An 87-year-old multimillionaire who spent decades anonymously funding veterans’ shelters and high school athletic fields was shot dead in his own bed at an upscale assisted living facility on Valentine’s Day morning, and police still don’t know who walked past security to execute him.
The Silent Benefactor Who Never Sought Recognition
Robert Fuller Jr. built his fortune quietly and gave it away even more quietly. The Maine native funneled millions into his home state’s communities through anonymous donations that transformed lives without ever attaching his name to the good works. He bankrolled the Sisters in Arms Center, a transitional housing project for veteran women in Augusta. He wrote a check for $1.64 million in 2021 to renovate Cony High School’s Alumni Field. He worked through the Winthrop Lions Club to support veterans’ causes. Most recipients never knew their benefactor’s identity until after his death. Fuller had no children but loved Maine fiercely, pouring his wealth into causes that mattered to those who served and those who needed a leg up.
Valentine’s Day Turns Deadly at Luxury Senior Facility
Fuller relocated to Maryland to be closer to family, settling into Cogir Potomac Senior Living in one of the Washington area’s most affluent enclaves. The facility markets itself on resident safety and quality care. On the morning of February 14, 2026, around 7:34 a.m., staff found Fuller unresponsive in his apartment with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Montgomery County Police immediately launched a homicide investigation. The fact that someone entered a supposedly secure senior living facility, accessed Fuller’s apartment, and executed an 87-year-old man in his own bed raises disturbing questions about who had access and how thoroughly the facility vetted its staff and monitored its entry points.
Surveillance Video Reveals Mystery Figure
Six days after the killing, on February 20, Montgomery County Police released surveillance footage showing a person of interest walking on the facility’s property around the time of Fuller’s death. The individual wore a plaid flannel shirt and had long dark hair. Police declined to specify the person’s gender or race and have not confirmed whether Fuller was specifically targeted or if this was a random act of violence. The grainy video offers few definitive clues, leaving investigators dependent on public tips to identify the figure. The department urged anyone with information to call 240-773-5070. The lack of clarity suggests either insufficient surveillance coverage or a perpetrator who knew how to avoid detection.
The Unanswered Questions That Haunt This Case
Martha Everatt-Stpierre, founder of the Sisters in Arms Center and one of Fuller’s major beneficiaries, captured the bewilderment felt across Fuller’s Maine network: “Who would kill an 87-year-old man—and why?” The question hangs unanswered. Fuller lived quietly, avoided public recognition, and posed no apparent threat to anyone. Was this an inside job by someone with facility access who knew Fuller’s wealth? Did an outsider breach security targeting a vulnerable senior for robbery? The absence of forced entry details and the precise execution suggest familiarity with the facility’s layout. Cogir Potomac issued a boilerplate statement prioritizing safety but provided no specifics on security protocols, staff vetting, or whether internal personnel are under scrutiny. That silence speaks volumes about potential liability and the facility’s unwillingness to expose vulnerabilities.
What This Means for Senior Living Security Nationwide
Fuller’s death exposes a harsh reality: upscale senior living facilities that charge premium rates and promise safety may not deliver on those promises. Families trust these institutions to protect their most vulnerable loved ones, especially those with significant assets who could become targets. The Fuller case demands rigorous questions. How thoroughly do facilities screen employees with access to residents’ apartments? What surveillance systems are in place, and are they adequate? Do facilities conduct regular security audits to identify weaknesses? The assisted living industry faces potential fallout as families reconsider the safety of even high-end facilities. Cogir Potomac’s generic safety statement does little to reassure residents or prospects that meaningful changes are underway. Without transparency and accountability, this incident will fuel distrust and potentially lawsuits if families discover negligence enabled Fuller’s murder.
The Maine communities Fuller quietly supported are left mourning a man whose generosity outlived his anonymity. Scott Foster of the Winthrop Lions Club summed up the tragedy: “Shame it happened to him.” Fuller deserved to live out his final years in peace, surrounded by the care he paid for and the security he was promised. Instead, he became a homicide victim in a place that should have been his sanctuary. The investigation continues, but every day without answers deepens the wound for those who knew Fuller and raises the stakes for an industry that must now prove it can protect the people it serves. The person in the plaid flannel remains at large, and until police make an arrest, every resident at Cogir Potomac and facilities like it must wonder if they are next.
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Millionaire killed inside Potomac, Maryland senior living facility
Millionaire killed in shooting death at Potomac, Maryland senior facility
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