The former medical technician charged with the murder of a millionaire philanthropist in his Montgomery County, Maryland, senior living apartment is due in court Friday for a competency hearing.
Maurquise James, 22, was indicted in April for first degree murder in the death of 87-year-old millionaire philanthropist Robert Fuller, Jr., who was found dead in his apartment at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living Facility, with a gunshot wound to the head, on Valentine鈥檚 Day.
Court records show James, who has been held without bond, recently had a court-ordered competency evaluation performed by a mental health employee with the Maryland Department of Health.
In March, when the case was still in District Court, a judge ruled he was competent to stand trial.
Now that he has been indicted, he’s had a new evaluation. The Circuit Court judge will review the findings, then make the final ruling on whether James is able to assist in his own defense.
Montgomery County prosecutors have said that James planned for up to a month to kill Fuller, who was living with his partner at Cogir. Prosecutors have not yet suggested a potential motive for the killing.
Investigators have cited several pieces of evidence, including surveillance video they said showed a masked person using a secured side door near the time of the shooting. A witness also told detectives the person鈥檚 unusual gait in the footage matches James鈥�.
Investigators additionally pointed to discarded paper towels and multiple wigs collected during the investigation.
Court documents point to聽another incident after the shooting聽in which investigators said a black napkin and a nearby paper towel were used to try to prop open a side door at the senior living facility. James is accused of being the person who put them there, which he denied when questioned.
Prosecutors also said ballistic testing links the gun to Fuller鈥檚 killing and a second case James faces in Baltimore, where he is accused of shooting at a Maryland State Trooper during a traffic stop, days after Fuller鈥檚 death.
James was indicted in Baltimore on April 8, charged with attempted 1st- and 2nd-degree murder felony counts, and six gun-related misdemeanors.
In March, Fuller鈥檚 partner, Linda Buttrick,聽filed a lawsuit聽alleging that Cogir failed to intervene when employees reported Maurquise James鈥� concerning behaviors and the facility failed to protect Buttrick after the killing.
海角精品黑料’s Mike Murillo and Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.聽
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