A 22-year-old assisted dwelling worker accused of disguising himself in lengthy feminine wigs and executing an 87-year-old millionaire philanthropist he handled nightly, is now additionally charged with taking pictures at a Maryland state trooper Tuesday whereas on the run.
The Montgomery County Division of Police’s Main Crimes Division confirmed throughout a information convention on Wednesday that Marquis Emilio James, 22, of White Marsh, Maryland, was arrested in reference to the Valentine’s Day murder of 87-year-old Robert G. Fuller Jr. on the Cogir Potomac Senior Dwelling Facility, and the taking pictures of a Maryland State Police trooper Tuesday throughout a site visitors cease in West Baltimore.
James, who had been employed as a drugs technician on the senior dwelling facility since October, was allegedly seen on surveillance footage coming into and exiting by way of a tampered courtyard door across the time Fuller was fatally shot within the head in his condominium.
Nothing appeared to have been taken from Fuller’s dwelling throughout the crime, based on Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada.
Investigators later decided the door’s alarm sensor had been disabled in January — on a day when James had been the one particular person seen utilizing the door.
Throughout a search, folded paper towels used to prop doorways open on the day of the homicide and once more days later, have been discovered by police.
Yamada stated that days after Fuller’s loss of life, James was discovered inside the power after his shift ended, gave a suspicious rationalization to different employees, triggered one other exterior door alarm, and fled when a supervisor was going to be notified.
The door he used to exit had additionally been tampered with, based on authorities.
At about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper pulled over James’ automotive to conduct a site visitors cease after noticing he was lacking license plates.
Because the trooper approached the automotive, James, who was driving, abruptly opened the automotive door and fired two photographs, stated Maryland State Police Lt. Col. Steve Decerbo.
The bullets narrowly missed the trooper by inches, and he solely sustained minor accidents.
“For sure, our Maryland State trooper escaped an end result that might have ended a lot in another way,” Decerbo stated.
James instantly drove away, and investigators later recovered a shell casing from the scene that matched ballistic proof from Fuller’s homicide, linking the 2 circumstances.
Montgomery County Police, Maryland State Police and the US Marshals took James into custody Wednesday afternoon in Rockville after a quick foot chase.
James is charged in Montgomery County with first-degree homicide, which carries a most penalty of life in jail.
He’s being held with out bond, with a court docket listening to scheduled.
Whereas conducting two search warrants in Baltimore County, investigators recovered “quite a few” wigs and a masks, in step with what seemed to be a disguise in surveillance footage.
Police initially stated there was no clear description of the particular person’s gender or race, including the suspect seen within the footage may very well be male or feminine because of the lengthy wig.
Yamada added police “do not need a superb sense of why” James allegedly shot and killed Fuller.
“Upon talking with him, he stated their relationship was excellent, and he would by no means have harm Mr. Fuller,” he stated. “So we’re hopeful that as we get additional in … we’re going to get a greater sense of what was occurring behind the scenes, what varieties of communications Marquis James had, [and] what he was looking on his digital gadgets. We’re hopeful that that’s going to guide us to a greater sense of why.”
Yamada wouldn’t verify if James had a legal file.
Maine State Rep. Invoice Bridgeo, who met Fuller whereas working as metropolis supervisor in Augusta, instructed NBC 4 Washington Fuller was a outstanding lawyer and a retired Navy Reserve officer.
Bridgeo instructed the native station Fuller donated hundreds of thousands to the neighborhood to construct a brand new YMCA, hospital and increase a highschool.
