A CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN THE DRIVEWAY – OUTSIDE HIS HAGERSTOWN HOME.
Police have pointed to the judge’s decision as a motive for the shooting, which sent a shock wave through Maryland’s legal community.HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Pedro Argote was conspicuously absent last Thursday when a Maryland judge granted his wife a divorce and sole custody of their four children, citing “shocking” testimony about the abuse that Argote allegedly inflicted upon them for years.
His adult daughter from a previous relationship said she spent most of her teenage years confined to her bedroom. She said Argote had cameras installed throughout the house and was “watching my every move.” During emotional testimony, she said he would beat her with a belt and other objects — “whatever he had close by.”
Argote’s wife described in detail how he rendered her powerless and mistreated their children. She wept while recounting how he would stuff a towel into their crying baby’s mouth. The conditions only worsened after he found out she planned to leave him last year, she said. In a March 2023 written opinion, Wilkinson said he had “the uneasy sense that Father engages in absolute control over Mother, their finances, and their lives.” The judge again referenced that statement Thursday, saying his prior assessment became “crystal clear” during recent testimony.
The recent divorce hearing lasted two days. During the first half, which took place Sept. 26, Argote represented himself. He testified about the couple’s finances and repeatedly questioned whether his children were receiving adequate homeschooling instruction from their mother, claiming she was too lenient with them. During his testimony, Argote at times expressed frustration, but his voice remained calm and he often addressed the judge respectfully as “your honor.
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Maryland judge heard 'shocking' evidence in divorce case hours before his killing, tapes showThe Maryland judge who was shot to death in his driveway last Thursday heard testimony from the wife and daughter of his suspected killer during a divorce hearing hours earlier. Judge Andrew Wilkinson called the testimony “shocking” before ruling against Pedro Argote, whose wife was granted a divorce and full custody of their four children.
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Maryland judge heard 'shocking' evidence in divorce case hours before his killing, tapes showThe Maryland judge who was shot to death in his driveway last Thursday heard testimony from the wife and daughter of his suspected killer during a divorce hearing hours earlier
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Maryland judge heard 'shocking' evidence in divorce case hours before his killing, tapes showThe Maryland judge who was shot to death in his driveway last Thursday heard testimony from the wife and daughter of his suspected killer during a divorce hearing hours earlier.
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Maryland judge heard 'shocking' evidence in divorce case hours before his killing, tapes showThe Maryland judge who was shot to death in his driveway last Thursday heard testimony from the wife and daughter of his suspected killer during a divorce hearing hours earlier.
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Maryland judge heard 'shocking' evidence in divorce case hours before his killing, tapes showThe Maryland judge who was shot to death in his driveway last Thursday heard testimony from the wife and daughter of his suspected killer during a divorce hearing hours earlier.
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