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Attorney, husband of county treasurer, found dead at home
By Frank Andruscavage, Amy Marchiano and Mark Gilger Jr. / Published: June 20, 2017
A state police forensics services van enters the Marchalk property in Ryan Township Monday afternoon. (Frank Andruscavage/Staff Writer)
State police Trooper John Carr stands on Pear Street speaking with another trooper Monday afternoon. (Frank Andruscavage/Staff Writer)
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BARNESVILLE — A well-known attorney and husband of the Schuylkill County treasurer was found dead at his Ryan Twp. home Monday morning.
The body of Gary Marchalk, 60, was discovered about 11:40 a.m. inside 21 Pear St., a large beige and white home at the end of a long driveway.
Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner David Truskowsky, Mahanoy City, pronounced him dead at the scene at 12:04 p.m. Truskowsky said a forensic autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.
Although state police did not initially identify Marchalk as the victim, Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David J. Moylan III confirmed his identity early Monday afternoon.
Moylan said a virtual autopsy will be conducted possibly today at the Simon Kramer Cancer Institute, New Philadelphia. A forensic autopsy will be done at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Lehigh Valley Forensic Pathology Associates, Allentown.
State police at Frackville conducted the investigation at the Marchalk home, assisted by the state police Troop L Major Crime Unit as well as the Forensic Services Unit, both based at Troop L headquarters in Reading.
Criminal investigator Trooper Joseph Hall of the Frackville barracks issued a brief media release calling the incident a "death investigation."
Hall did not provide information about how Marchalk died or if there is a danger to the community.
"This is still an active ongoing investigation and further details will be released at a later time," Hall wrote.
Ryan Township EMS responded to the house after receiving a report of a cardiac arrest and subsequently turned the scene over to police investigators.
Marchalk, a graduate of Tamaqua Area High School, was the husband of Schuylkill County Treasurer Linda Marchalk and had a law office in Tamaqua.
He practiced criminal defense law and over his career participated in several high-profile cases.
He received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law and his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the New York Institute of Technology.
Before opening his firm, Gary Marchalk held positions as a legal administrator, corporate accounting manager and consumer and commercial loan officer, among others.
He represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service, state Department of Revenue and state Department of Labor and Industry and was also a Pennsylvania licensed title insurance agent.
In 2011, he was one of five lawyers who ran for Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas judge, after the retirement of D. Michael Stine. Former Schuylkill County District Attorney James P. Goodman won that election.
Attorney Paul Datte learned about Marchalk's death Monday afternoon.
"I'm shocked," he said.
Like others, he did not know the circumstances of his death. He said Marchalk worked for the firm Cerullo, Datte & Burke PC as a firm administrator for several years before he graduated from law school. Datte didn't want to make any comments about Marchalk.
Linda Marchalk was elected county treasurer in 2015 when she was co-owner with her husband of title insurance company Northeast Pennsylvania Abstract LLC. On Oct. 1, 2016, their company merged with Edge Abstract Independence to become Northeast Edge Associates LLC, of which the Marchalks are principals with David Wierzbicki.
Diana Bashinsky, first deputy treasurer, said Linda Marchalk was not in the office Monday and declined further comment.
Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine A. Holman knew the deceased.
"It was something totally unexpected," she said.
The last time she saw Gary and Linda was on Memorial Day when she took them some chicken. She spoke with Linda on Monday. Holman did not speak about the conversation because it was private.
"They are personal friends of mine. Gary was an ADA (assistant district attorney) and did a fine job for the county and certainly will be missed," Holman said.
She did not provide any information on the investigation. Holman heard talk in the courthouse about Marchalk and asked someone on her staff to find out details. Because of her friendship with the couple, Holman said she will be "making a referral to the Attorney General's office" for prosecution but is waiting to learn more from those investigating the death.
Contact the writers: fandruscavage@republicanherald.com, 570-628-6013; amarchiano@republicanherald.com, 570-628-6028; mgilgerjr@republicanherald.com, 570-628-6023
21 North Wyoming Street Hazleton, PA 18201
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