Ohio authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information in connection with the deaths of two young girls who were found partially buried in suitcases on Cleveland's East Side earlier this week.
Officers who responded to the scene located a second shallow grave containing another suitcase with a body while canvassing the area. Both bodies were found in a small field next to the Ginn Academy, an all-boys' public high school.
Todd said the two victims were young black girls. One is estimated to be between the ages of 8 and 13 years old, and the other is believed to be between 10 and 14.
"At this time there are no clear indicators of the cause of death of the two young females," she said. "We don't know how long the juveniles have been at this location. It was some time, so it's not just something that was recent."
Police have not been able to identify either of the victims, and no reports of local missing children match their descriptions, Todd said. She added that Cleveland authorities are also checking statewide missing children databases and are working closely with federal, state, and local partners to track down their identities.
"This is a priority," she said. "This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community."
"This is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can," Todd said. "That's why we're also asking for the community's help."
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities currently have no suspects. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit directly at (216) 623-5464. Tips can also be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at (216) 252-7463.
"I encourage anyone if they saw anything suspicious, if they know anything related to kids that are missing, that they please call us," Todd said. "That's the most important thing."