A Montgomery County, Maryland, judge ruled Thursday that the man accused of killing a millionaire philanthropist inside an assisted living facility in Potomac is competent to stand trial.
The decision came after a doctor evaluated 22-year-old Maurquise James, and found he is fit to participate in his defense in the shooting death of Robert Fuller Jr.
James appeared by video for his second bond hearing in Rockville District Court, where the judge also ordered that he remain held without bond.
The shooting happened inside Fuller’s apartment at the Cogir of Potomac assisted living facility on Valentine’s Day.
Prosecutors said James worked as a medication technician at the facility and had access to the building. He had also been inside Fuller’s apartment the day before 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’s unusual gait in the footage matches James’.
Investigators additionally pointed to discarded paper towels and multiple wigs collected during the investigation.
Court documents point to another incident after the shooting 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’s 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’s death.
Outside the courtroom, defense attorney Michael Stark said the defense plans to enter not guilty pleas in both the Montgomery County first-degree murder case and the attempted murder case involving the trooper.
“What I’ll tell you is that at this time, the defense expects to enter two not guilty pleas in each case,” Stark said.
Stark pushed back on the surveillance images prosecutors said showed James, including footage investigators claimed depicted a person possibly wearing a wig outside the assisted living facility.
“Who is that? I mean, who is it? We don’t know. I’m saying we don’t know,” Stark said. “We have reason to believe it’s not (James).”
He said in both cases, many questions remain unanswered.
“I’m saying the state has a high hill to climb to prove he did it beyond a reasonable doubt, and we have reason to believe in both cases it was not him,” Stark said.
James is due back in Montgomery County court on March 27.
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