Reward offered for info leading to man wanted in shooting of Washington County judge

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of Pedro Manuel Argote, the suspect in the Thursday night fatal shooting of a Washington County Circuit Court judge outside his Hagerstown-area home, according to an agency news release.

Judge Andrew "Drew" F. Wilkinson was found with gunshot wounds in his driveway and later pronounced dead at Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Argote, 49, "has ties to multiple locations beyond the state of Maryland to include Brooklyn and Long Island, New York; Tampa and Clearwater, Florida; Columbus, Indiana; and unknown cities in North Carolina," the U.S. Marshals news release states.

Anyone with information about Argote "is urged" to contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 877-WANTED2 (926-8332) or to submit a tip through the Marshals' Tips app.

The suspect in the murder of a Washington County Circuit Court judge was a party in a divorce hearing the judge issued an order on earlier that day, saying Pedro Argote could have no contact with his children, according to court records.

Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert, during a Friday news conference confirmed that authorities believe Judge Andrew "Drew" F. Wilkinson was targeted by Argote because Wilkinson ruled that the mother should have custody of the children.

The sheriff's office released Pedro Argote's name on Friday morning, at first as a person wanted in connection with the investigation into the shooting death of Wilkinson north of Hagerstown on Thursday night.

That phrasing changed to suspect at the news conference.

There is a manhunt for Argote, though "he could be anywhere," Albert said in an interview after the news conference. Frederick Police are assisting with some of the investigation because Argote was living in Frederick, Albert confirmed.

As of press time early Friday afternoon, authorities were still looking for Argote.

What is known about Pedro Argote?

Albert said Argote is considered "armed and dangerous," later adding in the interview that people should not approach him.

Anyone with information about Argote, 49, is asked to notify law enforcement immediately, Albert said.

Argote was described as 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

The photo the sheriff's office provided of Argote is recent, Albert said.

Argote may be driving a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450, displaying Maryland registration plates 4EH0408, according to the sheriff's office. That was updated later Friday to a Mercedes sport utility vehicle GL450 model.

According to an April filing in Argote's divorce case, he changed his address from an apartment in Martinsburg, W.Va., to a home in Frederick, Md.

What happened during the shooting?

Wilkinson was gunned down around 8 p.m. Thursday in his driveway in the 19100 block of Olde Waterford Road north of Hagerstown.

Albert said at the news conference that Wilkinson's wife and son were home when the shooting occurred.

The wife and son are "OK," Albert said in an interview.

Albert said investigators are in the process of looking at all types of evidence, including camera footage in Wilkinson's neighborhood.

Authorities also have access to a network of surveillance camera footage Hagerstown Police use that has many cameras in downtown Hagerstown, including around the circuit courthouse. However, Albert said Argote was not at the divorce hearing in the courthouse on Thursday.

Were other judges put under protection?

Maryland State Police, for "precautionary reasons," deployed troopers Thursday night to protect judges residing in Washington County, according to the state police's media communications office.

That included deputies and state troopers providing protection to local circuit and district court judges, Albert said.

Albert said Friday that authorities didn't feel there was a current threat to any other judges in the county or state.

Hagerstown Police, U.S. marshals and the Washington County State's Attorney's Office also have been assisting the sheriff's office, Albert said.

Wilkinson, 52, was a husband and father.

Albert asked the community to keep Wilkinson's friends, family and colleagues in their thoughts.

Washington County Administrative Judge Brett R. Wilson said after the news conference that Wilkinson was a "great judge."

Asked how the judges, clerks and other court employees are doing, Wilson said, "We're all feeling immense loss, selfishly for ourselves ... the loss of a friend."

Wilson said Wilkinson's death also is a loss for the community, "for the incredible amount of intellect, respect and care that he brought to his judgeship. Truly a community loss."

Argote's divorce and domestic violence cases

The divorce case was the only matter before Wilkinson on Thursday, according to the day's court docket.

Wilkinson signed an order Thursday saying there was to be no visitation or contact between Pedro Argote and his children, according to the partial judgment in the divorce case. There also was to be no contact between Argote and the children's mother.

The order Wilkinson signed Thursday refers to a 2009 Mercedes that Argote was to make available to his children's mother "upon reasonable request to attend to necessary shopping or medical or dental" appointments for her and the children.

The judgment also states the mother was to have "sole use and possession of the family home," property west of Hagerstown, and that Argote was not to enter that property.

Argote was to pay the mother child support of $1,120 a month for their four minor children, the judgment states.

There also was a temporary protective order issued against Pedro Argote in June 2022 through Washington County District Court in which a judge ordered Argote not to abuse, threaten to abuse, contact or attempt to contact his wife and four children, according to court records.

According to the docket for the domestic violence case, that case was dismissed around the time the temporary protective order expired, at the request of the petitioner. The petitioner was Argote's wife.

"We have responded for verbal domestic assault two times in the last two years," but authorities were not aware of any prior criminal record in Washington County, Albert said at the news conference.

Argote legally owns a handgun, though Albert would not get into what the suspected firearm was in the shooting.

Wilkinson was a private attorney before he was a judge

Wilkinson was sworn in as a circuit court judge on Jan. 10, 2020, after being appointed by then Gov. Larry Hogan.

A 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina, he received his law degree in 1997 from Emory University School of Law and had experience in all levels of Maryland courts from district to the Court of Appeals. His legal experience included real estate, zoning and family law as well as civil litigation.

Before taking the bench, Wilkinson had a solo practice. Prior to that he worked in private practice with land-use attorney Jason Divelbiss.

Wilkinson served as an assistant county attorney under then-County Attorney John Martirano from 2006 to 2012.

After law school, Wilkinson became a law clerk at the local circuit court for Judge Frederick C. Wright III and Judges John H. McDowell, W. Kennedy Boone, and Donald E. Beachley.

Asked after his investiture ceremony about becoming a judge in his hometown, Wilkinson said, “It’s an honor and it’s humbling, and I’m happy to serve.”

Background: Hogan names Wilkinson to Washington County Circuit Court bench

Wilkinson said he wanted to become a judge to serve the community.

He was one of six current circuit court judges in Washington County.

A Washington County judge was injured by pipe bombs almost 34 years ago

This is not the first time a local circuit court judge has been attacked.

On Dec. 22, 1989, a package of pipe bombs exploded in Judge John P. Corderman’s third- floor apartment in Hagerstown, according to Herald-Mail archives.

Corderman sustained shrapnel wounds to his right hand and abdomen and partial hearing loss in the attack.

No one was ever charged in that bombing, according to a story at the time of Corderman’s death in July 2012. He was 70 years old.

Corderman's son, Paul, who is now a state senator representing Washington and Frederick counties, posted a message to law enforcement late Thursday on Facebook.

"Prayers for our local judicial & law enforcement community," he wrote.

Following Friday's news conference, Corderman said his family was fortunate in that his father survived the attack on him.

"I can’t imagine the pain and angst that his family is suffering right now, and our hearts really just go out to them at this time," he said.

"Unfortunately, Judge Wilkinson was taken from us far too soon."

Reaction to Judge Wilkinson's death

Albert said Col. Roland Butler, superintendent for Maryland State Police, called him last night to say "whatever you need, you got."

Deputies and investigators are working overtime to find Argote, Albert said.

"We're going to do whatever we have to do to bring this to justice," Albert told The Herald-Mail.

Speaking to the mindset of the local law enforcement community, Albert said, "We're a small community here, close knit. We pull together when something like this happens."

Albert said other federal agencies have offered assistance, but he's trying to control the number of people involved and has more resources than needed as of early Friday.

There were more deputies in the lobby of the Washington County Courthouse, home of circuit court, on Friday morning than usual.

The day's case docket was slimmed down.

Present in the courthouse Friday morning and at the news conference was Matthew Fader, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland.

The Maryland Judiciary put out a statement Friday morning on the shooting death of Washington County Circuit Judge Andrew Wilkinson.

"The Maryland Judiciary mourns the tragic death of Judge Andrew Wilkinson. As we grieve his loss, we ask that you keep the Wilkinson family in your prayers and please respect their privacy. The Maryland Judiciary is actively engaging with law enforcement to assist in resolving this matter and to ensure the safety of our judges, staff, and visitors, which remains our top priority."

Also present at the news conference was State's Attorney Gina Cirincion, local circuit court judges, Hagerstown Police Chief Paul Kifer, Maryland State Police Lt. Brian Kloos who is the Hagerstown barrack commander, and MSP Lt. Col. Dan Pickett, who is in charge of all uniformed troopers in the state.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Man wanted in MD judge's murder was in court before judge that day