Feds Target Two Men Accused of Strapping Pregnant Woman and Dumping Body in Tote
James Rothenbusch was sentenced to 30 months in prison for attempting to cover up Fuhr-Storms’ death.
Two men from Butler County, Ohio, accused of helping cover up a pregnant woman’s death are now facing federal charges.
In August 2025, Brittany Fuhr-Storms, 28, was found dead in a bathtub at the home of James Rothenbusch. Authorities said her body remained there for four days before it was placed in a plastic tote and dumped along a rural road in Montgomery County, Ohio.
According to the court filing, Fuhr Storms’ body was found ratchet-strapped and bound tightly, wrapped in a blue tarp inside the plastic tote. Her baby’s body was wrapped separately in a towel, which was also inside of the tote.
Rothenbusch was later sentenced to 30 months in prison for attempting to cover up Fuhr-Storms’ death, according to WLWT.
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Two other alleged accomplices, Walter Wade, 44, and Rick Sheppard, 47, were also charged with tampering with evidence.
Wade and Sheppard are now facing federal charges and appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on March 11. While they were initially scheduled to stand trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court this month, it is unclear when their federal trial will begin.
An agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Ohio alleged that Wade and Sheppard both played an active role in hiding Fuhr-Storms’ overdose death, authorities said.
The federal charges include:
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice by concealing an object
- Concealing an object to impair its availability for an official proceeding
- Accessory after the fact
Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser told Journal-News the federal court wanted to take jurisdiction of the case to examine additional evidence.
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Authorities believe Fuhr-Storms died on or around July 18, 2025.
Fuhr-Storms Had Drugs in Her System
Authorities allege that Rothenbusch frequently supplied drugs to Fuhr-Storms.
Investigators said toxicology results showed that she had several substances in her system at the time of her death, including ethanol, fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Her baby, who was delivered after her death, died from a fentanyl overdose, authorities said. Investigators reported that the infant’s body was found inside the same tote as Fuhr-Storms.
Authorities believe Fuhr-Storms died on or around July 18, 2025. Investigators said she went to take a shower while Rothenbusch left to get food.
When he returned, she was unresponsive in the tub. “That’s when I knew she overdosed,” Rothenbusch told investigators.
He and Sheppard attempted to save her by allegedly delivering multiple doses of Narcan and attempting CPR.
Wade and Sheppard later helped their friend dispose of the body, authorities said.
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