The two young girls who were found dead earlier this week are related, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed on Wednesday.
Preliminary DNA testing by the medical examiner's office determined that the sisters are half-siblings, the office said.
At this time, the identities of the girls, who are between the ages of 8 and 14, remain unknown, the office said.
What happened
On Monday night, a man walking his dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue found a suitcase with what appeared to be a head inside.
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Cleveland Police responded to the scene and determined a young girl was inside the suitcase, which was buried in a shallow grave. While collecting evidence, a second shallow grave was found with the other girl inside a suitcase.
According to Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd, both girls are Black, and one appears to be between 8.5 and 13 years old, and the other is between 10.5 and 14 years old.
On Tuesday, Cleveland Police provided an update during a press conference:
At this time, there is no clear indication of the cause of death, how long the girls were there or any possible suspects, Todd said.
There are no missing children in the area who match their descriptions, said Todd.
Police are gathering information and surveillance footage from the area and have established a 24-hour response line for any tips.
Anyone with information should call the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.
The investigation is ongoing, and police said there is no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.
