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A manhunt is underway for 49-year-old Pedro Argote, accused of fatally shooting Washington County Circuit Court Associate Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, on the driveway of his home in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Thursday, October 19.
Pedro Argote is suspected in the killing of Judge Andrew Wilkinson, who hours earlier had presided over a hearing in his divorce case. Authorities said that Thursday night, responding officers found Wilkinson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in his driveway.
Wilkinson was reportedly rushed to Meritus Medical Center, where he died. Officials revealed the wife and son of Judge Wilkinson were home at the time of the shooting.
Authorities who identified Pedro Argote as a person of interest in the case said that he may be operating a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450, with Maryland registration plate 4EH0408. Anyone with information on Argote's whereabouts was urged to not approach him but to notify the police.
Pedro Argote lost custody of his kids hours before killing pressing Judge Andrew Wilkinson
In a press conference Friday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department said that Judge Andrew Wilkinson was killed in a targeted attack. Authority said that hours before the killing, Judge Wilkinson was presiding over a divorce/child custody hearing connected to suspect Pedro Argote where the 49-year-old lost custody of his three children.
According to online court records, the divorce proceedings were initiated by the suspect, Pedro Argote, in June 2022. Shortly after the shooting, the attorney Ashley Wilburn, representing the children in the divorce case, issued a statement via email to AP, praising the late judge.
“Judge Wilkinson was an amazing man, father, husband and judge and I am blessed to have known and worked with him. He is a hero,” attorney Ashly Wilburn wrote .
All about Judge Andrew Wilkinson
According to his court biography, Judge Andrew Wilkinson, who was born in Agana, Guam in 1971, attended the University of North Carolina before getting his law degree at Emory University. He has been an associate judge for the Washington County Circuit Court since January 2020.
Prior to his appointment in Washington County Circuit Court, Wilkinson served as an Assistant Washington County Attorney from 2006 to 2012. He was also a Partner at Divelbiss & Wilkinson from 2014 to 2018 and a member of the Character Committee of the State Board of Law Examiners from 2006 to 2019.
In the wake of the fatal shooting, Wilkinson’s colleagues extolled his exemplary conduct in the legal realm.
“Drew was an exceptional lawyer and a man who loved his family,” his former law partner Jason Divelbiss said in a written statement to CNN. “His wife and kids were always his highest priority and my thoughts go out to them at this horrible time.”
As the community grappled with the loss of Judge Andrew Wilkinson, authorities declined to disclose further information, citing an active investigation.
