Authorities said the 46-year-old Canton woman was discovered Tuesday afternoon wrapped in blankets and secured with ratchet straps.
CANTON, Ohio — Police in Canton are investigating after a woman’s body was found Tuesday afternoon near a creek on the city’s southeast side. Authorities said the body was discovered in the 1600 block of 3rd Street SE and later identified as 46-year-old Charise M. Otis of Canton.
The case quickly drew a large response from police and fire crews and left neighbors searching for answers. Investigators have released only limited details about how Otis died, but they said her body was found wrapped in blankets and bound with ratchet straps. Her remains were taken for an autopsy as detectives worked to determine what happened, when she died and how her body ended up near the water.
According to Canton police, officers were called to the area at about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday after a 911 caller reported what appeared to be a body lying near the creek. Responding officers and Canton Fire crews went to the scene and found the woman near the water. Paramedics then transported her remains for further examination. Police later identified the woman as Otis, a Canton resident. Investigators have not said how long the body had been there before it was discovered, and they have not publicly described any suspects, possible motive or signs of injury.
Neighbors said the response stretched across part of the area for more than an hour as officers secured the scene and gathered evidence. Irvin Harmon, who lives nearby, said the sight of police tape and emergency vehicles so close to home was deeply unsettling. He said he had lived in the neighborhood his whole life and could not remember a case like this unfolding there. Harmon said first responders blocked off portions of the area near Warner Road and nearby streets while investigators worked. His account reflected the shock that spread through a neighborhood suddenly turned into an active death investigation.
So far, public information in the case has remained sparse. Authorities have said Otis was found wrapped in blankets and secured with ratchet straps, a detail that immediately raised questions about whether her body had been moved. But police have not answered those questions publicly, and they have not released a cause or manner of death. Instead, officials said her remains were sent to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. That examination is expected to help determine how she died and whether the case will ultimately be handled as a homicide.
The investigation now appears to be centered on reconstructing Otis’ final movements and identifying anyone who may have had contact with her before her death. Detectives have asked the public for information, but they have not said whether they are reviewing surveillance footage, speaking with specific witnesses or tracing activity in the area before the body was found. Police also have not said whether the creekside location was the place where Otis died or whether it was a dumping site. Those unanswered questions are likely to shape the next phase of the investigation.
For residents in the area, the discovery broke the normal rhythm of a weekday afternoon. Sirens, police tape and the sight of investigators working near the creek drew attention from people who live nearby and from passersby trying to understand what had happened. The case remained active into the day after the discovery, with officials releasing Otis’ identity but few other details. That left neighbors with a grim image and an uncertain sense of what comes next as police continue sorting through evidence.
The case remained under investigation as of Wednesday, with police awaiting autopsy results and asking anyone with information to contact detectives. The next major step is likely to come when medical examiners determine how Otis died and whether investigators announce any criminal findings.
Author note: Last updated April 16, 2026.