Brandy Rucker: Woman accused of killing St Jude employee set free as judge dismisses charges against her

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: One of the two suspects who reportedly killed an employee with St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee during a botched robbery last year has been set free after a judge dismissed the pile of charges filed against her for lack of probable cause.

On Wednesday, January 31, Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Sheila B Renfroe ordered charges of first-degree murder and especially aggravated battery, among others, be dropped against Brandy Rucker in the November 2023 slaying of Alexander Bulakhov due to lack of probable cause. According to jail records, she was released after the hearing.

What happened to another suspect?

Rucker, the alleged getaway driver, appeared in court along with co-defendant Marious Ward, the alleged gunman accused of fatally shooting Bulakhov in front of his wife and two-year-old child. Ward’s case was “held to state,” meaning he will remain in detention at the Shelby County Jail without bond while the state brings his case to a grand jury for indictment.

What charges does Marious Ward face?

Ward is charged with first-degree murder, murder in perpetration of a felony, especially aggravated robbery, first-degree attempted murder, attempted aggravated assault, and employing a firearm with the intention to commit a felony.

Why were the charges against Brandy Rucker dismissed?

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office provided a brief explanation as to why the charges against Rucker were dismissed. “Because the officer failed to make a positive identification, the charges were dismissed against the defendant,” the DA’s office said in a statement to Memphis NBC affiliate WMC-TV.

However, prosecutors also emphasized that they may still seek to bring the same charges against Rucker in the future.

“It’s important to point out that this happens many times in general session’s court, which has limited jurisdiction. After charges are dropped in general sessions, many times our office sends to grand jury for an indictment. The case can then go to criminal court, where the defendant could face charges,” the DA’s office said.

The victim's wife testified during the hearing 

During Wednesday, January 31, hearing, the victim’s wife, Anastasiia Bulakhova, testified about her husband’s murder, reiterating the story she originally provided to investigators.

On Sunday, November 12, at about 7.54 pm, the Memphis Police Department officers responded to an emergency call regarding a robbery with shots fired in the area of 495 Tennessee Street. The first responders, upon arriving at the scene, found an adult male, later identified as Bulakhov, who was suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to Regional One Health in critical condition but later succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead.

Bulakhov’s wife told investigators that they had been walking in the area with their two-year-old child when a man wearing a black hoodie and a ski mask approached them brandishing a handgun and demanding their property. The victim gave the man his wallet.

“The male then pointed the firearm directly at [Bulakhov’s wife] and demanded more property,” police wrote in the affidavit, adding “At this time Alexander Bulakhov, in an attempt to defend his wife, struggled with the male over the firearm. During the struggle, Alexander Bulakhov was shot. A 9mm caliber spent shell casing was recovered from the scene.”

Police obtained surveillance footage from the area showing the male suspect exiting a white 2013 Toyota Camry with a “specific damage profile” from the passenger side, walking toward the victim and his family before shooting the victim. The Camry had a missing rear bumper, and a severely dented passenger side door, and one of the rear windows was broken out and covered with plastic and tape.

“Several surveillance cameras in the area captured the suspect’s Toyota Camry circling the area, making an erratic U-turn, appearing to be casing for potential victims in the minutes before the murder,” police wrote.

When did the authorities locate the vehicle?

On November 13, police located a Camry matching the specific damage profile of the vehicle in the surveillance footage in the parking lot of the Whitney Manor Apartments located in the 1500 block of Whitney Avenue.

They watched Rucker and Ward get into the Camry and drive out of the parking lot before conducting a traffic stop. Ward was found to have a 9 mm handgun in his waistband and the two were taken to the station for questioning.

“Rucker admitted to being the driver of the Toyota Camry, watch[ing] Ward exit the Camry with a handgun in his hand and walk[ing] toward the area of 495 Tennessee St before hurrying back to the vehicle and advising her to flee the area,” the affidavit stated.

“Ward confessed to being the gunman responsible for the murder of Alexander Bulakhov. Ward further advised that the 9mm handgun found in his possession was the same weapon used during the murder,” it added. A LinkedIn profile, believed to be Bulakhov’s, stated that he was a postdoctoral researcher at St Jude’s Hospital.