Charise M. Otis, 46, of Canton, Ohio, was found dead Tuesday afternoon April 14, 2026 near the east bank of the Middle Branch of the Nimishillen Creek in the 1600 block of 3rd Street SE in Canton. A 911 caller reported what appeared to be a body wrapped in blankets and secured with ratchet straps near Hartford Middle School along the creek bank.
Canton police and fire crews responded around 2:45 p.m. to the residential and wooded area in southeast Canton and located the deceased woman. Paramedics confirmed she was deceased at the scene, and her body was transported to the Stark County Coroner’s Office before being sent to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
Officers from the Canton Police Department secured the scene along 3rd Street SE near the Nimishillen Creek and began a death investigation after the discovery. No immediate signs of trauma were publicly detailed at the time, and the exact circumstances leading to Otis’s death remain under active review.
The body was found in a grassy, wooded section adjacent to the creek in a neighborhood that includes homes and the middle school. Detectives are treating the case as a death investigation with no suspects named at this stage.
The Canton community has been left stunned and saddened by the discovery of Charise M. Otis near the Nimishillen Creek in the 1600 block of 3rd Street SE. Neighbors described the area as normally quiet, with the creek serving as a natural boundary near Hartford Middle School. Family and friends have expressed deep grief over the loss of a woman known locally, while residents have voiced concern about safety in the creek-side section of southeast Canton following the April 14, 2026 discovery.
The Stark County Coroner’s Office and Canton Police Department continue their joint investigation into the death of Charise M. Otis found near the Middle Branch of the Nimishillen Creek in the 1600 block of 3rd Street SE. The body was wrapped in blankets and bound with ratchet straps according to initial reports.
No foul play has been ruled out or confirmed as the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office performs the autopsy to determine cause and manner of death. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact police.
Residents near 3rd Street SE and the Nimishillen Creek in Canton have expressed sorrow and called for answers following the discovery of Charise M. Otis. The creek-side area, close to Hartford Middle School, is a familiar part of the southeast Canton neighborhood where families live and children attend school. Community members have offered support to Otis’s loved ones while reflecting on the unsettling nature of the find on April 14, 2026.
