Marchalk wants homicide trial rescheduled

Michael D. Marchalk, accused of beating his father to death with a baseball bat last Father’s Day, wants his trial rescheduled from June 11.

Marchalk on Friday told Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin he needed the continuance because he wants a psychiatric evaluation. The earliest the psychiatrist will be available is June 21.

Baldwin said he needs to wait to see when the evaluation would be done before he sets a new trial date.

He also cautioned Marchalk, who is representing himself, that delaying the trial would not result in Marchalk getting out of jail under the state’s “rule 600” law.

Under that law, a trial must be held within 365 days after a written complaint is filed against the defendant.

Marchalk, 38, was charged on June 27, 2017.

Marchalk has admitted to beating to death prominent defense lawyer Gary D. Marchalk of Barnesville on Father’s Day 2017.

Marchalk’s standby counsel, public defender Kent D. Watkins, sat by his side Friday, but was not asked to speak.

Deputy Attorney General Rebecca A. Elo is prosecuting the case.

Marchalk is charged with criminal homicide, murder of the first degree, murder of the second degree, murder of the third degree, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, robbery, theft, theft of a motor vehicle, access device fraud and recklessly endangering another person.

State troopers testified at an earlier hearing that Marchalk told police he used an aluminum baseball bat to beat his father to death.

Marchalk was staying with his father at the family home, with plans to enroll in a drug rehab program the morning of June 19, 2017.

But after an argument in which his father refused to give him money for heroin so he “wouldn’t get sick at rehab,” according to court documents and testimony, Marchalk beat his 60-year-old father with the bat.

He then took his father’s wallet and fled in his car, traveling to Philadelphia, where he caught a bus to Atlantic City.

He was caught by police there on June 23.

Michael Marchalk’s brother Matthew discovered their father’s body the morning of June 19.