ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County grand jury formally indicted Cory Hill in the death of his estranged wife, Shakeira Rucker, State Attorney Andrew Bain announced Thursday morning.
The grand jury indicted Hill on a total of nine charges, including first-degree murder — which is a capitol offense. Bain said Thursday that he plans to seek the death penalty in the case.
Bain said there were two factors that went into the death penalty decision.
“One being the cold, calculating methodology of the homicide, and the second being a prior violent offense from a 1992 murder in Virginia,” he said Thursday.
In December 2023, the State Attorney’s Office filed a second-degree murder charge against Hill but had presented enough evidence to a grand jury to secure a first-degree murder indictment, according to their statement.
Rucker, a 37-year-iold mother of four, went missing on Nov. 11 after investigators say she was seen on surveillance video getting dinner with Hill, 51, in Polk County.
They said Rucker's body was found on Nov. 18 in an Apopka storage unit registered to Hill.
The following day, Hill was arrested in Orange County in connection to an unrelated case in which he is accused of shooting at his girlfriend and three members of her family.
Hill faces four counts of attempted murder in that incident.
Rucker's older sister, Dedra Rucker, said Thursday that nothing the courts do will ever bring her back, but was heartened by the grand jury's decision.
“We’ll never have the chance to talk to her again, we’ll never have the chance of spending the time, her children will never be able to see her again,” Dedra Rucker said.
“This decision that may not bring our sister back, but it’s going to be a step in justice, it’s going to be a step,” she added..
Investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Hill did not cooperate with investigators when asked about Shakeira Rucker’s whereabouts. They say a call from an Apopka storage facility regarding an odor coming from a unit led to her body being discovered.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Rucker died from gunshot wounds.
According to the charges filed with the State Attorney’s Office, both crimes allegedly occurred on Nov. 12.
The grand jury returned the following charges in the indictment (which include Rucker's death and the unrelated shooting case):
- First-degree murder
- Attempted first-degree murder
- Three counts of attempted second-degree murder
- Burglary of a dwelling with an assault or battery
- Shooting at, within, or into a building
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Violation of a domestic violence injunction or foreign protection order by threatening violence
Hill is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 25.
Domestic Violence Foundation
In the wake of Rucker's death, her family has started a foundation in her honor, For My Sister, with a goal of helping victims of domestic violence.
“No one should go through any domestic violence, no matter who you are because it can happen to anybody,” said Elaine Rucker, Shakeira Rucker’s mother.
The family says they didn’t know she was a victim of abuse, and now they’re hoping to raise awareness.
“For anybody that’s going through it, speak to someone about it,” said Dedra Rucker.
“We couldn’t save our sister, but we're hoping to save somebody,” she added. “So, that they can know that you don’t have to stay there, there is help out there for you, don’t be ashamed.”