MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A man and a woman charged in the shooting death of a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital doctor appeared in court Wednesday morning, records show. Marious Ward, 24, and Brandy Rucker, 23, were charged with first-degree murder among other offenses in the death of 32-year-old Alexander Bulakhov, who, court records show, was defending his wife and daughter during a robbery on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Downtown Memphis.