MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Two men have been arrested in connection with the investigation into the death of a woman whose body was found in a plastic tote in rural Montgomery County this week.
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As News Center 7 previously reported, 28-year-old Brittany Fuhr-Storms’ body was found in a plastic tote in the area of Manning Road and Anthony Road near Twin Creek in Jackson Township Sunday night.
Two hikers discovered the tote after they smelled something while walking along the road.
“I didn’t want to open it,” the 911 caller said. “The smell was so bad, you know, I mean there’s a difference between dead smells and this is not a normal dead smell.”
In an update on Thursday, investigators revealed that Fuhr-Storms had been pregnant when she died. She was found in the tote, which had been sealed with wood screws.
An investigation led the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to Franklin, where Fuhr-Strom’s last known address was.
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Investigators then contacted Middletown Police and a joint investigation between the two agencies began. As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, it led them to an apartment in Middletown where investigators believe Fuhr-Storms visited two men and later died.
A search warrant was executed Wednesday at the apartment of James Rotherbusch. He was detained at the scene.
While investigators were in his residence, they saw items related to the death investigation, which led to a second search warrant.
The search warrant shows what police found around the apartment — a suspected blood stain on the carpet, a blue tarp, screws, and a set of towels that match the description of the ones found with Fuhr-Storm’s body.
While being interviewed by investigators, Rotherbusch said Fuhr-Storms had died under suspicious circumstances in his home. He also admitted to keeping her body in the residence for around four days.
“Left Brittany’s body in the shower of the home for several days before putting her body in a tote and driving it out to Fort Anthony Road,” Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff Jeremy Roy said.
A second suspect, Rick Sheppard, was later located in Middletown. He told investigators that Fuhr-Storm died in the home, but he said she stayed in the house for nearly a week before being left in Jackson Twp.
“He later stated that the deceased died from a drug overdose and she remained in the house for approximately a week,” Deputy Chief Ryan Morgan, of Middletown Police, said.
Fuhr-Storm’s cause and manner of death have not been determined at this time.
Both Rotherbusch and Sheppard admitted to knowing she was pregnant, investigators confirmed.
They’ve both been arrested and charged with gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Rotherbusch is also facing additional charges of corrupting another with drugs, trafficking drugs, possession of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to report a crime or death.
Middletown Police will now become to lead investigators of the case.
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