Slain Maryland judge remembered as dedicated and even-keeled

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and LEA SKENE
Associated Press

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Loved ones are grieving the loss of a Maryland judge who was gunned down outside his home last week. They remembered Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson as dedicated, fair and even-keeled on the bench. Police believe 49-year-old Pedro Argote shot and killed Wilkinson hours after the judge granted Argote’s wife a divorce and sole custody of their four children. Argote was found dead Thursday in a heavily wooded area not far from where the shooting unfolded, ending a weeklong search. Judge Brett Wilson says his colleague’s killing has stunned the community Wilkinson served for years as a private lawyer and county attorney before becoming a judge.