Family, friends reflect on life of homicide victim: 'God needed her more'
Nov. 7—Yvette Stover Fuller, a Decatur businesswoman and nurse, spent the 50 years of her life helping others before she was shot and killed outside Big Lots on Aug. 29, her family and friends say.
"Anybody who needed help, she helped them," said Kelvin Stover, Yvette's brother. "She was just a wonderful person. And just chopped down too fast.
"It's tragic. It would be different if it was natural causes or sickness or old age. But for somebody to just rip her out of your life — it's devastating."
Decatur police responded to Big Lots' parking lot at around 4:21 p.m. to find Yvette and a man each suffering multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Yvette died at the scene, according to police, and the man was ultimately transported to UAB Hospital for treatment.
Yvette's husband, Marcus Fuller, 52, is charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting. He turned himself in to the Decatur Police Department at around 10 p.m. that day, according to police.
A friend of the male victim said the victim knew Yvette and would "sweet talk" her in exchange for money, according to testimony from a Decatur police detective at a preliminary hearing for Marcus Fuller. The friend described Yvette as a "sugar mama" — a description that Yvette's friends and family say isn't accurate.
"That refers to sexual relations going on," said Kelvin. "As the witness said, there was no intimate relationship between my sister or (the male victim)."
Friends and family of Yvette said she tried hard to make her marriage work. She and Marcus were seeing a marriage counselor for over a year, according to Kelvin, before they separated almost two months before the shooting.
While they were separated, Marcus stayed in an RV at Point Mallard Campground, according to police. Yvette's cousin, Melody Wilson, said Yvette believed for years that Marcus would change.
"Yvette had begun accepting the new chapter of her life as an independent woman, ready to leave behind years of emotional and financial abuse," said Wilson.
Yvette is survived by her mother, two brothers, two sons and a daughter.
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Yvette grew up in the Flint City area of Decatur with Lena Fuqua and Yolanda Sledge, and the three became lifelong friends.
"She's like a sister to us," Sledge said. "She's always been there. She tried to do everything she could to help whoever. She'd give the shirt off her back."
Yvette was a godly woman, according to Stover, and she became a member of Minor Hill Missionary Baptist Church at a young age. She graduated from Danville High School and began working as a certified nursing assistant before she graduated from Drake State College as a licensed professional nurse. She was also a member of the Morgan County NAACP and a recipient of the Black Girls Rock award.
"After a while, she came to us and told us that God put it on her heart to open up group homes to help people," said Ashley Stover, Yvette's sister-in-law. "She turned their first home into a group home to give it a try, and she liked it. Her business just bloomed from there."
Yvette was the owner of Fuller Homes, an organization that offers support services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. According to its website, Fuller Homes operates six group homes in north Alabama and employs 23 people.
Fuqua said she and Yvette often spoke about their hopes and dreams for their children. Both have boys that play football for a local high school, and Fuqua would typically arrive at the stadium first on Fridays to save a seat for her friend.
"I have caught myself at times just looking to see if she's going to walk up," Fuqua said. "But I know she's not. And every time I see her son out there, it makes it even harder."
Fuqua, Sledge, Yvette and a few other women took a "girls' trip" to the Dominican Republic in June. Fuqua remembered fondly Yvette urging them to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise.
"We had the best time," Fuqua said. "I took so many pictures of her. 'Vette knew she was our sister. We considered her our sister."
Sledge said Yvette was "just so happy" on the trip.
"We were planning another trip," said Sledge. "Now, I don't think we're going to ever go on another girls' trip after all this happened."
Twins were born to Kelvin and Ashley Stover a day before Yvette's birthday in July. For 12 years, the family celebrated the birthdays together, including this summer.
"Our twins told us that their birthday will never be the same again," said Ashley. "Our kids cry daily."
Family members have watched Yvette's children since her death, according to the Stovers, and they have enrolled in grief counseling. Kelvin said they could all use some counseling.
For now, the family is left with the memory of a mother whose smile could captivate an entire room, according to Kelvin, and the void her passing has left in the community.
"I had a lot of years with her and expected to have a lot more, but it just came abruptly to a halt," said Kelvin. "I guess God needed her more than we did."
