In the fall of 2015, Rochelle Stubblefield, a bright and ambitious 20-year-old, was eagerly anticipating two significant life events: the completion of her criminal justice studies at Calumet College of St. Joseph and the birth of her first child, a son she planned to name Amir. A graduate of Portage High School and a member of her college's track team, Rochelle was just weeks away from her due date of December 15, 2015, when her promising future was tragically cut short.
On the evening of November 10, 2015, after attending classes and a basketball game with friends in Whiting, Indiana, Rochelle vanished. She was last seen wearing a maroon sweatshirt with the Calumet College of St. Joseph logo and black jeans. Concerned when their daughter did not return home, her family reported her missing on November 12, 2015. An initial investigation into her disappearance revealed no activity on her cell phone or bank account, heightening the fears of her loved ones.
The investigation soon uncovered unsettling details. Rochelle's car was found abandoned in Gary, Indiana. Nearby, investigators discovered some of her personal belongings, including her broken eyeglasses and shoes. The focus of the investigation quickly turned to Derron Fuller, who was reportedly Rochelle's boyfriend and the father of her unborn child. When initially questioned by police, Fuller denied being in a relationship with Rochelle or being the father of her baby, and suggested she might have gone to Atlanta, Georgia. However, a critical breakthrough came just ten days after Rochelle's disappearance when two of Fuller's cousins came forward with disturbing information. They informed police that Fuller had confessed to them over the phone that he had killed a woman who was eight months pregnant with his child because he did not want to pay child support. According to their account, he described choking her and stabbing her in the temple before burying her body near an elementary school in Gary.
Years would pass before a significant development occurred in the case. In July 2020, Derron Fuller was arrested and charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Rochelle and her unborn son, as well as one count of obstruction of justice. This came after his former girlfriend, who was with him around the time of Rochelle's disappearance, provided a formal statement to investigators in 2019. She recounted picking Fuller up near where Rochelle's car was found and stated that he began throwing Rochelle's belongings out of the car window. She also told authorities that Fuller admitted to her that he had choked Rochelle to death. In April 2023, a jury found Derron Fuller guilty on all charges. Despite extensive searches, Rochelle Stubblefield's body has never been found. The case stands as a heartbreaking example of a life full of promise extinguished, leaving a family to grieve without the closure of laying their loved one to rest. The prosecution argued that Fuller was the only person with a motive to kill Rochelle, as he did not want the responsibility of fatherhood. This was supported by a text message Rochelle sent to her mother shortly before she disappeared, stating that she was going to meet with Fuller to discuss the baby.Last Seen: Nov 10, 2015
