Two Ohio men have been formally charged after a pregnant woman’s body was discovered sealed inside a plastic tote with wood screws, dumped in a rural area like discarded trash.
Story Snapshot
- Brittany Fuhr-Storms, 28 and pregnant, was found deceased in a plastic tote that had been sealed and left in a rural area of Ohio.
- James Rothenbusch and Rick Sheppard were formally charged with gross abuse of corpse and tampering with evidence.
- The investigation revealed the suspects had allegedly concealed the victim’s body in an apartment for several days before its disposal.
- The case highlights severe criminal violence and the challenges of ongoing forensic investigations to determine the cause of death.
Disturbing Discovery in Rural Ohio
On August 3, 2025, authorities were alerted after hikers discovered a plastic tote, sealed with wood screws, in a rural area near Jackson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. Inside the tote was the body of Brittany Fuhr-Storms, a 28-year-old woman who was pregnant at the time of her death. The discovery initiated a joint investigation by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Middletown Police.
The formal charges filed against the suspects detail an effort to conceal and dispose of the body in a rural location. The incident has drawn attention to the need for thorough and immediate reporting in cases involving death under suspicious circumstances.
Suspects Face Multiple Charges
The investigation led to the arrest and formal charging of two men, James Rothenbusch and Rick Sheppard. Both individuals face felony charges of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Rothenbusch faces additional charges, including various drug offenses and failure to report a death.
The investigation determined that Fuhr-Storms was last seen visiting the residence of the suspects in Middletown, where she died under circumstances still being investigated. Authorities executed search warrants at the apartment, which led to the discovery of evidence indicating the suspects concealed the body for several days prior to its disposal. While one suspect claimed the victim died from a drug overdose, the official cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending further forensic analysis.
Pregnant woman found dead in sealed plastic tote; 2 men formally charged in case https://t.co/2aRpKU44jJ
— WHIO Radio (@WHIORadio) September 29, 2025
Context of Public Health and Concealment
This case occurs in a region dealing with ongoing public health challenges related to substance abuse. The suspects’ choice to conceal the victim’s death and dispose of the body in a remote location added complexity to the investigation and exacerbated the legal gravity of their actions.
Fuhr-Storms’ family has requested privacy while managing the loss and has organized a public fundraiser to cover funeral expenses for both the victim and her unborn child. The community response has focused on offering support to the grieving family and cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation proceeds. The eventual judicial proceedings are expected to address the criminal violence and the calculated efforts to obscure the facts of the death.
