A man accused of killing the judge who presided over his divorce case had a history of controlling and cruel behavior towards his ex-wife, according to court documents.
Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson died from gunshot wounds at his home in Hagerstown, Maryland on Thursday evening, hours after granting Eugenia Argote full custody of her four children.
A manhunt is underway for Pedro Argote, Ms. Argote’s ex-husband and the main suspect in the shooting. Police warned the public that the 49-year-old is considered armed and dangerous.
Judge Wilkinson had been overseeing the divorce case since June 2022.
Ms. Argote had sought a protective order from the court, detailing her husband’s controlling behavior. She reported that he monitored her movements by keeping her car keys and stole money from her. Ms. Argote also said that her ex-husband used security cameras to watch her and was violent towards their 11-year-old child in 2020.
In her petition, Ms. Argote mentioned previous domestic incidents and a failed attempt to seek help from a domestic violence advocacy center in 2012.
Judge Wilkinson initially issued a temporary order in June 2022, requiring Mr. Argote to vacate the shared residence and surrender his firearms. However, Ms. Argote later requested for the order to be dismissed for reasons that are unclear.
On Thursday, Judge Wilkinson awarded full custody to the mother, citing a history of “cruelty of treatment” within the couple’s relationship.
Although Mr. Argote was not present at the court hearing, police believe he went to the judge’s home later that night.
Around 8pm, Judge Wilkinson, 52, was discovered on his driveway with multiple gunshot wounds, while his wife and son were present. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
During a press conference on Friday, Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert described the attack on the judge as “targeted” and accused Mr. Argote of seeking revenge due to the ruling.
Mr. Argote does not have a criminal record in Washington County, but there have been reports of “verbal domestic assaults” in the past two years.
Authorities at the local, state, and federal levels are assisting in the search for Mr. Argote, who is believed to be driving a 2009 silver Mercedes GL450 with Maryland license plate number 4EH0408.
Anyone with information should contact law enforcement and avoid approaching him.
