suitcase in a shallow grave. A second body, also inside a suitcase, was found nearby, Todd said.
Todd told reporters that both suitcases were partially buried and that investigators believed the girls had been at the site for “quite some time.” Police have not said how long, and they have not described whether weather or other conditions may have affected the evidence. The chief said the scene was unsettling for officers and for residents living nearby. “It is traumatic for everyone,” Todd said, adding that neighbors were learning the discovery was “right there at their doorstep.”
Authorities have provided only broad estimates of the victims’ ages while they work to confirm identifications. Police said one girl was believed to be between about 8 and 13 years old and the other between about 10 and 14 years old. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner later reported that DNA tests indicated the two children were half-sisters. Investigators said those early findings were important because they offered a starting point for building family connections, even as the girls remained unnamed.
Still, detectives said they faced an immediate hurdle: there were no local missing-child cases that matched the girls’ descriptions. Todd said police began checking across Ohio and working with state and federal partners to search broader databases and compare records. That work can include checking fingerprint and dental records when available, comparing DNA to national systems, and reviewing school and social service records, though officials have not described which methods are being used in this case.
In the days after the discovery, the investigation shifted from processing the field to piecing together who the girls were and where they had been living. Police returned to the neighborhood to collect evidence and follow leads, including serving a search warrant at a nearby home. Sgt. Freddie Diaz said detectives identified a person of interest during that search, describing the work as constant since Monday night. “It’s been a nonstop, ongoing investigation,” Diaz said.
By Wednesday evening, jail booking records showed a 28-year-old woman, Aliyah Henderson, was booked into the county jail on murder and child endangering charges. Police have not publicly released the suspect’s name in formal statements, and investigators have not detailed the evidence supporting the charges. Neighbors told local media that the woman lived in a home near the area where the suitcases were found, and police said a person was taken into custody at an East 162nd Street address during the search warrant.
Investigators also reported finding another child inside the home during the search. Police said the child appeared to be in good health and was placed with the Department of Children and Family Services. Authorities have not explained how that child is connected to the girls found in the suitcases, and they have not said whether additional people are being questioned.
Community leaders demanded answers as the story spread. City Council member Michael Polensek said residents wanted accountability for whoever was responsible and called for justice for the victims. Mayor Justin Bibb issued a statement praising detectives for their work and describing the deaths as a shocking loss for the city. Officials have tried to reassure residents that the case does not appear to involve an ongoing threat, while also acknowledging that many details remain unresolved.
Police have not said whether the girls lived in the neighborhood, whether they attended a nearby school, or whether the suitcases were moved from another location. Those questions often depend on interviews, digital evidence, surveillance video, and forensic testing that can take time to complete. Investigators have also not released information about the suitcases themselves, including their type or condition, beyond saying they were used to conceal and bury the bodies in shallow graves.
As Thursday progressed, detectives continued to focus on identification and on building a clearer timeline of the girls’ last days. Authorities have said they are working with partners beyond Cleveland because missing-child reports can be filed in other jurisdictions, and because families may move frequently, making it harder to match records quickly. Police also said tips from the public could be crucial, especially from people who noticed children suddenly missing from a home, a school roster, or a neighborhood routine.
The next major updates are expected to come when the girls are formally identified and the medical examiner releases findings on the cause and manner of death. Court proceedings are also likely to clarify investigative claims if prosecutors file formal charging documents and a judge schedules hearings. Until then, officials say the investigation remains active, and they are urging anyone with information to contact the police homicide unit.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.