The abusive father accused of fatally shooting Maryland Judge Andrew Wilkinson hours after a divorce hearing was found dead Thursday, ending a massive week-long manhunt.
The body of Pedro Argote was found by officers combing the area around where his SUV was located over the weekend in Williamsport, just a few miles from where the 52-year-old judge was gunned down outside his Hagerstown home on Thursday of last week.
“The deceased was located in a heavily wooded area between Clear Spring Road and Bottom Road approximately one mile northwest of where the suspect vehicle was found,” Washington County police said.
Argote, 49, has been on the run since the shocking shooting, which police said was “targeted” after Wilkinson gave his ex-wife custody of his children in a divorce case.
A judge has signed an order saying there can be no visitation or contact between Argote, 49, and his four children, or their mother, Eugenia Argote, according to a partial judgment in the divorce case cited by the Herald-Mail.
The judgment also allowed Argote’s ex-wife “use and possession of the family home” and barred the husband from entering the property.
Argote is said to have abused his children, with his eldest daughter testifying in court that he beat her with a belt and silenced her infant son by putting a towel in his mouth.
The body of accused killer Pedro Argote, 49, was found on Thursday. US Marshals Service
She also claimed Argote had installed cameras inside their Frederick home to monitor her as she remained in the bedroom for years.
“The reason I have the courage to testify is so that my siblings don’t have to go through the mental torture I’m going through now,” Argote’s eldest daughter from a previous relationship testified in court.
She said she left home at 18 and cut off all contact with her father because of his treatment.
Argote’s wife, Eugenia, also told Wilkinson how she handled the family’s finances and business ventures, including a food truck and a digital advertising company.
Argote is accused of shooting and killing Wilkinson, who ruled against Argote in divorce proceedings just hours before he was killed.Jim Lokay/X
He also controlled his wife’s private life and limited her access to their shared family vehicle, he told the court.
Eugenia said the abuse worsened last year when she announced plans to leave him.
But the couple reached a “nesting agreement” which required him to live downstairs in the family home while Eugenia and the children would remain upstairs.
To accommodate this, the domestic violence order Eugenia obtained was revoked three weeks after it was issued.
Police also said they responded to Argote’s home twice for reports of verbal domestic assault in the past two years.
Pedro Argote and his ex-wife, Eugenia Argote, with their family in an image released by law enforcement. Washington County Sheriff’s Office
In his ruling, Wilkinson described the allegations as “shocking,” saying: “I think he was abusive in many ways.”
Argote was not present for the hearing, but would show up at Wilkinson’s home hours later to shoot him with a legally purchased firearm, police said.
Hakim was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
His former law partner Jason Divelbiss described the lawyer, who is a husband and father, as an “extraordinary lawyer” and a loving family man.
“His wife and children were always his priority and my thoughts go out to them at this terrible time,” Divelbiss added.
“Drew is also very close to his brother and the office is always filled with laughter when he stops by,” continued the law partner.
“One of Drew’s greatest assets is his ability to bring stability to the most difficult situations which makes him a great lawyer, mediator and ultimately judge.”
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
