MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The family of a 28-year-old pregnant woman who was found dead in rural Montgomery County has issued their first public statement.
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As News Center 7 previously reported, 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 on Aug. 3.
Investigators revealed that Fuhr-Storms had been pregnant when she died. She was found in the tote, which had been sealed with wood screws.
News Center 7 reached out to family members for a comment and received the following response:
“The family of Brittany would like to thank the public for their support and the dedication of the detectives and investigators on the ongoing case. Brittany and her baby were both very loved and wanted . She was a happy beautiful girl who will be missed tremendously by her family and friends. We do ask for prayers and privacy as we navigate our way through the loss of our family.”
An investigation led the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to Franklin, where Fuhr-Strom’s last known address was.
Investigators then contacted Middletown Police, and a joint investigation between the two agencies began.
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As previously reported, 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.
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 lead the investigation of the case.
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