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WYOMING &mdash; State police have charged Richard John Walski in the fatal shooting of his wife whose body was found inside the couple&rsquo;s Larksville residence two weeks after investigators believed she was killed.
				Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis during a news conference at the Wyoming barracks Tuesday said investigators don&rsquo;t know if Richard Walski is alive and fled the area or took his own life.
				The body of Patricia Walski, 38, was found by Larksville police conducting a welfare check at 195 Schrader St. on Aug. 13. Her body was found in a garbage bag covered with laundry in a first floor bathroom, court records say.
				An autopsy showed she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
				Investigators located Richard Walski&rsquo;s Chevrolet Colorado under the Nanticoke-West Nanticoke Bridge where he frequently fished the Susquehanna River. Keys were inside the truck, Salavantis said.
				The couple&rsquo;s 2-year-old chocolate Lab, Yukon, was found in the Honey Pot section of Nanticoke on Aug. 25.
				&ldquo;An extensive multi-jurisdiction investigation examining the finances, lifestyle and physical evidence to find out who was responsible for Patricia&rsquo;s death and it all points to the same person, Richard Walski,&rdquo; Salavantis said.
				Investigators say there have been no bank transactions of Richard Walski&rsquo;s accounts since early August. His cell phone was last processed through a cellular tower in Columbia County on Aug. 8.
				Salavantis said the Chevrolet was under the bridge since Aug. 11 and recovered two days later, Aug. 13, when investigators noticed a smoldering campfire nearby.
				&ldquo;The investigation has shown Richard Walski was alive and well and moving about between Luzerne County, Tunkhannock in Wyoming County, Berwick in Columbia County and Binghamton, N.Y., and Henderson Harbor in New York,&rdquo; Salavantis said. &ldquo;The investigation has also shown Walski had liquidated items of personal property prior to the homicide. The items included a vehicle, firearms, his fishing boat and the engagement ring of Patricia Walski which he sold on July 30, 2020.&rdquo;
				Court records say Richard Walski sold the engagement ring for $1,400.
				In the days after Patricia Walski&rsquo;s death, investigators say Richard Walski responded to friends&rsquo; text messages about fishing, telling one person July 31 he got his boat back and planned to spend a few days with Patricia at a campground. A friend sent a text to Richard Walski on Aug. 2 asking if he was okay at which, Richard Walski responded, &ldquo;Yes, we&rsquo;re OK. Be home tomorrow,&rdquo; court records say.
				Richard Walski allegedly misled friends saying he was visiting an aunt and was patronizing a casino.
				Investigators learned Patricia Walski confided to a friend about a year ago that Richard Walski was viewing pornographic and dating websites.
				An examination of Richard Walski&rsquo;s iPad showed the device was wiped clean and reset to factory settings. His email revealed he visited dating sites, court records say.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;re still searching locally and we will provide this information to areas in New York to keep an eye out,&rdquo; Salavantis said.
				A passport owned by Richard Walski has not been used in a year, investigators say. 
				Investigators returned to the Nanticoke-West Nanticoke Bridge Tuesday morning using sonar on the river and to search the wooded area.
				Asked if investigators believe Richard Walski took his own life, Salavantis said they don&rsquo;t know.
				&ldquo;If it is he may have taken his life and we&rsquo;ll be able to locate him or if he&rsquo;s roaming around and someone is assisting him, to please come forward so we could hold him accountable,&rdquo; Salavantis said. &ldquo;He could be in the woods somewhere, we don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;
				Salavantis said Richard Walski is an outdoorsman who has the skill to survive in the woods.
				&ldquo;State police are seeking the whereabouts of Richard Walski who is now wanted for the murder of Patricia, his wife of 11 years. Walski should be considered armed and dangerous.
				&ldquo;To date, Richard Walski has not been located. Anyone who has any information or who have been in contact with Richard Walski since Aug. 13 should contact Pennsylvania State Police, Troop P, Wyoming at 570-697-2000,&rdquo; Salavantis said.
				A reward is being offered by Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers, she said.

State police charge Richard Walski with wife’s death in Larksville