Maryland Judge Murdered After Delivering Divorce and Custody Ruling, Suspect at Large

Suspect Pedro Argote, declared unfit for custody due to extensive abuse allegations, is believed to have shot Judge Andrew Wilkinson following a divorce ruling; law enforcement search spans multiple states.

Judge Andrew Wilkinson granted a divorce and sole custody of their four children to Pedro Argote's wife just hours before he was shot dead; the decision was based on 'shocking' testimonies of abuse inflicted by Argote.
Argote's oldest daughter testified she spent her teenage years confined to her room with cameras installed throughout the house and was regularly subjected to physical abuse
Argote’s controlling behavior and violence escalated after his wife announced her plans to leave, leading to a messy legal battle with him initially filing for divorce and his wife requesting a protective order.
During the divorce hearing, Argote failed to show up but expressed concern over the children’s homeschooling and berated the mother for her leniency, while maintaining an appearance of calm and respectfulness.
Subsequent to Wilkinson's ruling, Argote murdered him in his driveway and has been on the run since, leading to a multi-state law enforcement search. Argote's wife and children are currently under protection.