The true story behind Cindy Sumner case in The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2

The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2 opens with the Cindy Sumner case and tracks how a 20-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, vanished in August 2009 and was later found in a basement at an Elm Street warehouse. The premiere, titled Someone’s Watching Her, lays out the search, the discovery, and a suspect named by the police.

The case unfolded near residential areas in North Toledo. Sumner reportedly had muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, and relatives described a limited mental capacity for her age. Investigators said a cryptic message drew them to Elm Street, shifting the case from a missing persons case to a homicide scene.

---

The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2: what the episode covers

The episode centers on a path through North Toledo that ends at a vacant warehouse on Elm Street. Search teams worked the area after Sumner was reported missing on August 6, 2009.

On September 17, 2009, her remains were located in the basement of a vacant warehouse, partially submerged in water, and identified by dental records. The coroner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

Detectives concluded the killing occurred inside the building. They also logged footwear impressions near the recovery area that would later factor into interviews and warrants, as reported by 6abc Philadelphia.

---

Timeline of the Cindy Sumner investigation

Interviews started with relatives, neighbors, and people who spent time around the warehouse; dozens of names were logged, but one stood out early. One stood out early. Police questioned Elhadi Robbins, who was described as an older acquaintance of Sumner and who allegedly spent time near Elm Street.

Robbins said he and Sumner were friends. He also gave investigators a different lead that went nowhere, according to NBC 24’s case reporting.

Detectives learned Robbins had prior convictions, including the illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material in 2006, and a failure to register case tied to sex offender reporting. Court papers listed additional arrests for domestic violence and assault in the years before Sumner’s death, as reported by NBC 24.

Scene from The Real Murders on Elm Street (Image via YouTube/@InvestigationDiscovery)

Investigators then seized Robbins’s tennis shoes and said they matched a print near the body. Homeless witnesses near the building reportedly identified the shoes. The working theory placed the assault at the warehouse, with the body left in a water-filled room, per 6abc Philadelphia.

A Lucas County grand jury indicted Robbins on two counts of murder on February 2, 2010. He pleaded not guilty. While awaiting trial, Robbins collapsed in the jail showers on March 28, 2013, and died at a hospital a short time later. Officials reviewed the video and said no foul play was suspected. The death ended the criminal case before a jury could hear evidence, as reported by WTOL 11.

Civil action followed. Sumner’s parents sued the warehouse owner and the city, seeking damages and arguing the site’s unsafe condition. Years later, local leaders moved to demolish the Elm Street structure, with work beginning in 2023, according to WTOL 11.

---

The suspect, the evidence, and what remains unresolved

The Real Murders on Elm Street (Image via YouTube/@InvestigationDiscovery)

Because the named suspect died before trial, no verdict was reached on the murder counts. Evidence described in warrants and interviews appears in the episode as investigators recount the footwear link, witness statements, and the recovered scene. Claims of sexual contact came from Robbins during interviews and remain untested at trial.

---

The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2 premiered on Investigation Discovery on October 1 at 9:00 pm ET/PT with Someone’s Watching Her. New episodes air weekly on the same network.

---