A Maryland judge who was found dead in his driveway on Thursday night had presided over the suspect’s divorce, police say.
Washington County Circuit Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, of Hagerstown, is believed to have been shot by Pedro Argote, 49, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) wrote in a statement on Facebook. The sheriff’s office revealed in an earlier statement that deputies responded to Wilkinson’s home around 8 p.m. in response to reports of a shooting.
Washington County Court records show that Wilkinson had presided over a judgment hearing on Thursday regarding Argote’s divorce in 2022, according to Fox News. Another hearing was scheduled for Oct. 31.
“Anyone with information on the location of” the suspect “is asked to notify law enforcement immediately,” WCSO said.
Argote is believed to be driving a “silver 2009 Mercedes GL450” with a Maryland registered license plate, “4EH0408,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office added that “anyone with information in reference to Argote’s location is asked to not approach him but to immediately notify law enforcement.”
Wilkinson worked as an associate judge for the 4th Judicial Circuit since January 2020, according to his biography on the Washington County Circuit Court website.
Born in Guam in 1971, Wilkinson went on to earn his degrees from the University of North Carolina and Emory University School of Law.
He had been a member of the St. Ann Catholic Church in Hagerstown and had volunteered as a youth soccer coach for the Hagerstown Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) between 2008 and 2012, along with serving as an assistant baseball coach for the Maugansville Little League from 2012 to 2014.
Wilkinson was transported to Meritus Medical Center, where he later succumbed to injuries sustained from the gunshot wounds.
IJR reached out to the Washington County Circuit Court for a statement but did not hear back by the time of publication.