The man suspected of killing Maryland Judge Andrew Wilkinson in his own yard was found dead on Thursday.
Pedro Argote, 49, was the focus of a search for the past week in the shooting death of the judge.
A man suspected of killing a Maryland judge outside his home last week was found dead on Thursday, ending a weeklong manhunt, the police said. https://t.co/Kh7QIYQAAF
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 26, 2023
"Pedro Argote, 49, had been sought after by law enforcement since the October 19 slaying of Washington county circuit court Judge Wilkinson, who had ruled in favor of Argote’s estranged wife in a child custody dispute just hours earlier," Breitbart News reported.
"Police believe that Wilkinson’s decision to give the mother full custody of their four children and to ban Argote from any contact besides a $1,120 monthly child support payment motivated Argote to go to his home and shoot him dead," it added.
A man accused of fatally shooting Judge Andrew Wilkinson in the driveway of his Maryland home was found dead, officials said, closing a weeklong manhunt. https://t.co/b0Kmcj7ZmE
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 26, 2023
"The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said that at 11 a.m. Thursday a search in Williamsport led to the discovery of a deceased person who was positively identified as Argote," Today reported.
"His body was found in a heavily wooded area between Clear Spring and Bottom roads, approximately one mile northwest of where his vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz SUV, was found Saturday," it continued.
Suspect in killing of Maryland circuit court judge found dead: Police https://t.co/DCxipBnfxs
— AHRC-USA NGO in Consultative Status with ECOSOC-UN (@AHRCUSA) October 26, 2023
"In a statement Thursday afternoon, the Maryland judiciary praised the work of law enforcement and asked for privacy on behalf of Wilkinson’s family," News Nation wrote.
“We continue to grieve the loss of our colleague and friend while supporting the Wilkinson family, the judges and staff of the Circuit Court for Washington County, and the entire Hagerstown and broader Washington County community,” the statement said.
An autopsy is being performed on the body to confirm the cause of death and timing of his passing.
The finding of Argote's body bring a sense of relief to people in the community who closely followed the search after the judge's murder.
The family of the judge can also now have some sense of closure despite the tragic loss of a loved one whose life was cut short through criminal activity.
