Police found the body of a man Thursday morning who allegedly murdered a Maryland judge in the driveway of his Hagerstown home.
Authorities found Pedro Argote dead during an “evidentiary search” one week after Argote allegedly murdered Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, according to the New York Post (NYP).
Body of accused judge slayer Pedro Argote is found https://t.co/3fSBaWSfey pic.twitter.com/yOGPkRG2hc
— New York Post (@nypost) October 26, 2023
Police discovered Argote’s SUV near Williamsport over the Oct. 20 weekend and had been searching the area since then, the outlet reported. The suspect was reportedly believed to have been on the run after he allegedly shot the 52-year-old judge Oct. 19.
Police found Wilkinson with gunshot wounds at his residence at around 8 p.m. on the day of the incident, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) said, according to ABC 7 News. First responders transported Wilkinson to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, where he later died from his injuries, authorities reportedly said.
Maryland State Police (MSP) were dispatched across the state to protect other judges on the night of the targeted attack, ABC 7 noted.
Wilkinson granted Argote’s ex-wife custody of their children at a divorce hearing the Thursday Argote allegedly murdered him, according to ABC News. (RELATED: 13-Year-Old Reportedly Stabs Mother to Death In Her Sleep)
Since Jan 10, 2020, Wilkinson was an Associate Judge of the Washington County Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, according to the Maryland government website. His 15-year term was set to expire in 2035, per ABC 7.
Wilkinson was the assistant Washington County attorney from 2006 to 2012, per the website. He was also a former youth soccer coach, assistant baseball coach and a member of St. Ann Catholic Church.