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Authorities announced Wednesday that they arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting death of former Maine attorney and philanthropist Robert Fuller Jr. at a senior living facility in Maryland.Fuller, 87, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside his apartment at Cogir Potomac Senior Living on Valentine’s Day.Maurquise Emilio James, 22, of Baltimore, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with first-degree murder in Fuller’s death.Capt. Sean Gagen of the Montgomery County Police Department said James worked as a medicine technician at the senior living facility.Gagen said detectives spoke with James after Fuller’s death, and that James told investigators he had worked the night of Feb. 13 and had administered medicine to Fuller and his roommate “as per usual.” Surveillance video provided to detectives by Potomac Senior Living showed a person walking through an outdoor courtyard and entering the facility through an exterior door at about 5:05 a.m. on Feb. 14. Gagen said about 10 minutes later, video shows that same person exiting through the exterior door before running outside of the view of the surveillance cameras that capture the courtyard.After watching the surveillance video, detectives went back to Potomac Senior Living to investigate the doorway the person had used and discovered the door’s alarm sensor had been tampered with and was not working. Gagen said the detectives also found a small, folded paper towel that appeared to have been used to prop the door open. Detectives then spoke with alarm technicians from the facility, who learned the last time the door’s alarm sensor was functional was Jan. 9. Gagen said video from Jan. 9 shows James had used the doorway twice and he was the only person captured on camera using that door on that date, just before the alarm sensor stopped working.Last week, the Montgomery County Police Department released surveillance video and a still photograph that showed a person on Potomac Senior Living property around the time of the killing, and that person was considered a suspect in the case. Watch that surveillance footage in the embedded video below.A tipster told detectives that they believed they knew the person in the video and the photo. Gagen said that through the description provided by the tipster, detectives identified James as the person in the photo. According to Gagen, the tipster also told other people at Potomac Senior Living that they had seen James on multiple occasions wearing the same shirt or jacket being worn by the person in the video and photo.Gagen said a Potomac Senior Living employee called a detective at about 1:15 a.m. Monday. The employee told the detective that they found James inside the facility while they were conducting overnight checks. According to Gagen, James’ shift had ended at 11 p.m. and his explanation as to why he was still at the facility caused the employee concern. The employee said James walked away from them, left belongings behind and said that he needed to go find his keys.The employee went on to tell the detective that a short time later, an alert went out from the sensor of one of the facility’s exterior doors. According to the employee, James reappeared and when they asked James if he was the one that had triggered the alarm, he said it was not him and had not gone anywhere near the door. The employee reported that when he told James he needed to notify a supervisor about what was going on, James grabbed his belongings and fled the facility. Gagen said after James left the building, staff and a security guard checked on the door the alert went out from. When they opened the door, a black napkin fell from the doorway. Gagen said the staff and guard also found a small white paper towel and discovered the battery for the door’s alarm system had been tampered with.”(The battery) had been flipped around so that the alarm sensor for that exterior door was no longer functional,” Gagen said.Watch the entire news conference in the embedded YouTube video below.Another incident further connected James to Fuller’s murderShortly before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper conducted a traffic stop in Baltimore of a silver 2009 Infiniti G37 sedan for multiple violations. State police said the car was traveling with no headlights and no tags.As the trooper approached the driver’s side of the Infiniti, the driver of the car — who was later identified as James — opened the door and shot twice at the trooper before fleeing the scene.The trooper, who did not return fire, received medical treatment and was later released from the hospital. Sister station WBAL reported the trooper was not shot and that he was treated for powder burns.The Montgomery County Police Department said evidence collected at that scene included at least one 9mm shell casing that was entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. Detectives received a lead indicating the same gun was used in both the fatal shooting of Fuller and the incident involving the Maryland State Police trooper.Detectives were able to secure and obtain an arrest warrant for James. At about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Montgomery County police officers, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police and U.S. Marshals Service, located James driving in his vehicle and ultimately stopped him in downtown Rockville. Authorities said James was safely taken into custody after a brief foot chase.James is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit pending a bond hearing.In the incident involving the state trooper, James has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, felony assault, using a firearm during a crime of violence and other related offenses.What detectives found while executing search warrantsGagen said authorities executed two residential search warrants in Baltimore County late Tuesday night and that evidence was recovered from both locations.According to Gagen, numerous wigs were found at one of the locations.The surveillance video shared by authorities last week showed that the suspect had long hair, but booking photos show James does not have long hair like the person captured on that video.”At the time, we had no idea that that was a wig,” Gagen said. “There were a number of different possibilities in this. In this particular case, some people thought that could have been a part of a disguise.”More about Robert Fuller Fuller was known for his philanthropy. In 2021, he donated $1.64 million to fund improvements to Cony High School’s Alumni Field complex. At the time, Fuller said, “I believe that when a high school has a continuing history of athletic success, it fosters a sense of community pride. It rubs off. When this pride is evident, it becomes easier to attract people who’ll add value — doctors, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs — and who’ll choose to stay around. So, I don’t think of my action as simply a gift but rather as an investment in Augusta’s future.” Fuller worked as a lawyer and had been a member of the Maine State Bar Association (MSBA) for 30 years. The MSBA said Fuller was a valued and respected member of the legal community.No leads on a motiveGagen said investigators do not have a good sense as to why James shot and killed Fuller.”Upon speaking with (James), he said their relationship was very good and he would never have hurt Mr. Fuller,” Gagen said.Gagen also said it did not appear anything had been taken from inside Fuller’s apartment.
Authorities announced Wednesday that they arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting death of former Maine attorney and philanthropist Robert Fuller Jr. at a senior living facility in Maryland.
Fuller, 87, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside his apartment at Cogir Potomac Senior Living on Valentine’s Day.
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Maurquise Emilio James, 22, of Baltimore, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with first-degree murder in Fuller’s death.
Capt. Sean Gagen of the Montgomery County Police Department said James worked as a medicine technician at the senior living facility.
Gagen said detectives spoke with James after Fuller’s death, and that James told investigators he had worked the night of Feb. 13 and had administered medicine to Fuller and his roommate “as per usual.”
Surveillance video provided to detectives by Potomac Senior Living showed a person walking through an outdoor courtyard and entering the facility through an exterior door at about 5:05 a.m. on Feb. 14. Gagen said about 10 minutes later, video shows that same person exiting through the exterior door before running outside of the view of the surveillance cameras that capture the courtyard.
After watching the surveillance video, detectives went back to Potomac Senior Living to investigate the doorway the person had used and discovered the door’s alarm sensor had been tampered with and was not working. Gagen said the detectives also found a small, folded paper towel that appeared to have been used to prop the door open. Detectives then spoke with alarm technicians from the facility, who learned the last time the door’s alarm sensor was functional was Jan. 9. Gagen said video from Jan. 9 shows James had used the doorway twice and he was the only person captured on camera using that door on that date, just before the alarm sensor stopped working.
Last week, the Montgomery County Police Department released surveillance video and a still photograph that showed a person on Potomac Senior Living property around the time of the killing, and that person was considered a suspect in the case. Watch that surveillance footage in the embedded video below.
A tipster told detectives that they believed they knew the person in the video and the photo. Gagen said that through the description provided by the tipster, detectives identified James as the person in the photo. According to Gagen, the tipster also told other people at Potomac Senior Living that they had seen James on multiple occasions wearing the same shirt or jacket being worn by the person in the video and photo.
Gagen said a Potomac Senior Living employee called a detective at about 1:15 a.m. Monday. The employee told the detective that they found James inside the facility while they were conducting overnight checks. According to Gagen, James’ shift had ended at 11 p.m. and his explanation as to why he was still at the facility caused the employee concern. The employee said James walked away from them, left belongings behind and said that he needed to go find his keys.
The employee went on to tell the detective that a short time later, an alert went out from the sensor of one of the facility’s exterior doors. According to the employee, James reappeared and when they asked James if he was the one that had triggered the alarm, he said it was not him and had not gone anywhere near the door. The employee reported that when he told James he needed to notify a supervisor about what was going on, James grabbed his belongings and fled the facility.
Gagen said after James left the building, staff and a security guard checked on the door the alert went out from. When they opened the door, a black napkin fell from the doorway. Gagen said the staff and guard also found a small white paper towel and discovered the battery for the door’s alarm system had been tampered with.
“(The battery) had been flipped around so that the alarm sensor for that exterior door was no longer functional,” Gagen said.
Watch the entire news conference in the embedded YouTube video below.
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Another incident further connected James to Fuller’s murder
Shortly before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper conducted a traffic stop in Baltimore of a silver 2009 Infiniti G37 sedan for multiple violations. State police said the car was traveling with no headlights and no tags.
As the trooper approached the driver’s side of the Infiniti, the driver of the car — who was later identified as James — opened the door and shot twice at the trooper before fleeing the scene.
The trooper, who did not return fire, received medical treatment and was later released from the hospital. Sister station WBAL reported the trooper was not shot and that he was treated for powder burns.
The Montgomery County Police Department said evidence collected at that scene included at least one 9mm shell casing that was entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. Detectives received a lead indicating the same gun was used in both the fatal shooting of Fuller and the incident involving the Maryland State Police trooper.
Detectives were able to secure and obtain an arrest warrant for James. At about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Montgomery County police officers, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police and U.S. Marshals Service, located James driving in his vehicle and ultimately stopped him in downtown Rockville. Authorities said James was safely taken into custody after a brief foot chase.
James is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit pending a bond hearing.
In the incident involving the state trooper, James has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, felony assault, using a firearm during a crime of violence and other related offenses.
What detectives found while executing search warrants
Gagen said authorities executed two residential search warrants in Baltimore County late Tuesday night and that evidence was recovered from both locations.
According to Gagen, numerous wigs were found at one of the locations.
The surveillance video shared by authorities last week showed that the suspect had long hair, but booking photos show James does not have long hair like the person captured on that video.
“At the time, we had no idea that that was a wig,” Gagen said. “There were a number of different possibilities in this. In this particular case, some people thought that could have been a part of a disguise.”
More about Robert Fuller
Fuller was known for his philanthropy. In 2021, he donated $1.64 million to fund improvements to Cony High School’s Alumni Field complex. At the time, Fuller said, “I believe that when a high school has a continuing history of athletic success, it fosters a sense of community pride. It rubs off. When this pride is evident, it becomes easier to attract people who’ll add value — doctors, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs — and who’ll choose to stay around. So, I don’t think of my action as simply a gift but rather as an investment in Augusta’s future.”
Fuller worked as a lawyer and had been a member of the Maine State Bar Association (MSBA) for 30 years. The MSBA said Fuller was a valued and respected member of the legal community.
No leads on a motive
Gagen said investigators do not have a good sense as to why James shot and killed Fuller.
“Upon speaking with (James), he said their relationship was very good and he would never have hurt Mr. Fuller,” Gagen said.
Gagen also said it did not appear anything had been taken from inside Fuller’s apartment.
