Man Who Allegedly Targeted, Gunned Down Maryland Divorce Judge Found Dead Following Manhunt
A Maryland man who allegedly fatally shot a judge who presided over his divorce proceedings has been found dead.
Authorities located Pedro Argote’s body after a one-week manhunt in pursuit of the 49-year old man, according to ABC News.
Argote’s corpse was found in a wooded area a mile from his abandoned vehicle in the vicinity of Williamsport, Maryland, on Thursday.
The vehicle had been identified earlier in the search.
Argote, a Venezuelan immigrant, is thought by authorities to be responsible for the shooting of Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson in his own Hagerstown, Maryland, driveway.
SCOOP: The suspect in the Maryland judge’s murder, Pedro Argote, 49, is a Venezuelan immigrant who became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous. https://t.co/C8RkE0Qo7U pic.twitter.com/eSWbafXMpD
— Jon Feere 🇺🇸 (@JonFeere) October 21, 2023
Law enforcement offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Argote’s arrest during the search for the suspected killer.
U.S. Marshals have joined the search for homicide suspect, Pedro Argote (49) in Maryland. They are offering a $10,000 reward. This is a recent photo. He has ties in the states listed below. Please share. #andrewwilkinson #manhunt pic.twitter.com/8Sgela32Iu
— Rose (@901Lulu) October 21, 2023
The cause of Argote’s death remains unclear, with authorities set to conduct an autopsy of the deceased suspect.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office identified Argote as a suspect in the killing after it occurred earlier this month, according to The New York Times.
Sheriff Brian K. Albert described Wilkinson’s murder as a “targeted killing” in a news conference during the manhunt.
Wilkinson had presided over divorce proceedings in which Argote was a plaintiff starting last year, according to the Times.
The judge also issued a ruling the day before the shooting in which he granted custody of Argote’s children to his former spouse.
Argote’s ex-wife had described him as controlling in a statement submitted to the circuit court, expressing her fear that Argote carried a weapon with him at all times, according to the Associated Press.
Sheriff Albert described the news of Argote’s demise as bittersweet to Judge Wilkinson’s family.
“It brings a little bit of closure to them but it’s still a tragedy.”
“They lost a husband, father and brother.”
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