DOVER TOWNSHIP, OH — A chilling cold case dating back to 1998 has been solved after investigators used modern DNA technology to identify a victim and link the crime to a family member, according to authorities.
The case began when children discovered a suitcase containing human remains along a road in Tuscarawas County. Days later, a second suitcase with additional body parts was found nearby. Despite collecting DNA and fingerprints at the time, investigators were unable to identify the victim or a suspect for decades.
The case was reopened in 2023 when Sheriff Orvis Campbell authorized new forensic testing using seized funds. DNA analysis led investigators to a living relative, 81-year-old Larry Drotleff of Euclid, Ohio. Authorities determined the remains belonged to his father, Lawrence Drotleff, who was approximately 93 years old at the time of his death…