After a week-long search, Maryland authorities report they have located the body of the man suspected of shooting and killing the judge who presided over his divorce case.
On October 19 in Hagerstown, Maryland, 49-year-old Pedro Argote reportedly shot and murdered 52-year-old Andrew Wilkinson, a judge in the Circuit Court. The shooting occurred in Wilkinson's home driveway, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Suspect Found Dead
Maryland sheriff's office said Argote's dead body was discovered Thursday morning, October 26, during a search near Williamsport. His corpse was located in a very forested area about a mile from where his vehicle was discovered last week.
After an autopsy is performed, Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert will know more about the circumstances surrounding the death, as reported by ABC News.
Earlier this week, the silver Mercedes SUV that authorities suspect Argote was driving was discovered in a forested location near Williamsport. The judge was killed about eight miles southwest of Hagerstown, where the car was parked.
About 75 miles to the northwest of Baltimore, along the state lines of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, is where the city of Hagerstown is found.
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Judge Wilkinson's Death
Wilkinson presided over Argote's divorce hearings. Albert said he believes custody issues between Argote and his ex-wife were behind the shooting that occurred on October 19. As per the court records acquired by ABC News, Wilkinson also handed the wife full custody of the family home, ordered Argote to pay child support, and barred him from having any contact with his children or wife unless she initiated it.
On October 20, the government made public its attempts to locate Argote and offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his capture.
The sheriff acknowledged that locating Argote was a relief but said that the situation was still a tragedy. "We just came from Judge Wilkinson's viewing, met with the family. They were very appreciative. It brings a little bit of closure to them, but it's still a tragedy. They lost a husband, father, and a brother," Albert stated.
Wilkinson has been a 4th Judicial Circuit judge since January 2020. He said he became a judge to benefit his community during his swearing-in ceremony. "It's an honor, and it's humbling, and I'm happy to serve," he stated.
Born in Guam in 1971, Wilkinson attended the University of North Carolina for his undergraduate studies and Emory University for his legal training. Between 2006 and 2012, he worked as an assistant prosecutor for Washington County, and between 2006 and 2019, he sat on the State Board of Law Examiners' Character Committee.
Reportedly, there has been a disturbing trend of violence directed against judges and their families, with Wilkinson's murder being a recent instance. Nearly 1,300 investigations involving attacks or possible threats against federal court workers took place in fiscal year 2022, according to a data sheet from the US Marshals Service highlighted by CNN.
