2 men who ratchet-strapped pregnant woman and hid her body in a tote after keeping her in a tub for 4 days are now in the DOJ's crosshairs: Feds

Two Ohio men who were accused of trying to fell the remains of a pregnant woman present look national charges successful transportation with her death.

Walter Edward Wade, 44, and Rick Sheppard, 47, had their authorities trials vacated aft they were charged successful national tribunal with conspiracy to obstruct justness by concealing an object, concealing an entity to impair its quality for an authoritative proceeding, and accessory aft the fact. According to an affidavit written by an FBI peculiar cause based successful Cincinnati, Ohio, Wade and Sheppard some played an progressive relation successful hiding the overdose decease of 28-year-old Brittany Fuhr-Storms.

As Law&Crime antecedently reported, Fuhr-Storms' assemblage was found successful a retention tote successful Ohio's Montgomery County connected Aug. 3, 2025. She was determined to person been large astatine the clip of her death, which was allegedly owed to an overdose.

In the complaint, the cause wrote that Fuhr-Storms was recovered "ratchet-strapped and bound tightly" and wrapped successful a bluish tarp. Her baby, which was determined to person been delivered aft her death, was recovered wrapped successful a towel wrong the tote with her. The cause said an autopsy ruled her origin of decease was inactive undetermined, but determination was nary grounds that she was the unfortunate of violence. The autopsy results recovered that Fuhr-Storms had respective drugs successful her system, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and ethanol. The babe besides had fentanyl successful his system.

The probe into Fuhr-Storms' decease led authorities to an flat wherever an unnamed idiosyncratic lived; James Rothenbusch, 52, pleaded blameworthy to complicity to tampering with grounds successful transportation with Fuhr-Storms' decease and was sentenced to 30 months successful prison. Fuhr-Storms' member referred to the flat wherever Fuhr-Storms died arsenic Rothenbusch's location during sentencing.

The cause wrote that the unnamed idiosyncratic said Fuhr-Storms occasionally stayed astatine his flat and they had a intersexual relationship. He besides told the cause that helium regularly sold her drugs. On the time she died, believed to beryllium connected oregon astir July 18, 2025, the idiosyncratic said Fuhr-Storms went to instrumentality a ablution portion helium went retired to get food. When helium returned, she was unresponsive successful the tub. He told investigators, "That's erstwhile I knew she was overdosed."

He told the cause that helium called his person "Rick," identified successful the papers arsenic Sheppard, and the 2 men attempted to revive Fuhr-Storms with "eight oregon much doses of Narcan," thorax compressions, and rescue breaths. The idiosyncratic said she "started looking astatine him and breathing shallowly," truthful helium believed that she was successfully revived. He and Sheppard past near her successful the bath alone.

After leaving Fuhr-Storms by herself, the idiosyncratic said helium "refused" to spell backmost into the bath and admitted to detectives that helium was "avoiding" the room, the affidavit states. Sheppard allegedly said helium would "take the wheel" and called Wade to assistance dispose of Fuhr-Storms' body. After Wade was arrested, helium told constabulary that Sheppard contacted him for assistance with a "clean out," feds say.

More from Law&Crime: Man who dumped large woman's assemblage successful a tote successful the woods aft keeping her successful a tub for 4 days learns his fate

When Sheppard was interviewed pursuing his arrest, helium admitted that helium did not telephone 911 aft realizing his rescue attempts connected Fuhr-Storms did not work. He besides allegedly admitted to helping get escaped of her body.

According to the affidavit, Sheppard searched Facebook Marketplace connected July 23, 2025, for a 55-gallon retention tote that was bare and had a lid. He told 1 seller that helium needed it "asap."

Wade said that erstwhile helium arrived astatine the location and saw the tote, helium was told that it was filled with tools. Once helium and Sheppard were connected their mode to dispose of the tote, Sheppard allegedly told him determination was a dormant assemblage wrong it. Wade allegedly admitted that helium ne'er contacted authorities aft getting that information.

Wade and Sheppard had been scheduled to spell connected proceedings successful Butler County this month. They present look proceedings successful the Southern District of Ohio.