POTOMAC, Maryland (Azat TV) – Authorities have arrested a former employee of a senior living facility in connection with the Valentine’s Day murder of 87-year-old Maine lawyer and philanthropist Robert Fuller Jr. in Potomac, Maryland. The suspect, 22-year-old Maurquise James of Baltimore, was apprehended after a dramatic sequence of events that also linked him to the shooting of a Maryland State Trooper days after Fuller’s killing.
The case, which initially left investigators baffled by the murder of an “unlikely victim,” took a bizarre turn when police discovered James, who allegedly disguised himself in long female wigs and a mask, was also involved in an incident where he shot at a state trooper during a traffic stop. This crucial link ultimately led to his arrest, bringing a potential resolution to a crime that caused significant fear in the community, according to Captain Sean Gagen of the Montgomery County Police.
Robert Fuller Jr.’s Murder at Assisted Living Facility
Robert Fuller Jr. was found fatally shot in his apartment at the Cogir Assisted Living facility in Potomac, Maryland, on February 14. First responders, initially called for a medical emergency, discovered Fuller unresponsive with head trauma and pronounced him dead at the scene. Detectives later confirmed he had been shot in the head. Fuller, a successful attorney, philanthropist, and self-published author of a murder mystery, had moved to the facility to be closer to family after a distinguished career in Maine.
During their investigation, Montgomery County police publicly released surveillance video showing a suspect at the assisted living building. Staff at the facility identified the individual in the footage as James, who was employed there. Investigators also found that a door alarm sensor had been tampered with, and folded paper towels were used to prop open an exterior door—a method consistent with James’s movements captured on video.
Suspect Linked to Trooper Shooting and Arrest
The breakthrough in the Fuller murder investigation came when authorities discovered a connection to a separate incident involving a Maryland State Trooper. Early Tuesday morning, a trooper in Baltimore attempted a traffic stop. As the trooper approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as James, opened fire, narrowly missing the officer, who sustained powder burns. Images of the assailant were captured on the trooper’s body camera.
Maryland State Police and Montgomery County Police realized they were pursuing the same individual after a shell casing from the Baltimore shooting matched the gun used in Fuller’s killing. In a surprising development, investigators learned that James was scheduled to appear in traffic court in Rockville on Wednesday. A lookout was posted, and when the suspect appeared, he was taken into custody in front of the courthouse following a brief foot chase, according to the New York Post. During subsequent searches, police recovered numerous wigs and a mask consistent with the disguise seen in surveillance footage from the senior living facility.
Unclear Motive for Robert Fuller’s Killing
Maurquise James has been charged in Montgomery County with first-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He is currently being held without bond. Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada stated that nothing appeared to have been taken from Fuller’s home during the crime, adding that police “do not have a good sense of why” James allegedly shot and killed Fuller. Yamada noted that James claimed his relationship with Fuller was ‘very good’ and that he would ‘never have hurt Mr. Fuller.’
Robert Fuller Jr. was widely recognized for his extensive philanthropy. He donated $1.64 million to modernize Cony High School’s Alumni Field complex in Augusta, Maine, in 2021, and supported institutions such as the Lithgow Public Library, Kennebec Valley YMCA, and MaineGeneral Medical Center. Friends described him as intellectually curious, civically engaged, and a devoted baseball fan. Fuller was also a senior officer in the Naval Reserve and a descendant of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Melville Fuller, whose statue he commissioned and later paid to relocate due to renewed controversy over the Plessy v. Ferguson decision. Friends hope Fuller will be remembered for his generosity and community dedication, rather than the tragic circumstances of his death.
The arrest of an employee, coupled with the bizarre detail of a disguise and the subsequent shooting of a state trooper, underscores the unpredictable nature of criminal investigations and the unexpected turns they can take, transforming a seemingly isolated incident into a complex, interconnected case.