Identified! OH - Cleveland - Body found on fire, dismembered near Cleveland railroad tracks, 2020 - Benette Smith

holtzmann · Feb 19, 2020

WKYC.com:

CLEVELAND — Police are investigating after a body was found on fire near railroad tracks in Cleveland early Wednesday morning in the area of Larchmont and Clermont roads.

The Cleveland Division of Fire had been called to the scene because of a brush fire, but discovered a burning body upon arrival.

When Cleveland Police arrived on the scene at around 4:20 a.m., officers discovered the body had also been dismembered.

Members of the Narcotics Unit, Gang Impact Unit, Fifth District Detective Unit, Fire Arson Unit and State Fire Marshall were on scene to assist with the investigation. The Real Time Crime Center also participated in the investigation

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information should call the Cleveland Police Department at 216-623-5464.

holtzmann · Feb 19, 2020

Cleveland.com:

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The burning body firefighters discovered Wednesday in a secluded field near train tracks in the city’s Collinwood neighborhood was missing its head, hands and feet, according to three law-enforcement sources.

Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia would not say what body parts were missing. The dismembered body was burned to such a degree that investigators cannot identify its gender, Ciaccia said.

Cleveland police have not said if they have any suspects or any leads in the case. Investigators and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office have not determined how the person died.

Firefighters made the discovery about 4 a.m. in a grassy area off Larchmont and Clermont Roads, south of St. Clair Avenue, where a small brick path in between homes leads to the tracks. Someone placed shrubs on top of the body and set it on fire, officials said.

A resident in the neighborhood reported the fire and firefighters alerted police.

Cleveland police combed the area around the burn site for more than five hours early Wednesday in a search for clues. An Ohio Fire Marshal investigator led an accelerant-sniffing dog to the small patch of burned-out grass where firefighters discovered the body.

Cleveland police homicide Lt. Ali Pillow told reporters at the scene that police in the past have recovered several burned-out cars in the same area. Remnants of a torched car sat about 20 feet away from the body.

Police also searched the area for a stolen phone after the victim of an armed robbery from earlier in the night reported his Find My iPhone app put his phone near the site where firefighters discovered the body. Police never recovered the phone.

holtzmann · Feb 19, 2020

As a local, I will be more than happy to keep everyone in the loop. The deliberate removal of extremities points to a premeditated attempt to conceal the identity of the victim.

In this area of town specifically, violent crime is typically personal in nature rather than random, which fits with the premeditation.

I would not be surprised if the stolen iPhone was unrelated, especially as it has not been recovered, but it's probably too early to say one way or the other, and could very easily be part of the crime.

carbuff · Feb 19, 2020

This is just horrifying. The poor person.

whereareyou · Feb 21, 2020

holtzmann said:
WKYC.com:

CLEVELAND — Police are investigating after a body was found on fire near railroad tracks in Cleveland early Wednesday morning in the area of Larchmont and Clermont roads.

The Cleveland Division of Fire had been called to the scene because of a brush fire, but discovered a burning body upon arrival.

When Cleveland Police arrived on the scene at around 4:20 a.m., officers discovered the body had also been dismembered.

Members of the Narcotics Unit, Gang Impact Unit, Fifth District Detective Unit, Fire Arson Unit and State Fire Marshall were on scene to assist with the investigation. The Real Time Crime Center also participated in the investigation

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information should call the Cleveland Police Department at 216-623-5464.

Could you have a mod add a date to the title please.

Inthedetails · Feb 21, 2020

holtzmann said:
As a local, I will be more than happy to keep everyone in the loop. The deliberate removal of extremities points to a premeditated attempt to conceal the identity of the victim.

In this area of town specifically, violent crime is typically personal in nature rather than random, which fits with the premeditation.

I would not be surprised if the stolen iPhone was unrelated, especially as it has not been recovered, but it's probably too early to say one way or the other, and could very easily be part of the crime.

I am not familiar with this area, but I have visited Cleveland to hike the park system a few times (long story why). I really like the city and hate this this horrific crime happened there. Please do keep WS posted.

jmo

holtzmann · Feb 21, 2020

whereareyou said:
Could you have a mod add a date to the title please.

I've sent in a report asking a mod to do so — thank you for pointing it out!

holtzmann · Feb 24, 2020

News Channel 5:

Quotes from dispatch:

"They uh, have arrived on scene and there are human remains on scene on the ground."

"The body was on fire. Fire put it out. It is a crime scene per Medic 40. There are missing crucial body parts."

Video contains some more shots of the area, including the immediate crime scene where the ground is charred. Two days later, we still had no identification, even as to whether the victim was a man or a woman.

holtzmann · Feb 26, 2020

Update today at Cleveland.com:

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A body found dismembered and torched in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood is a Painesville woman, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said.

The medical examiner used DNA to identify Benette Smith, 54. Cleveland firefighters discovered her body Feb. 19 in a field. She was covered with burns and missing her head, hands and feet, law enforcement sources previously told cleveland.com.

Police are investigating her death as a homicide, but the medical examiner has not yet ruled on how Smith died.

WOIO, Cleveland19.com:

ddean38 · Feb 26, 2020

Hopefully, the police widen the search for the other parts of her body. This is a gruesome tragedy and hope they start talking with her family and friends.

JMO

holtzmann · Feb 28, 2020

Thanks for moving the thread, mods.

Officials have still not determined cause of death, possible motives, or named any persons of interest or suspects.

holtzmann · Mar 2, 2020

NewsNet5.com:

CLEVELAND — A grieving family is still searching for answers after a horrific crime that claimed the life of their loved one nearly two weeks ago.

“We just can’t have somebody walking around who could do this to someone else again,” Kim Smith-Woodford said. “To someone’s else’s sister, daughter, mother, aunt, friend.”

Renee Smith’s siblings are speaking out after her dismembered body was found on fire near railroad tracks near Larchmont Road and Clermont Road on Feb. 19.

“We never thought we’d be a family dealing with death in this kind of way,” Smith-Woodford said.

Smith-Woodford was horrified to hear reports of the Collinwood Neighborhood homicide on the news.

“Just thought 'How tragic and how horrific that is. That poor victim, right?'” Smith-Woodford said.

One week later she learned that victim was her sister, Renee.

“I’m sure my sister put up a fight,” Smith-Woodford said. “And that hurts our heart to know that she was in a situation like that where she had to fight for her life.”

Renee Smith was a mother of two with her second grandchild on the way.

“I had the unfortunate responsibility of breaking the news to one of her daughters,” Smith-Woodford said. “It was horrible.”

Smith’s siblings said their sister battled mental illness for years.

“I know she struggled,” Smith-Woodford said. “And it was more than just anxiety and depression.”

Despite her struggles, Smith-Woodford said her sister was not the person some people are portraying her as online.

“They painted a picture of my sister like she deserved that evil that came upon her on her death,” Smith-Woodford said.

Because of the horrific nature of Renee Smith’s death, her family said they were robbed of closure through a visitation or open-casket memorial service.

“People were so evil enough to further strip her of her dignity,” Smith-Woodford said. “Strip the family of any dignity in her death and remembrance.”

Renee Smith’s sister said she was decapitated before being set on fire, making it more difficult for investigators to identify her.

“Right now we don’t even know how she died because of the way they discarded her,” Smith-Woodford said. “Because of the way the evil [person] did that to her.”

Smith’s family is pleading for empathy and understanding from the community.

“She was somebody’s mother. She was a sister,” Smith-Woodford said. “An aunt, a cousin, a friend.”

They’re also pressing for answers from law enforcement.

“Push as hard as if this happened to someone of their own family,” Smith-Woodford said. “We need that.”

Investigators told News 5 they are following multiple leads.

At this time, no arrests have been made in this case.

If you have any information on the death of Renee Smith, you’re urged to contact the Cleveland Division of Police.

How awful for the whole family. Glad we have the note now as to her preferred name, and glad to see multiple leads are being followed.

Clevelandgirl · Mar 27, 2024

The police have run out of leads and 4 years later this crime is unsolved. Anyone with info?

$5,000 reward offered for info leading to killer who dismembered Cuyahoga County woman in 2020

It's been four years since Cleveland firefighters responded to a brush fire and found a woman's dismembered body. Now, a reward has been offered for information leading to the killer.

www.news5cleveland.com

iamshadow21 · Mar 27, 2024

Clevelandgirl said:
The police have run out of leads and 4 years later this crime is unsolved. Anyone with info?

$5,000 reward offered for info leading to killer who dismembered Cuyahoga County woman in 2020

It's been four years since Cleveland firefighters responded to a brush fire and found a woman's dismembered body. Now, a reward has been offered for information leading to the killer.

www.news5cleveland.com

A thread exists for Benette: