Body of child found hidden in 'Las Vegas' suitcase in Indiana woodland

The body of a young boy has been found hidden in a suitcase in Indiana, United States.

The child, who has not yet been identified, was found by a mushroom hunter in a wooded area of Washington County in the state on Saturday.

He is described as Black, around five-years-old and about four feet tall, with a slim build and a short haircut.

Indiana State Police said that "tragically, the child was located inside a closed hard case suitcase", adding "the suitcase has a distinctive Las Vegas design on its front and back".

The cause of death is as yet unconfirmed, though an autopsy was conducted on Tuesday, police said. The boy is believed to have died sometime within the past week.

The results of a toxicology report, which should show if any drugs were present in the boy's system, is still pending, and investigators are hoping it will shed more light on the cause of death.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls appealed to the public to provide any information about the boy, saying somebody knows who he was or knows the names of his parents.

“There’s somebody at a Easter table this weekend that maybe has somebody that’s not there and were expecting to come", Sgt. Huls said on Sunday.

“There’s family members, friends, somebody from school perhaps, that knows maybe there was issues, that thinks this could possibly be that child."

Detectives have received around 200 calls on a tip line that was set up on Monday, but none have led to the boy's identification, police said in a statement.