Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe looked out at the crowd of about 650 people, including more than 100 judges and Gov. Wes Moore, and solemnly told them that none of them had expected — or wanted — to be in the pews of St. Ann Roman Catholic Church in Hagerstown, Md., on Friday.
The group had gathered to mourn Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, who had been fatally shot in the driveway of his home eight days earlier, allegedly by a man against whom he had ruled in a hearing hours earlier.
The crime left Wilkinson’s family reeling, sparked a major manhunt that ended Thursday, and drew national attention to this community about 75 miles northwest of Washington. It also refocused attention on the safety of jurists amid high-profile attacks in recent years.
But Friday was a day to remember the judge.
Advertisement
“It is … so important we mourn here together today,” Jarboe told those gathered. “Together in love. Together in care. Together in mutual support. Not carry this heartache alone, but united and strengthened by a power far greater than our own.”
Wilkinson’s funeral was closed to the media, but the Archdiocese of Baltimore provided an audio recording of part of Jarboe’s homily.
Mourners arriving for the funeral were greeted near the door of the red brick church by a large photo of Wilkinson propped up on an easel. Some attendees lingered near the image, and one woman touched it before going inside. Church bells tolled as the service began at 10 a.m.
Afterward, Jarboe and other clerics filed out of the church, followed by a group of about a half-dozen men in dark suits, who slowly carried Wilkinson’s casket to a hearse. Wilkinson’s coffin was draped with the Maryland flag. People gathered in front of the church, hugging one another and rubbing backs.
Advertisement
Jarboe said in an interview that Wilkinson was a gentle and unassuming person who cared about the people he served.
“He was a really good man,” the monsignor said. “He was a man of faith. He loved his family tremendously. And he had a tremendous love for the civic community — the larger community.”
Jarboe said the service provided a space for those who loved Wilkinson to reconcile his abrupt loss.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office alleges that Wilkinson was shot by 49-year-old Pedro Argote, hours after Wilkinson awarded custody of the man’s children to his estranged wife as the judge finalized the couple’s divorce. Washington County Sheriff Brian K. Albert called it a “targeted attack.”
A former attorney for Argote said his client was deeply concerned about the prospect of losing custody of his children, ages 12, 11, 5 and 3, during the course of a contentious divorce that lasted about a year.
Advertisement
Argote was found dead Thursday by searchers about 10 miles from the scene of the shooting in a heavily wooded area of Washington County. His Mercedes was discovered over the weekend about a mile from where his body was later found.
Albert said at a news conference Thursday that he was awaiting the results of an autopsy before commenting on when or how Argote died. The Maryland Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday that the autopsy was still not complete.
The body’s discovery followed a tense week of searching. Authorities considered Argote armed and dangerous and offered a $10,000 reward for his capture in a wide-ranging manhunt. Argote had ties to many states, including Florida and Indiana.
Law enforcement increased security for Washington County judges and other jurists throughout Maryland after the slaying.
Advertisement
Albert said law enforcement teams had previously searched the area where Argote’s body was eventually found. They returned Thursday as part of a routine reexamination of the scene and found the body around 11 a.m. Albert declined to say whether the gun used to shoot Wilkinson was also found.
“It’s a relief, but it’s still a tragedy that we’re dealing with,” he said. “We met with the family. They were very appreciative. It brings a little bit of closure to them. They lost a husband, a father and a brother. It’s kind of a somber moment.”
Moore (D) said in an earlier statement that he was “shocked, heartbroken and sickened” by the killing.
During a hearing on Oct. 19 in Washington County Circuit Court, Wilkinson found there had been “cruelty of treatment” in the relationship between Argote and his former wife, Eugenia. Eugenia accused her husband of stealing her money and once sought a restraining order against him, writing that he carried a gun “at all times.” She later dropped the effort.
Advertisement
After hearing testimony in the case in March, Wilkinson said he was greatly troubled by the relationship between the two.
The judge wrote in an opinion that the testimony “leaves this court with the uneasy sense that Father engages in absolute control over Mother, their finances and their lives.”
Around 8 p.m. on Oct. 19, law enforcement arrived at Wilkinson’s home after a report of a shooting, Albert said. Wilkinson was found in his driveway with gunshot wounds and was rushed to the hospital, where he died. Albert said Wilkinson’s wife and son were home at the time of the shooting.
Wilkinson, 52, was born in Guam. He got his law degree from Emory University in the late 1990s. He was appointed to the bench by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and had served since 2020. He also sat on the board of the local YMCA for six years.
Advertisement
Stephanie Wilkinson, the judge’s wife, released a statement earlier this week calling her husband’s death “an unexpected loss” and noting that she was touched by the outpouring of support.
Moore said in a statement Friday that attacks on the judiciary threaten the rule of law and that he was deeply saddened by the loss of Wilkinson.
“Standing alongside those who knew and loved him, it’s clear that he made an indelible impact on his community,” Moore said. “My heart is with his wife and children — and all those who loved him dearly.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLGkecydZK%2BZX2d9c3%2BOamdoamdkt7awxp5krKCfqXqnwc2eqZqkXay2rbfIp6qopl8%3D