Her 8-year-old daughter was found safe at a nearby fire station.
CLEVELAND, OH — A Tennessee woman reported missing with her young daughter was found dead Friday morning in the backyard of a home on Cleveland’s West Side, while the child was later confirmed safe, authorities said.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman as Amber Graham, 37. Cleveland police said officers found her after responding around 9 a.m. Friday to the 3400 block of Bosworth Road for a welfare check. The case remains under investigation, and officials had not released Graham’s cause or manner of death as of Monday.
Spring Hill, Tennessee, police had been searching for Graham after taking a missing persons report on July 2. Police there said Graham had her 8-year-old daughter with her. Spring Hill is south of Nashville, and investigators there have been in contact with Cleveland police. Graham’s mother last had contact with her on June 18, according to police. A family friend, Josh LaCroix, said Graham had been expected back in Tennessee and that her disappearance was out of character. “She’s a good mom. She’s real sweet, real kind and talkative,” LaCroix said.
Cleveland Fire Lt. Mike Norman said the girl was dropped off at Fire Station 33, at West 117th Street and Linnet Avenue, last Wednesday. The station is about a half mile from the Bosworth Road home where Graham’s body was later found. Norman said the child had a phone number for her grandmother in Tennessee in her pocket. He said she did not appear to have signs of abuse or urgent medical concerns. Cleveland police were called after the girl arrived, and she was placed in the care of Child Protective Services.
Authorities have not said how Graham traveled to Cleveland or how her daughter ended up at the fire station. LaCroix said Graham had been communicating with a man through Xbox while playing Call of Duty and may have gone to Ohio to meet him. He said the man used the names “Huckleberry” or “Red.” LaCroix said he heard a man who sounded agitated during one phone call with Graham. Police have not named a suspect, announced an arrest or confirmed whether investigators have identified the person Graham may have been meeting.
Fire officials described the scene at the Bosworth Road property as unusual. Norman said he was not working Friday but spoke with a colleague who responded to the call. He said the home was in “a bizarre condition” and appeared to be difficult to enter from the front door. Norman said he was told there was a body under a sheet near a door. Officers found Graham deceased when they arrived for the welfare check. Cleveland police initially said a child connected to the woman had been located and was safe.
LaCroix said Graham worked for his partner at a grocery store and was known as dependable. He said she never missed a shift and that friends and family became alarmed when they could not reach her. He said he used social media to gather information and help track her location before police and firefighters went to Bosworth Road. Cleveland police have released few details, saying investigators were waiting for the medical examiner’s findings before determining whether the death would be handled as a criminal case.
As of Monday, Graham’s daughter remained safe and in protective care. The medical examiner’s ruling on how Graham died is the next major step in the investigation, and police in Cleveland and Spring Hill remain involved.
Author note: Last updated July 7, 2026.