A grisly cold case dating back more than 25 years in Tuscarawas County has been resolved through advances in DNA technology, ultimately identifying the victim and leading to federal charges against his son, authorities announced.
The investigation began on Feb. 1, 1998, when children discovered a suitcase along Winkler Hill Road in Dover Township containing partial human remains. About a week later, a second suitcase with additional remains was found along Boltz Orchard Road in Jefferson Township.
Despite collecting DNA and other evidence at the time, investigators were unable to identify the victim or a suspect. Leads over the years failed to produce answers, and the case went cold.
That changed in 2023 when Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell reassigned the case to Detective Sgt. Ryan Hamilton, directing the department’s detective bureau to take a fresh look. Authorities determined that modern DNA testing offered the best chance at solving the case.
Using funds seized from a prior drug investigation, the sheriff’s office authorized advanced DNA testing through a private laboratory. The results identified a potential family connection in the Euclid, Ohio, area. Investigators worked alongside the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and criminal intelligence analysts to trace the family link.
Further DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Lawrence A. Drotleff, who was born Aug. 6, 1904, and was about 93 years old at the time his remains were discovered.
Investigators then turned their attention to his son, Larry J. Drotleff, now 81, of Euclid. Authorities discovered he had previously collected Social Security and pension benefits intended for his deceased father, falsely claiming that his father had moved away.
In January 2024, detectives traveled to Euclid and interviewed Larry Drotleff. According to investigators, he admitted that he found his father dead at their shared residence, then used a manual hand saw to dismember the body. He told authorities he placed some remains in suitcases and discarded others in bags at a dumpster near his workplace.
Drotleff provided a DNA sample confirming he is the biological son of the victim.
Because the statute of limitations has expired, local authorities cannot charge Drotleff with abuse of a corpse. However, the case has led to federal charges filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
He faces two counts: theft of $111,485 in Social Security benefits and theft of $135,040.36 from his father’s General Electric pension, according to authorities.
Officials emphasized that while the case did not reveal a homicide, the circumstances surrounding the handling of the remains were deeply troubling.
“It remains difficult to comprehend that the greed of theft could cause someone to treat their father’s body in this manner,” Campbell said in a statement.
The sheriff credited multiple agencies and individuals for their role in solving the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland, and personnel from BCI’s DNA and criminal intelligence units.
Investigators also recognized the persistence of their own department, noting that the case remained a priority for decades despite limited leads.
The case remains pending in federal court.
