A man suspected of murdering a wealthy Maine philanthropist was arrested after he opened fire on the police during a totally unrelated traffic stop early Tuesday morning.
The man, 22-year-old Marquis Emilio James, allegedly killed philanthropist and lawyer Robert G. Fuller Jr., 87, at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living Facility in Maryland on Feb. 14.
James had worked as a medication technician at the center since October, according to Fox News.
On the day of the murder, James was spotted by a surveillance camera entering the senior living facility while wearing a mask and wig:
New footage has been released of the suspect wanted for killing an 87 year-old man at a senior living facility in Potomac, Maryland ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mVlLFGS34O
— The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) February 20, 2026
A motive for Fuller’s actions remains unknown.
Capt. Sean Gagen, the commander of the Montgomery County Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, previously told the Washington Post that he thought Fuller “didn’t have any enemies at all.”
“Fuller and his late wife, Moira, had … a long history of contributing to numerous causes in Augusta, including Cony High School, MaineGeneral Medical Center, Kennebec Valley YMCA, Lithgow Public Library and Kennebec Historical Society,” according to the Portland Press Herald.
In 2021, for example, Fuller donated $1.64 million “to help build a new artificial turf athletic field at Alumni Field at Cony High School, since renamed Fuller Field in his honor.”
Maine state Rep. Bill Bridgeo, who reportedly served as a local city manager for over two decades, described Fuller as “one of the most important benefactors in modern Augusta.”
“He was a true Renaissance man,” the congressman said. “I think he was brilliant. He was a very successful attorney in Maine, but he was also a very proud retired captain in the Naval Reserve.”
According to Gagen, James worked his shift as normal the night before the murder.
“[James] had worked the previous night and … administered medicine to the victim and his roommate, as per usual,” he said. “It did not appear that anything had been taken from inside the apartment.”
He continued working at the facility even after Fuller’s death.
Indeed, even days afterward, he was “found inside the facility after his shift ended, gave a suspicious explanation to other workers, triggered another exterior door alarm, and fled when a supervisor was going to be notified,” according to Fox News.
Days later, on Tuesday of this week, James was pulled over for multiple violations, including traveling without headlights or license plates, according to local station WBAL.
But when the state trooper approached his window, James slightly opened the door, opened fire, and then fled the scene. The police didn’t give chase.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with our trooper, his family, and his colleagues,” Maryland State Police Acting Superintendent Col. Michael A. Jackson said in an initial statement. “This was a deliberate, violent act on one of our own.”
“Today we are thankful, very, very thankful that our Maryland state trooper, who is working to protect the people of our state, is safe, is still with us,” he added.
James was finally taken into custody later Tuesday afternoon, around 3:00 p.m., and charged with first-degree attempted murder, felony assault, and gun charges.
Not until Wednesday did the authorities put two and two together and also charge James with murder charges as per Fuller’s murder.
NEW: mugshot released of 22-year-old Maurquise Emillo James of Baltimore, Maryland.
He is now also charged with the First Degree Murder of 87 year-old millionaire Robert Fuller Jr. at a Potomac, MD senior living house 🚨 https://t.co/IipyoDXtSz pic.twitter.com/gBiAfAv855
— The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) February 25, 2026
When speaking with investigators, James alleged he had no problems with Fuller.
“Upon speaking with him, he said their relationship was very good, and he would never have hurt Mr. Fuller,” Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada announced.
“So we’re hopeful that as we get further in … we’re going to get a better sense of what was going on behind the scenes, what types of communications Marquis James had, [and] what he was searching on his electronic devices. We’re hopeful that that’s going to lead us to a better sense of why,” he added.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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