Estranged husband accused of murder after missing woman’s body is found in Florida storage unit
By Raja Razek, CNN
(CNN) — The estranged husband of a woman whose body was found in a storage unit in Orange County, Florida, has been charged with her murder, authorities said.
Shakeira Yvonne Rucker, a 37-year-old mother of four, was reported missing after her family told the Winter Springs Police Department they last saw her on November 11, CNN previously reported.
Rucker’s family reported she left her home for “an unknown destination,” possibly with her estranged husband, Cory Hill, police said at the time.
Florida law enforcement officials last month said her disappearance was being investigated as a homicide after her body was found in a storage unit registered to Hill.
“The Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit has formally filed charges against Cory Hill for the murder of Shakeira Rucker,” prosecutors said in a statement Friday. “Hill remains in jail under a no bond status stemming from his November arrest of Attempted Second Degree Murder and other charges against his ex-girlfriend and her family.”
Hill, 51, was booked in the Orange County Jail on November 13 for an unrelated shooting, CNN previously reported. He was charged with four counts of attempted murder after allegedly shooting at a former girlfriend and her family on November 12, according to Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
“Hill now faces an additional charge of Second Degree Murder (With a Firearm) for the death of Ms. Rucker,” prosecutors said Friday. “Ms. Rucker’s body was found in a self-storage facility at 2400 Wiggins Road in Apopka after someone complained about a smell coming from inside a unit registered to Cory Hill.”
When deputies opened the unit, they found a woman later identified as Rucker dead from apparent gunshot wounds, Mina said.
Rucker’s family has set up a GoFundMe page for her four children, ages 7 through 18.
Prosecutors said they will seek a first-degree murder indictment in Rucker’s homicide.
“Due to procedural rules, the State is limited to filing a Second-Degree Murder charge by Information prior to presenting the case to the Orange County Grand Jury,” the statement said.
CNN has reached out to the public defender listed as legal representation for Hill for comment.
CNN’s Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.
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