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AN ARREST of the prime suspect in the murder of a mother of four has been made following her disappearance.
Shakira Yvonne Rucker was reported missing by her family in Winter Springs Florida after last being seen on November 11.
Her family said she had left for “an unknown destination,” potentially with her estranged husband Cory Hill, reported CNN.
Hill was named a prime suspect after Rucker’s body was found in a storage unit registered to his name.
Police had previously suspected that Rucker was in danger as they searched for the missing mother.
“The family has not seen or heard from Shakeira since that day and believes that she may be in danger,” police said in their social media post.
Eventually, authorities uncovered security footage from Polk County showing Hill and Rucker together.
This launched a manhunt for Hill as authorities spent 16-18 hour days searching for Hill.
The FBI joined Winter Springs Police, among other agencies to search for Hill.
“I can’t thank them enough, our partner agencies, to come to an outcome. It’s not the outcome we expected, but there’s a little bit of closure for Shakeira’s family,” said Winter Springs Police Chief Matt Tracht on the collaboration.
Investigators found their breaking lede when someone called 911 complaining of a foul odor coming from a storage unit registered to Hill in Orange County.
When authorities investigated, they found Rucker dead with multiple gunshot wounds, although the cause of death is unofficial pending an autopsy.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said that the investigation points to Rucker having been shot at the unit.
Authorities located Hill on November 13 when he was booked at Orange County Jail with no bond.
He had been charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder after allegedly shooting at a former girlfriend and her family on November 12.
His ex-girlfriend reported that she was standing outside her Kissimmee home with her cousin and two children when she saw Hill’s vehicle.
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The group ran inside the home when the woman felt a “bullet fly closely by her ear.”
He allegedly then broke into the home, finding one of the children, pointing a gun at his side before saying, “take me to your mommy.”
Surveillance footage recovered at the home showed Hill with a gun and authorities found four bullets in the home.
Despite the evidence in Rucker’s death, police have not arrested Hill in connection with Rucker’s murder yet, although they intend to do so.
“We’re not looking for anyone else. He will be charged with the murder, eventually, in this case,” reassured Mina.
He further condemned Hill’s actions in not confessing Rucker’s whereabouts and allowing authorities to go on searching.
“I want to talk about the pain and suffering that Shakeira’s family have been through and really, Cory Hill could have stopped a lot of that pain and suffering by talking to investigators in the very beginning instead of putting them through this week-long nightmare,” said the sheriff.
“The storage unit was registered to him, he had to have known that we would eventually find her in there, so it’s very, very disappointing, and again our heart goes out to the family.”
Hill has a past history with violence, having been convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1993.
At the age of 20, went to the home of a teenager who he believed had stolen his 1988 Ford Tempo with his daughter still inside weeks earlier with Hill’s daughter inside.
Despite this history, the Rucker family was shocked to find out about Hill’s checkered past.
“He had like a history we never knew,” Dedra Rucker said.
“He was supposed to be a man of God in the church. We never knew.”
In a Facebook post early Sunday, Rucker’s brother Clarence Thornton spoke to his relationship with her.
“Where do I start, me and my sister…we used to talk and text on the phone four days out of the week so I knew everything,” Thornton wrote.
“Never would I have ever thought I’ll be writing this so soon, she was only 37, and that’s what hurts the most.”
The family issued a statement on Sunday writing that they, “would like to express our deepest gratitude for the thoughtful and sincere condolences. Your kind words and support have provided comfort and solace during this incredibly challenging time.”
“Your kindness has not gone unnoticed and we are truly grateful for the warmth and understanding our community and the media has shown,” the statement continued.
