A well-known Maine philanthropist and former Navy officer was discovered shot to death inside his senior living apartment in an affluent Maryland suburb on Valentine’s Day, with authorities still searching for suspects in a case that has stunned two communities far apart.
Robert Fuller Jr., 87, was found unresponsive with significant head injuries at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility in Potomac, Maryland, on the morning of February 14, 2026. Montgomery County police arrived at the 10800 block of Potomac Tennis Lane around 7:34 a.m. after receiving a medical emergency call that officials say came in as a “reported code.”
First responders attempted to revive him, but Fuller was declared dead at the scene. Officers quickly detected head trauma, and after investigators examined the area, homicide detectives determined he had been shot. His death is now being treated as a homicide.
Police have not released any suspect details, and no arrests have been made as the investigation entered its seventh day. Detectives have yet to determine whether Fuller was targeted or whether the perpetrator came from inside or outside the facility. His body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy to establish the official cause and manner of death.
Fuller relocated to the Washington, D.C. region several years ago with his wife to be nearer to her family. He continued living in Potomac following her death. Friends described him as a wealthy attorney who practiced law in Maine for more than three decades, a senior Naval Reserve officer, and a generous benefactor who contributed millions to his community.
In 2021, Fuller donated $1.64 million to upgrade Cony High School’s Alumni Field complex in Augusta, Maine, revitalizing a $2.3 million renovation effort that had stalled due to funding shortfalls and pandemic-era budget challenges. The City Council later renamed the facility Fuller Field in his honor. Upgrades included a new artificial turf surface, improved bleachers, and a revamped track and field area.
“I believe that when a high school has a continuing history of athletic success, it fosters a sense of community pride,” Fuller said at the time. “So I don’t think of my action as simply a gift but rather as an investment in Augusta’s future.”
Fuller and his late wife, Moira, previously lived in Winthrop, Maine, and supported numerous civic organizations across the region, including MaineGeneral Medical Center, the Kennebec Valley YMCA, Lithgow Public Library, Old Fort Western, and the Kennebec Historical Society. A senior officer in the Naval Reserve, Fuller also wrote the 2009 novel “Unnatural Deaths.”
He carried a complex family legacy as a descendant of Melville Weston Fuller, the eighth Chief Justice of the United States from 1888 to 1910. The Fuller Court oversaw the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which established the “separate but equal” doctrine that enabled racial segregation and upheld Jim Crow laws for decades.
That historical connection drew controversy in recent years after Fuller funded a statue of his ancestor outside the Kennebec County Courthouse in 2013. The monument became a source of debate following George Floyd’s 2020 killing and heightened scrutiny of racial injustice in the county’s history. In response to public pressure, county commissioners voted to return the statue to Fuller, and he had it removed at his own expense. He considered but ultimately declined to place the statue in a proposed museum near its original site.
Kent London, president of the Kennebec Historical Society, expressed sorrow over the loss of a major benefactor deeply connected to Augusta. Fuller helped the society acquire its headquarters—the Henry Weld Fuller Jr. House, once owned by one of his ancestors—and played a key role in creating the society’s development fund, named for his late wife.
“He’s going to be missed,” London said. “The history of the Fuller family goes back to the very beginning of Augusta.”
Maine State Rep. Bill Bridgeo, who met Fuller while serving as Augusta’s city manager, said the philanthropist supported “a new YMCA, a new hospital in town, a big expansion to our high school.” Bridgeo told NBC Washington that he plans to honor Fuller in Maine’s legislature.
The killing has unsettled residents of the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility. Executive Director Rachel Grant sent an email Monday afternoon assuring community members that safety remains the top priority. She said the incident was isolated and that there is no ongoing threat to residents or staff, though she declined to release further details out of respect for those involved and to preserve the investigation. Since the weekend, the facility has increased security and added more safety personnel. Counseling services will also be provided.
Montgomery County police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous, and information that helps lead to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of $250 to $10,000.
The case represents a deeply troubling incident in a wealthy area unaccustomed to violent crime, and investigators continue working to uncover what led to the fatal shooting of an elderly man inside what should have been a secure environment. Fuller’s legacy of civic engagement, philanthropy, and military service has prompted a wave of tributes from those who knew him.
