The body of a missing mother-of-four in was found inside of her husband's storage unit in Florida on Saturday night.
Shakeira Rucker, 37, was last seen on November 11 at a restaurant with her estranged partner, Cory Hill, 51. Now, Hill is in custody on unrelated attempted murder charges against a different woman and is considered the prime suspect in Rucker's death.
Rucker was last heard from by family members when she told them she was going to buy some food and to head home for the evening on the 11th. She was the mother of two boys, 7 and 18, and two girls, 9 and 16. A GoFundMe page has been set up for them.
'Shakeira’s family was notified this evening. We grieve with them & our detectives are committed to bringing them justice in this case,' the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
On the night of November 11, Rucker was seen in surveillance video with Hill. Earlier that evening, police say that he shot at his ex-girlfriend during a domestic dispute. Rucker's death was as the result of gunshot wounds, police said.
'I heard gunfire. I felt two of them pass by my face,' Angel Milligan said in an interview with WESH. Hill was arrested the following day, on November 12.
Shakeira Rucker, a missing mom-of-four was last heard on November 11, a week later she was found dead in her husband's storage locker
Cory Hill, 51, is in custody on unrelated attempted murder charges against his ex-girlfriend
Hill previously spent 20 years in prison on second-degree murder charges and is now considered the prime suspect Rucker's death
Rucker was the mother of two boys, 7 and 18, and two girls, 9 and 16. A GoFundMe page has been set up for them
This past Saturday, authorities responded to a a Your Storage Unit in the town of Apopka, jut north of Orlando, after someone called the police regarding a strange smell.
According to authorities, Hill is refusing to speak to investigators regarding Rucker's death. He has not been charged in relation to the killing.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Sunday that Cory Hill could have 'stopped a lot of pain and suffering by talking to investigators from the very beginning instead of putting them through this week long nightmare.'
'He is the suspect. We are not looking for anyone else. He will be charged with the murder eventually in this case,' Mina said.
At the the time that authorities got the call about the storage unit, officers were searching for Rucker at an airfield in the area.
Hill previously spent 20 years in prison on second-degree murder charges in Virginia after being found guilty of second-degree murder, reports WFTV.
'I just want my mom to come back. It’s hard, her not being here, because I’m always with her. It’s like I can’t live without her. She’s all I know,' her daughter, Mikayla Johnson, 16, told Fox Orlando.
Police were called here to a Your Storage Units facility in Florida on Saturday night after someone reported a strange odor
The scene at Hill's ex-girlfriend's home after he allegedly fired a gun at her just prior to Rucker's disappearance
On Sunday, Rucker's friends and family joined together at a vigil to celebrate her life
At the vigil, Rucker's brother expressed frustration with the speed of the police investigation
On Sunday, Rucker's family gathered at a park in Pine Hills to celebrate her life.
'I'm feeling heartbroken, to hear the news of my sister's passing and the way she was found its devastating. We're grieving this moment as it hasn't even been 24 hours since we heard the news but we’re here strong,' her brother, Clarence, told Spectrum News.
'She was a caring person, she cared about her kids. All she wanted to do was work, go to church and just live. You know and have fun. She just wanted to work and take care of her kids — the little things,' he added.
Thornton also expressed anger at the investigation, saying that family members tried to point police to the storage unit earlier.
'Very disappointed because we told them that it could be the storage because all of his furniture wasn’t in the house,' Thornton said.
He also questioned why nobody who works at the storage facility noticed anything unusual.
Speaking Hill's fate, Thornton simple said: 'He needs to go down for everything, everything he is.'
'My sister should have never been in that situation. Not in a million years I would have thought my sister (to) ever been in that situation,' he added.
State Attorney Andrew Bain was in attendance at the girl.
'I'm just here to show my support for her family and make sure they have everything they need from my office. We're dealing with them first and then we’ll get to dealing with the case after,' he told the media.