A shocking murder inside a Maryland senior living community has left a family devastated — and a caregiver behind bars.
Police say 22-year-old Maurquise Emillo James has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 87-year-old millionaire philanthropist Robert Fuller Jr.
The deadly incident unfolded on February 14 around 7:34 a.m., when Montgomery County police and fire crews responded to a reported medical emergency at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility in Potomac, Maryland. When first responders arrived at Fuller’s apartment, they found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later determined Fuller had suffered a contact gunshot wound to the head. No firearm was found inside the apartment. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
According to police, James was employed at the facility as a medication technician and had worked there for just over four months. Court documents cited by local media say he was responsible for administering medications to Fuller and other residents.
Detectives reviewing surveillance footage reportedly saw a masked individual entering the building through a side door that had been propped open, with the alarm system deactivated. The person was later seen running away from the building.
Authorities also uncovered video from January that allegedly showed James in the same stairwell area on a day when a door alarm had been turned off. After police released footage of a suspect wearing a distinctive plaid jacket, tips from the public helped identify James.
The case took another dramatic turn days later.
In the early morning hours of February 24, a Maryland State Police trooper pulled over a silver Infiniti sedan without tags. During the stop, the driver allegedly fired at the trooper. The officer was not seriously injured.
Investigators say a 9mm shell casing recovered at that scene was entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. Detectives later received information indicating the same firearm may have been used in both the shooting of Fuller and the incident involving the trooper.
Later that day, members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested James in downtown Rockville after he allegedly tried to flee. Search warrants were also executed at two locations in Baltimore County, where detectives recovered items believed to be potential evidence.
James is currently being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit pending a bond hearing.
Cogir USA released a statement saying the safety and well-being of residents is their top priority and that they are relieved a suspect has been arrested. The company said it is fully cooperating with investigators and remains heartbroken over Fuller’s death.
Fuller was no ordinary resident.
WJLA previously reported that he was widely known for his philanthropy, including a $1.64 million donation to upgrade a high school athletic field in Maine. He was also a descendant of former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Melville Fuller.
Friends and community leaders described him as an accomplished attorney, retired Navy Reserve officer, historian, and generous benefactor. Maine State Rep. Bill Bridgeo, who had known Fuller for decades, called him “an iconic individual” who supported hospitals, schools, the YMCA, and numerous charitable causes.
“He will be deeply missed,” Bridgeo said.
trashy ngr, driving an Infinity? You know he was a criminal to begin with…
Sick individuals being hired in the care field everyday