A well‑known Maine philanthropist, lawyer, and former Navy officer was discovered fatally shot inside his senior living residence in an affluent Maryland suburb on Valentine’s Day, with no arrests yet in a case that has stunned two distant communities.
Robert Fuller Jr., 87, was found unresponsive with significant head injuries at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living community in Potomac, Maryland, on the morning of February 14, 2026. Montgomery County officers arrived at the 10800 block of Potomac Tennis Lane around 7:34 a.m. after a medical emergency call that investigators say was reported as a “code.”
Emergency crews tried to revive him, but Fuller was declared dead at the location. Officers immediately noticed head injuries from gunshot wounds, and following their review of the scene, homicide detectives determined he had been shot. His death is being treated as a homicide.
The millionaire philanthropist was allegedly shot dead by a staffer who disguised himself as a woman, and then shot at a state trooper who pulled him over. The shots narrowly missed the trooper, leaving him with only minor injuries.
Authorities shared photos of the masked person on Feb. 20, prompting multiple tips that ultimately identified the suspected killer.
Montgomery County police said Wednesday, Feb. 25, that 22-year-old Marquis Emilio James has been taken into custody and charged in the Feb. 14 murder of Fuller. James, who’d been working at the place as a med tech since October, supposedly put on a wig and a mask before killing Fuller around 7:30 a.m.
Detectives have not confirmed whether Fuller was specifically targeted or whether the shooter came from inside or outside the residence. His body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death.
Fuller relocated to the Washington, D.C. region several years ago with his wife to be nearer to her family and continued living in Potomac after she passed away. Friends remembered him as a millionaire attorney who practiced law in Maine for over three decades, a senior Naval Reserve officer, and a generous donor who gave millions to support local initiatives.
In 2021, Fuller gave $1.64 million to update Cony High School’s Alumni Field complex in Augusta, Maine, reviving a $2.3 million renovation plan that had stalled due to limited funding and pandemic‑related budget issues. In recognition, the City Council renamed the facility Fuller Field. The upgrades included a new synthetic turf field, improved bleachers, and an updated track and field area.
“I believe that when a high school has a continuing history of athletic success, it fosters a sense of community pride,” Fuller said at the time of the donation. “So I don’t think of my action as simply a gift but rather as an investment in Augusta’s future.”
Fuller and his late wife Moira lived in Winthrop, Maine, and supported many regional organizations, such as MaineGeneral Medical Center, the Kennebec Valley YMCA, Lithgow Public Library, Old Fort Western, and the Kennebec Historical Society. Fuller, a senior Naval Reserve officer, also wrote the 2009 novel “Unnatural Deaths.”
He also carried a complex family history as a descendant of Melville Weston Fuller, the eighth Chief Justice of the United States, who served from 1888 to 1910. The Fuller Court issued the major Plessy v. Ferguson ruling in 1896, which created the “separate but equal” doctrine that legitimized segregation and supported Jim Crow laws for decades.
The connection drew renewed controversy in recent years after Fuller financed a statue of his ancestor outside the Kennebec County Courthouse in 2013. The monument became divisive following George Floyd’s killing in 2020 and the subsequent focus on racial injustice in the county. In response to public criticism, Kennebec County commissioners voted to return the statue to Fuller, and he had it removed at his expense. He later considered, but chose not to pursue, displaying the statue in a proposed museum near its original location.
Kent London, president of the Kennebec Historical Society, expressed grief over the loss of a major benefactor with deep ties to Augusta. Fuller had helped the society acquire its headquarters—the Henry Weld Fuller Jr. House, once owned by one of his ancestors—and played a key role in establishing the society’s development fund named after his late wife.
“He’s going to be missed,” London said. “The history of the Fuller family goes back to the very beginning of Augusta.”
Maine State Rep. Bill Bridgeo, who met Fuller while serving as Augusta’s city manager, said the philanthropist contributed to “a new YMCA, a new hospital in town, a big expansion to our high school.” Bridgeo told NBC Washington he intends to honor Fuller in the Maine state legislature.
Residents at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility remain unsettled by the killing. Executive Director Rachel Grant emailed community members, stressing that safety is still the top priority. Grant stated the incident was isolated and that there is no ongoing threat to residents or staff, while declining to share detailed information to protect those involved and preserve the investigation. The facility has heightened security measures and added more personnel. Counseling will also be available.
Montgomery County police are asking anyone with knowledge of the crime to contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477. Anonymous tips are allowed, and information that results in an arrest may earn a reward of $250 to $10,000.
The killing represents a particularly alarming incident in a wealthy area where violent crime is rare, and investigators continue working to understand what led to the shooting of an elderly man inside a facility meant to ensure safety. Fuller’s impact on communities in Maine and his service in the military have led to widespread tributes from those who knew him as a devoted and civic‑minded benefactor.
