A medical technician who worked at the senior living facility where an 87-year-old resident was shot to death Feb. 14 has been charged with first degree murder.
Maurquise Emillo James, 22, of Baltimore, worked at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility on Potomac Tennis Lane for about four months before he allegedly killed Robert Fuller, Jr.
When first responders arrived at Cogir on Valentine’s Day, they found Fuller unresponsive inside his apartment. He appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene at around 7:34 a.m.
James is also believed to have fired twice at a Maryland State Police trooper during a traffic stop on Feb. 24 at around 3:30 a.m. James was driving an Infiniti sedan that did not have tags. The trooper was not seriously injured.
One of the 9mm shell casings found at the scene led police to believe that the same gun had been used to kill Fuller, according to Montgomery County Police Cpt. Sean Gagen of the major crimes division.
“James opened his [car] door and fired,” said Maryland State Police Lt. Col. Stephen Decerbo.
Maurquise Emillo James
During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Police Chief Marc Yamada said the two shootings were “definitely connected.”
Once police officers believed they knew who the suspect was, they found him driving in Rockville City. He was arrested Tuesday following “a brief chase,” Yamada said.
He was arrested near the county courthouses by Montgomery County police officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force
James is currently being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit pending a bond hearing Thursday afternoon.
Once court proceedings are completed in Montgomery County, Baltimore City is expected to arrest James on charges relating to the attempted shooting of the state trooper.
Gagen said the staff and residents at the senior living facility were extremely helpful in connecting James to the shooting. “Without their assistance, I do not believe we would be here,” he said.
Police currently do not know why James went to Cogir when he wasn’t on duty and shot Fuller. He told police he liked Fuller and would never have shot him, Gagen said.
“We are still early in the investigation,” said Gagen, who added that police would be searching activity James conducted on his computer and phone.
Police had an image of the suspect from surveillance video, but the person was wearing a mask and wig, although police did not know he was wearing a wig until they found several wigs in James’ home following a search.
Police located the assisted living facility’s side door where the suspect had allegedly entered and found a paper towel nearby that appeared to have been used to prop open the door. The door sensor was inoperable and a battery had been inserted the wrong way.
According to surveillance video, the suspect entered and exited that door during a 10-minute time span.
Police received numerous tips, including someone who recognized James from the video and several employees who said James often wore the plaid coat he was allegedly wearing in the video.
Also, police received a call saying that James was still in the building after his shift had ended. He allegedly told the other staff member he needed to find his keys, police said. When they questioned him further, James ran out of the building, Gagen said.
According to State’s Attorney for Montgomery County John McCarthy, James faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
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