Justice Department Targets Duo Accused of Gruesome Crime Against Pregnant Woman

Two men from Ohio are now facing federal charges related to the death of a pregnant woman, following accusations of attempting to conceal her remains.

Walter Edward Wade, 44, and Rick Sheppard, 47, are both charged in federal court with conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealment of an object to impede an official proceeding, and accessory after the fact. These charges come after the cancellation of their state trials. According to an affidavit by an FBI special agent in Cincinnati, Wade and Sheppard were involved in covering up the overdose death of 28-year-old Brittany Fuhr-Storms.

Previously reported by Law&Crime, Fuhr-Storms was discovered deceased in a storage tote in Montgomery County, Ohio, on August 3, 2025. Authorities determined she was pregnant at the time of her death, which is believed to have been caused by an overdose.

The complaint details how Fuhr-Storms’ body was found bound with ratchet straps and wrapped in a blue tarp. Her baby, delivered posthumously, was found wrapped in a towel alongside her in the tote. While the autopsy did not find evidence of violence, it did reveal multiple drugs in Fuhr-Storms’ system, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and ethanol. Traces of fentanyl were also found in the baby’s system.

The investigation led authorities to an apartment associated with an unnamed individual. James Rothenbusch, 52, admitted to complicity in tampering with evidence related to Fuhr-Storms’ death and received a 30-month prison sentence. During the sentencing, Fuhr-Storms’ brother referred to the location of her death as Rothenbusch’s residence.

The agent wrote that the unnamed individual said Fuhr-Storms occasionally stayed at his apartment and they had a sexual relationship. He also told the agent that he regularly sold her drugs. On the day she died, believed to be on or around July 18, 2025, the individual said Fuhr-Storms went to take a shower while he went out to get food. When he returned, she was unresponsive in the tub. He told investigators, “That’s when I knew she was overdosed.”

He told the agent that he called his friend “Rick,” identified in the document as Sheppard, and the two men attempted to revive Fuhr-Storms with “eight or more doses of Narcan,” chest compressions, and rescue breaths. The individual said she “started looking at him and breathing shallowly,” so he believed that she was successfully revived. He and Sheppard then left her in the bathroom alone.

After leaving Fuhr-Storms by herself, the individual said he “refused” to go back into the bathroom and admitted to detectives that he was “avoiding” the room, the affidavit states. Sheppard allegedly said he would “take the wheel” and called Wade to help dispose of Fuhr-Storms’ body. After Wade was arrested, he told police that Sheppard contacted him for help with a “clean out,” feds say.

When Sheppard was interviewed following his arrest, he admitted that he did not call 911 after realizing his rescue attempts on Fuhr-Storms did not work. He also allegedly admitted to helping get rid of her body.

According to the affidavit, Sheppard searched Facebook Marketplace on July 23, 2025, for a 55-gallon storage tote that was empty and had a lid. He told one seller that he needed it “asap.”

Wade said that when he arrived at the home and saw the tote, he was told that it was filled with tools. Once he and Sheppard were on their way to dispose of the tote, Sheppard allegedly told him there was a dead body inside it. Wade allegedly admitted that he never contacted authorities after getting that information.

Wade and Sheppard had been scheduled to go on trial in Butler County this month. They now face trial in the Southern District of Ohio.