CNN
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A man suspected in the fatal shooting of a Maryland judge has been found dead, according to officials.
The suspect, Pedro Argote, killed Washington County Circuit Judge Andrew Wilkinson on October 19 after the judge ruled against him in a child custody case, authorities revealed.
Argote’s body was discovered in a heavily wooded area approximately a mile away from where his vehicle was found on Saturday, as reported by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.
“On October 26, 2023, at approximately 11:00 AM, during an expanded evidentiary search in the Williamsport, MD area, a deceased person was located,” stated the sheriff’s office. “The deceased individual has been positively identified as Pedro Argote, the suspect wanted for the murder of Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson.”
A news conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
Wilkinson, a county circuit court judge, was shot in his own driveway while his wife and son were at home, as stated by Albert.
Wilkinson’s death led to increased security measures for judges in the county. “Last night, troopers were deployed to protect judges residing in Washington County as a precautionary measure,” Maryland State Police announced on Friday.
The court where Wilkinson worked already had a “high-level” of security, and all judges and court personnel received additional security following Wilkinson’s death, according to Circuit Court Administrative Judge Brett Wilson.
Wilkinson’s killing is the latest in a series of threats and attacks against judges or their families. In fiscal year 2022, the US Marshals Service investigated over 1,300 threats or possible threats against federal court personnel, as reported in this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
