What happened to Gracie Sasso Cleveland? Suspect arrested as missing 15-year-old found dead in dumpster

The body of missing a 15-year-old, Gracie Sasso Cleveland was found inside a dumpster next to 536 College Avenue in DeKalb, Illinois, on May 7. As per police, Gracie was suffocated before she was tossed into a dumpster. Her parents notified the police about her disappearance on Thursday, May 4.

Authorities have arrested 29-year-old convicted child s*x offender, Timothy M. Doll in connection to the murder of Gracie Sasso Cleveland, who he was reportedly "dating." Doll has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of aggravated criminal s*x abuse, concealment of a homicide, aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint, and unlawful communication by a child s*x offender.

Doll, was taken into custody on Sunday and was formally charged with murder on Monday. According to the police, the suspect killed the victim following an argument, Kansas City reported.

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Gracie Sasso Cleveland was suffocated with a pillow and lost consciousness

Gracie Sasso Cleveland's body was found inside a dumpster located on the same property where her phone had last pinged, close to Northern Illinois University's campus. Following this discovery, the police obtained search warrants and detained Timothy M. Doll, as they found evidence that linked him to the crime.

At the time of his arrest, Doll was on probation for assaulting a 14-year-old. He had pleaded guilty to the charges on April 12 and was sentenced to probation. He also registered as a s*x offender with DeKalb PD on April 14.

According to a press release by the DeKalb Police Department, on the evening of May 4, 2023, Timothy Doll and Gracie Sasso Cleveland got into a heated argument. As per People, Doll suffocated Sasso Cleveland with a pillow until she lost consciousness.

He then brought her body outside and tossed her into the dumpster behind his building. After discarding her remains, investigators say that Doll removed all of the teenager's personal items from his apartment and threw away her phone in the garbage at another location, Law&Crime reported.

The DeKalb County Coroner's Office determined that Gracie Sasso Cleveland's death was a homicide and her cause of death was asphyxiation.

DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd, addressing a news conference on the case, said:

"He's a predator, and he sought out a young victim — an innocent 15-year-old girl, and snuffed her life out. It angers me because I think we could've saved this young lady if we would've been notified about the situation that was occurring that night."

The chief also said that he was particularly upset about the circumstances surrounding Gracie Sasso Cleveland's death and urged the community to come forward if they are aware of such an illegal relationship.

A GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of Gracie's funeral was set up by a family friend. The page states that prior to her death, Gracie had "just found out" that Doll was a criminal with a lengthy rap sheet.

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Friends and family grieve the loss of 15-year-old Gracie

According to Shaw Local, Gracie Sasso Cleveland was a freshman at DeKalb High School. Following the tragedy, the school district Superintendent, Minerva Garcia-Sanchez, sent an email to families expressing their sadness about the situation.

According to WREX, during a vigil held on Monday, loved ones described Gracie as a girl who was very loving and loyal. Her family also spoke about how she was a beloved daughter and friend to everyone.

Ericka Sasso, Gracie Sasso Cleveland's mother, expressed her gratitude for the support from the DeKalb community and those who knew her daughter well. She added that she felt proud that her daughter was able to make such a positive impact on so many people, WREX reported.