Background: Brittany Fuhr-Storms (GoFundMe). Inset: Walter Wade (Butler County Sheriff's Office).
A third suspect was arrested months after a pregnant Ohio woman was found dead in a plastic tote.
Walter Wade, 44, was indicted on Tuesday on charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of 28-year-old Brittany Fuhr-Storms. Fuhr-Storms' body was found on Aug. 3, naked and "wrapped in towels and a tarp" inside a sealed, plastic storage tote. While the coroner listed her cause of death as undetermined, two men — James Rothenbusch, 52, and Rick Sheppard, 47 — were arrested in connection with her death investigation.
Police said Sheppard told them she died of an "alleged overdose" and that her body was kept in the shower for four days before they allegedly attempted to dispose of her. Both Sheppard and Rothenbusch told police that they knew she was pregnant when she died.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Sheppard and Rothenbusch were on law enforcement's radar before Fuhr-Storms' body was found. Authorities from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said at a press conference at the time of their arrests on Aug. 5 that both suspects were being investigated on suspicion of narcotics. A search warrant in connection with the narcotics investigation allegedly yielded evidence related to the death investigation.
According to a search warrant obtained by local CBS affiliate WHIO, police officers who searched Sheppard and Rothenbusch's apartment in Middletown found blood on the carpet, screws, a blue tarp, and towels that matched the ones Fuhr-Storms' body was allegedly wrapped in. Police also allegedly found fentanyl and other drug paraphernalia.
Police said that Fuhr-Storms' case was considered a "suspicious death." Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Jeremy Roy said, "The fact of the matter is, these gentlemen have some guys in custody that were there at the time she died. That's a problem. They don't have any 911 calls, they don't have anybody going for help. That's an issue."
During a court hearing on Thursday that was covered by Journal-News, a local news outlet, Fuhr-Storms' brother asked the judge to set a high bond for Wade, calling him a danger to the community. Wade's bond was set at $45,000. He is currently in custody at Butler County Jail. His next court date was scheduled for Dec. 18.
Rothenbusch was charged with corrupting a pregnant woman with drugs, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse, drug trafficking, and drug possession, plus misdemeanor charges of failure to report a crime or death and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is scheduled to go on trial on Jan. 12, 2026.
Sheppard was charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. His trial is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2026.
