POTOMAC, MD — The domestic partner of an 87-year-old man who was fatally shot while sleeping at a Potomac senior living facility on Valentine's Day has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1.1 million in damages, alleging the facility ignored repeated warnings about the employee now charged with murder, according to a complaint filed by the SBWD Law firm in Baltimore.
Linda Buttrick, who shared an adjacent apartment with Robert Fuller Jr. at Cogir Potomac Senior Living, filed the complaint on Thursday against the facility, its parent company Cogir Senior Living USA, and Maurquise Emillo James, the 22-year-old former employee accused of shooting Fuller, as reported by Bethesda Magazine.
What Happened
Fuller was shot and killed in his bed during the early morning hours of Feb. 14 at the facility where both he and Buttrick were receiving care for Parkinson's disease, according to the complaint. The couple each paid approximately $20,000 per month to live at the assisted living community.
James, who served as the medication technician responsible for both Fuller and Buttrick, was arrested on Feb. 24 — ten days after the killing — after bullet casings recovered from the scene were forensically linked to a firearm also connected to the shooting of a Maryland State Police trooper, according to Bethesda Magazine. James has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, which carries a potential life sentence.
The lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of what allegedly occurred after the killing. According to the complaint, Buttrick remained in her apartment — which was an active crime scene — without additional security. James reportedly continued working at the facility as her medication technician even after Buttrick identified him to police as a suspect in Fuller's death.
"Ms. Buttrick lived in a state of constant fear. Her body shook, her heart raced and she felt physically ill each time she found herself alone in her apartment with the man she had identified to police as her partner's killer," the complaint stated, as reported by Bethesda Magazine.
Warnings Allegedly Ignored
Central to the lawsuit are allegations that facility leadership had ample warning about James's conduct. According to the complaint, multiple Cogir of Potomac employees raised concerns about James in the weeks and months before the killing. Staff members reportedly observed him acting erratically, appearing impaired while on duty, mishandling residents' medications, and sexually harassing coworkers.
Eleven days before Fuller's death, a nurse who had worked at the facility filed a formal written complaint directed to both Cogir of Potomac and Cogir Senior Living USA leadership, detailing James's behavior, according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges the facility took no corrective action in response.
"This senseless killing was entirely preventable," the suit stated, according to Bethesda Magazine. "The Cogir Defendants took zero corrective actions relative to the warnings; they failed to perform even the bare minimum of investigations."
The complaint further alleges that James's mother, Shenise James-Dubose, held a leadership position at the facility as senior director, and that her authority was used to suppress complaints about her son and discipline employees who reported his behavior, according to the lawsuit. No legal action was taken against James-Dubose by Buttrick.
Buttrick also alleges she was overmedicated the night Fuller was killed, as she did not wake from the sound of a gunshot in the adjacent room, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit outlines 15 causes of action against the defendants, including claims of negligence, gross negligence, and intentional disregard for resident safety. Cogir Senior Living USA did not respond to Bethesda Magazine's requests for comment.
James was found competent to stand trial on March 5 and remains held without bond at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, according to court records reported by Bethesda Magazine. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27.
CMS Inspection History
Cogir Potomac Senior Living operates as an assisted living facility in Montgomery County, Maryland. Assisted living communities in Maryland are licensed and overseen by the Maryland Department of Health's Office of Health Care Quality rather than the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) nursing home inspection program. This means the facility does not carry a CMS star rating or appear in the federal Care Compare database that tracks deficiencies at skilled nursing facilities.
However, the allegations in this lawsuit raise significant questions about the state-level oversight of assisted living facilities. Maryland requires assisted living programs to conduct background checks on employees and maintain protocols for resident safety. Federal and state regulations mandate that residential care facilities ensure residents are protected from abuse, neglect, and harm — obligations the lawsuit alleges Cogir of Potomac fundamentally failed to meet.
The case highlights a broader concern in senior care: assisted living facilities often face less rigorous federal oversight than skilled nursing homes, despite housing vulnerable populations with serious medical needs, including residents like Fuller and Buttrick who required care for progressive neurological conditions.
Ownership & Operations
Cogir Senior Living USA is the American arm of Cogir Real Estate, a Canadian company headquartered in Brossard, Quebec. The company operates senior living communities across multiple states and Canadian provinces. Cogir of Potomac is the specific entity that operates the facility where Fuller was killed.
The lawsuit names both Cogir of Potomac and Cogir Senior Living USA as defendants, alleging institutional responsibility at both the local and corporate level. The complaint contends that the formal written warning filed 11 days before the killing was sent to leadership at both entities, suggesting corporate management was also on notice about the employee's conduct.
The case underscores the accountability questions that arise when large corporate operators manage local senior care facilities. Families selecting assisted living communities often rely on a corporate brand's reputation, but the lawsuit alleges that Cogir's institutional culture prioritized avoiding disruption over resident safety.
Resources for Families
Families with concerns about the safety or care of a loved one in a senior living facility have several avenues for reporting and assistance:
- Maryland Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: Advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Maryland and can investigate complaints about care quality and resident safety. - National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center: Families anywhere in the country can reach the national hotline at 1-800-677-1116 or visit [ltcombudsman.org](https://ltcombudsman.org) for resources and local program referrals. - Maryland Office of Health Care Quality: The state licensing body that oversees assisted living facilities can be contacted to file formal complaints about facility operations.
If you believe a loved one is in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement by calling 911. For non-emergency concerns about care quality, the ombudsman program provides confidential assistance and advocacy on behalf of residents.