Last Thursday, Washington County, Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Fisher Wilkinson was gunned down in his driveway. Authorities said it was a “targeted attack,” and attention immediately turned to the judge’s docket. Just hours before his murder, Judge Wilkinson ruled in the divorce case of Pedro Argote.
According to reports, Argote had been accused by his ex-wife of abusing one of their children, an 11-year old daughter. The day of his death, Jude Wilkinson ruled against Argote in the divorce case:
Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show Wilkinson presided over Argote’s divorce case and that a hearing was held as recently as 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. The suspect’s wife was granted a divorce and custody of the children. The judge also ordered Argote to pay $1,120 a month in child support – and prohibited him from entering the family’s home, according to the document obtained by NBC News.
The judgment attributed the divorce and custody decisions to findings of “cruelty of treatment” and “irreconcilable differences.”
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Authorities now point to Argote:
“Anyone with information on the location of Pedro Argote, 49, is asked to notify law enforcement immediately. Argote is 5’7″, 130 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes,” investigators said.
Argote’s car was located, but he remains at large:
Pedro Argote, 49, is suspected of gunning down the judge in his driveway hours after he ruled against him in a divorce case. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on Facebook that the silver Mercedes SUV that Argote was believed to be driving had been located in a wooded area in Williamsport, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) southwest of Hagerstown, where the judge was shot outside his home.
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Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said Argote should be considered armed and dangerous. The U.S. Marshals Service is now offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Argote’s arrest.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].