The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland has identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of a circuit court judge on Thursday, and is asking for the public’s help in locating him.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday morning it is searching for 49-year-old Pedro Argote in connection with the killing. The man is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He might be operating a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450, displaying Maryland registration plates 4EH0408.
The victim, 52-year-old Andrew Wilkinson, was found suffering from injuries on Thursday night in an apparent shooting in the driveway of his home in Hagerstown, a city in the northwestern Maryland Panhandle near the state border with Pennsylvania.
He was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his gunshot wounds, according to the police.
The judge’s wife and children were at home when he was shot, Sheriff Brian Albert said Friday morning in a press briefing.
Washington County court records show that Mr. Wilkinson was handling Mr. Argote’s divorce case, which was filed in June 2022.
As recent as Thursday morning, Mr. Wilkinson oversaw a hearing regarding that divorce case. the court’s docket shows. That hearing dealt with the “partial judgement of absolute divorce.”
“There was a proceeding earlier in the day, the divorce hearing,” said Mr. Albert. “Argote was not in attendance of that, though.”
“He did not show up,” he reiterated when asked again about the connection between the suspect and the divorce hearing.
Mr. Wilkinson had been an associate judge for the Washington County Circuit since 2020, according to his court biography. He was born in Guam in 1971 and earned his degrees from the University of North Carolina and Emory University School of Law.
Appointed by then-Gov. Larry Hogan, Mr. Wilkinson was one of six circuit court judges in Washington County. Before taking the bench, he worked in private practice with land-use attorney Jason Divelbiss.
“Drew was an exceptional lawyer and a man who loved his family,” Mr. Divelbiss said in a statement to CNN. “His wife and kids were always his highest priority and my thoughts go out to them at this horrible time.”
The Maryland Judiciary on Friday issued a statement mourning the death of the judge, adding that it is working with the police to investigate the killing and ensure safety throughout the court system.
“As we grieve his loss, we ask that you keep the Wilkinson family in your prayers and please respect their privacy,” the courts said. “The Maryland Judiciary is actively engaging with law enforcement to assist in resolving this matter and to ensure the safety of our judges, staff, and visitors, which remains our top priority.”
Maryland State Police reportedly deployed troopers Thursday night to protect other judges living in Washington County for “precautionary reasons.”
“Last night, in the preliminary investigation, we had no idea the information was coming in, so we placed officers and troopers at local judges’ residences as a precaution,” said Mr. Albert. “We made sure they stay there throughout the night till this morning,”
“We don’t feel there is any threat to other judges in the county or state.”
