POTOMAC, Md. — The longtime partner of an 87-year-old retired attorney who was fatally shot inside his assisted living apartment has filed a civil lawsuit alleging the facility ignored repeated warnings about the employee now charged with his murder, according to multiple news reports.
Linda Buttrick, 77, filed the 59-page lawsuit on March 20, 2026, in Baltimore County Circuit Court against Cogir Senior Living USA and its Potomac, Maryland, location, seeking at least $1.1 million in damages, as reported by The Daily Record. The suit centers on the Feb. 14, 2026, killing of Robert Fuller Jr., a retired Maine assistant attorney general and noted philanthropist, who was shot in the head while sleeping in his bed at approximately 5 a.m.
Maurquise James, 22, of White Marsh, Maryland, a medication technician who had been employed at the facility for roughly four months, was arrested on Feb. 24 and charged with first-degree murder, according to multiple reports. Authorities allege James also fired at a Maryland state trooper during the traffic stop that led to his arrest. A judge subsequently ruled James competent to stand trial following a psychiatric evaluation, and he remains held without bail, as reported by WABI-TV. His next court date is scheduled for March 27, 2026, according to The Daily Record.
The lawsuit paints a troubling picture of institutional failures in the weeks leading up to the killing. According to reports from WTOP, Fox 5 DC, and WJLA, a nurse at the facility filed a formal written complaint about James on Feb. 3 — eleven days before the shooting — documenting concerns that included alleged sexual harassment dating to October 2025, suspected impairment while on duty, and improper medication handling practices such as pre-pouring medications. The nurse followed up with an additional email complaint on Feb. 13, the day before the killing, according to The Daily Record.
Rather than investigating those complaints, the facility terminated the nurse while James continued working without consequence, according to the lawsuit as described by multiple outlets. James's mother held a senior director position at the facility, a detail cited across all reports as potentially relevant to the lack of disciplinary action.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows James wearing a disguise and disabling security alarms and propping open exterior doors on the night of the killing, as reported by Fox 5 DC. Fuller's body was discovered at approximately 7:30 a.m. in blood-soaked sheets by Buttrick, who has Parkinson's disease, according to The Daily Record and WJLA.
Perhaps the most disturbing allegation in the lawsuit involves the facility's actions after the murder. According to WTOP and WJLA, Cogir continued assigning James as Buttrick's medication technician even after she had identified him to police as a suspect in Fuller's killing. The lawsuit alleges the facility did not change the locks on Buttrick's apartment for approximately a week and a half following the shooting.
The night before the murder, James had administered Buttrick's medications and asked whether her oxycodone "had kicked in," according to the lawsuit as reported by WTOP.
Fuller and Buttrick each paid approximately $10,000 per month for their respective units at the facility, totaling roughly $20,000 monthly combined, according to WTOP.
Buttrick is represented by attorneys Michael Belsky, Catherine Dickinson, and Andrew Siske of SBWD Law in Baltimore. Attorneys held a press conference on March 20 in Silver Spring, Maryland, where Buttrick's daughter Suzanne Caron spoke on behalf of the family, as reported by Fox 5 DC and WABI-TV. James's defense attorney, Mike Stark, has indicated his client plans to plead not guilty, according to The Daily Record.
CMS Inspection History
Cogir of Potomac operates as an assisted living facility in Montgomery County, Maryland. Assisted living facilities in Maryland are licensed and regulated by the Maryland Department of Health's Office of Health Care Quality rather than through the federal CMS nursing home inspection system. This means the facility is not subject to the same federal deficiency tracking, star ratings, and standardized inspection reports that apply to Medicare- and Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facilities.
Maryland assisted living regulations require facilities to maintain adequate staffing, conduct background checks on employees, and implement safety protocols for residents. The state also requires facilities to report critical incidents, including deaths and allegations of abuse, to regulators. The circumstances described in this lawsuit — including allegations that employee misconduct complaints were ignored and that a whistleblower was terminated — raise questions about the facility's compliance with state reporting and employee oversight requirements.
Ownership & Operations
Cogir Senior Living USA is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to The Daily Record. The company operates senior living communities across the United States. The Potomac location provides assisted living and memory care services in one of the Washington, D.C., region's most affluent suburbs in Montgomery County. The premium pricing — approximately $10,000 per month per resident — reflects the facility's positioning in the upscale segment of the senior living market.
The lawsuit names both the parent company, Cogir Senior Living USA, and the local Potomac facility as defendants. The familial relationship between the accused employee and a senior director at the facility is central to the plaintiff's allegations that management shielded James from accountability despite documented concerns from fellow staff members.
Resources for Families
Families with concerns about the safety or care of a loved one in an assisted living or long-term care facility have several avenues for reporting and support:
- Maryland Office of Health Care Quality: Handles complaints about licensed assisted living facilities in Maryland and can be reached at 410-402-8201. - National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Hotline: Advocates for residents of long-term care facilities nationwide. Call 1-800-677-1116 or visit [ltcombudsman.org](https://ltcombudsman.org). - Local law enforcement: Any suspicion of criminal activity, abuse, or neglect should be reported to police immediately by calling 911.
Families paying for assisted living care should request information about a facility's complaint history, staffing policies, employee background check procedures, and incident reporting protocols. Residents and their families have the right to file complaints without fear of retaliation under both Maryland and federal law.