Pedro Argote, the man suspected of murdering Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, has been discovered dead by authorities after a week-long search.
In a Facebook post, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they found a deceased individual, positively identified as Argote, around 11 a.m. on Thursday during an extensive search in the Williamsport area.
During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Sheriff Brian K. Albert stated that Argote's remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. The cause and manner of death will be determined after an autopsy.
The authorities located his body in a densely wooded area approximately one mile northwest of where Argote's vehicle, a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450, was found near the West Virginia border on Saturday.
Authorities had been on the hunt for Argote since the fatal shooting of Judge Wilkinson on October 19. Wilkinson, a 52-year-old Washington County Circuit Court Judge, was killed shortly after granting custody of Argote's four children (ages 12, 11, 5, and 3) to his estranged wife, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Marshals Service had even offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Argote's arrest.
Wilkinson was discovered with apparent gunshot wounds in his Hagerstown driveway around 8 p.m. on October 19. He was taken to Meritus Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Earlier that day, Judge Wilkinson had ruled against Argote in his divorce case against his estranged wife. The ruling included an order for Argote to provide monthly child support and prohibited him from having any contact with his children, as reported by NBC News.
According to the circuit court’s website, Wilkinson pursued economics at the University of North Carolina before attending Emory University School of Law in 1997. He had worked as an attorney at Barton & Williams and Divelbiss & Wilkinson and established his own law firm in 2018, all while serving on the board of directors for various associations.
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