A man's body was discovered by police on Thursday morning, believed to be the individual responsible for the murder of Maryland judge Andrew Wilkinson in the driveway of his Hagerstown residence.
The New York Post (NYP) reported that Pedro Argote was found dead during an "evidentiary search" conducted one week after the alleged murder.
Authorities had located Argote's SUV near Williamsport over the weekend of October 20th and had been conducting a search in the area since then, according to the NYP. It was believed that the suspect had been on the run after allegedly shooting the 52-year-old judge on October 19th.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) stated that police found Wilkinson with gunshot wounds at his home at approximately 8 p.m. on the day of the incident, as reported by ABC 7 News.
Wilkinson was transported to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown by first responders, but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries and passed away, authorities said.
In response to the targeted attack, Maryland State Police (MSP) were dispatched across the state to provide protection for other judges, as noted by ABC 7.
According to ABC News, Wilkinson had granted custody of Argote's children to his ex-wife during a divorce hearing on the same Thursday that Argote allegedly murdered him.
As per the Maryland government website, Wilkinson had been serving as an Associate Judge of the Washington County Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, since January 10, 2020. His term was set to expire in 2035, as reported by ABC 7.
Prior to his appointment, Wilkinson had worked as the assistant Washington County attorney from 2006 to 2012. He was also involved in the community as a former youth soccer coach, assistant baseball coach, and member of St. Ann Catholic Church.
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