Pedro Argote, Accused Of Killing MD Judge, Found Dead: Police

WILLIAMSPORT, MD — The body of Pedro Argote, whom police said fatally shot Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson outside of his home last week, was found in a heavily wooded area near Williamsport on Thursday, authorities confirmed.

In a statement posted on social media, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said Argote's body was located around 11 a.m. between Clear Spring and Bottom roads, about 1 mile northwest of where his silver Mercedes was found Saturday.

At a news conference Thursday, Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said Argote's remains will be sent to the Baltimore City Medical Examiner's Office to determine date and cause of death.

"The Washington County Community can breathe a little easier this afternoon," Albert said.

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Authorities accused Argote, 49, of shooting Wilkinson on Oct. 19. Deputies found Wilkinson in the driveway of his residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, where he later died from his injuries.

Court records show Wilkinson presided over Argote's divorce case, the Associated Press reported. During the proceedings, Wilkinson heard "shocking" testimony about the abuse Argote inflicted on his wife and children.

During her remarks, Argote's adult daughter said he controlled every aspect of their lives, keeping them isolated and subjecting them to various acts of violence in recent years.

"The reason I worked up the courage to testify was so that my siblings wouldn't have to go through the mental torment that I currently have," Argote's daughter told the court, according to an audio recording of testimony obtained by the Associated Press.

Hours before the shooting, Wilkinson issued a judgment officially granting the divorce and awarding sole custody of the couple’s four minor children — ages 12, 11, 5 and 3 — to their mother, court records show. He ordered Argote to have no contact with the children and pay $1,120 a month in child support.

Authorities were unable to locate Argote; however, his 2009 Mercedes GL 450 was discovered two days after the shooting in Williamsport, a town near the Maryland-West Virginia border.

A week after the shooting, Wilkinson's wife, Stephanie, released a statement thanking the community for their support following his death, according to a report.

In the statement released through the Maryland Judiciary, Stephanie Wilkinson said she was "touched" by the condolences received following her husband's Oct. 19 death, the Herald-Mail reported.

"This is such an unexpected loss to us, and words do not exist to describe the amazing person Drew was," the statement said. "Our family would especially like to thank local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for their immediate and continued response to this tragedy. Drew would be very grateful for all of your efforts for both us and the community.”

Funeral services for Wilkinson will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the St. Ann Catholic Church in Hagerstown, according to his obituary. A visitation will be held Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at the Douglas A. Fiery Funeral Home in Hagerstown.