Neighbors were in total disbelief when the body of pregnant 28-year-old Brittany Fuhr-Storms was uncovered in a storage tote near a Fort Anthony Road home in Dayton, Ohio. A release on Facebook shared by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office stated that, “Upon arrival, officers located a deceased adult female inside a plastic tote, discovered by individuals walking along the roadway.”
The victim’s autopsy revealed she was pregnant, and the fetus did not survive. According to Fox 19, the investigation led officers to arrest two men in connection with her death, James Rothenbusch and Rich Sheppard. Rothenbusch’s home was searched, and authorities reportedly turned up some incriminating items.
“He was detained at the scene where narcotics and other drug paraphernalia were recovered. Items related to the death investigation were also observed, prompting a secondary search warrant,” the sheriff’s office’s release noted, according to People.
Apparently, Rothenbusch had admitted to drug trafficking and claimed the victim had died in his home “under suspicious circumstances.” He reportedly also admitted he kept her body there for roughly four days before he and Sheppard disposed of it. The sheriff’s office also stated in the release on Facebook that Sheppard corroborated that she died in the home and was kept there for a week. Both also reportedly admitted they knew she was pregnant.
Rothenbusch faces seven charges, including “failure to report crime or death” and “corrupting another with drugs,” while Sheppard faces two charges of “gross abuse of a corpse” and “tampering with evidence,” People reported.
The family set up a small GoFundMe account to help cover Fuhr-Storms’ memorial. Meanwhile, her relatives are sharing their grief. Joria Isaacs, the victim’s sister-in-law, wrote, “She was very loved by her family. This was very unexpected news to everyone.”
