Hearing for suspect in Potomac philanthropist’s killing

Hearing for suspect in Potomac philanthropist’s killing

The med-tech accused of murdering an 87 year old millionaire philanthropist in Potomac is scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday. Investigators say 22 year old Marquis Emillo James shot and killed Robert Fuller on Valentine’s Day.

POTOMAC, Md. - The med-tech accused of murdering an 87‑year‑old millionaire philanthropist in Potomac is scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday. Investigators say 22‑year‑old Marquis Emillo James shot and killed Robert Fuller on Valentine’s Day.

What we know:

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says prosecutors say they still don’t know the motive or whether anyone else was involved, but they believe James had been planning the killing for more than a month. 

A judge ordered a competency evaluation after his first court appearance. He was taken into custody last week outside the Montgomery County Courthouse.

Charging documents say James, who worked as a med‑tech at the Cogir Senior Living facility, is seen on surveillance video wearing a wig and entering the building the morning of the murder. 

READ MORE: Arrest made in killing of millionaire philanthropist at Maryland senior facility, police say

Investigators say he had access to residents’ apartments and had been inside Fuller’s unit the night before to administer medication. They allege he returned after his shift by disabling door alarms.

Fuller, a retired Navy officer and attorney from Augusta, Maine, was known for his philanthropic work. He was found shot to death in his bed on the morning of Feb. 14.

James is also accused of firing at a Maryland state trooper during a traffic stop the morning he was arrested. Ballistics testing linked the bullet that killed Fuller to the round fired at the trooper, Alnwick says.

Prosecutors told the court there is surveillance video showing James tampering with security doors twice in January, weeks before Fuller’s death. The results of his competency evaluation could be released later Thursday.