HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Hundreds of mourners gathered at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church in Hagerstown Friday morning to honor the life of slain Judge Andrew Wilkinson.
The 52-year-old circuit court judge was gunned down in his driveway on Oct. 19, the same day he had ruled against 49-year-old Pedro Argote -- Wilkinson's suspected killer -- in a custody hearing. A manhunt for Argote that garnered national attention ended Thursday when the Washington County Sheriff's Office said his body was found in a heavily wooded area in Williamsport, Maryland, about a mile northwest of where Argote's abandoned car had previously been found.
Funeral attendees expressed a sense of relief that the weeklong manhunt had concluded.
“I think the community as a whole has a big sigh of relief, that the family is not going to have to be going through this anymore," said Henry Tim Foltz, who coached youth soccer with Wilkinson. "There’s a definite end to it and a closure to it."
The mourners included Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and nearly all of the state's top judges.
"My heart is with [Wilkinson's] wife and children, and all those who loved him dearly," Moore wrote in a statement. "Standing alongside those who knew and loved him, it’s clear that he made an indelible impact on his community."
Moore added that his administration would continue to work to protect the safety of judges and all public officials, as "attacks against our judiciary threaten our democracy and the rule of law."
Neil Parrot, a former public servant himself, echoed the governor's sentiments on needing to amplify security for those serving in public office and said he'd never really seen anything like Wilkinson's funeral.
"This is a tragedy for our whole community," the former state delegate said. "The governor was here, all the judges from across the state of Maryland -- I've never seen that before. We're here to honor really the legacy of Drew Wilkinson ... There's no excuse for what happened and I hope it never happens again.”
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