SCRANTON -- The Lackawanna County district attorney held a news conference Thursday morning, providing more details on the killing of a woman in Taylor and the arrest of her husband.
The D.A. and police from Taylor said 80-year-old Jill Sanchuk's death has been ruled a homicide and that her husband will soon be charged for her death.
Robert Sanchuk, 62, of Taylor, was arrested and charged with assault Tuesday night hours after he reported his wife's death himself and told a 911 dispatcher that he was angry with his wife and killed her.
Prosecutors waited for autopsy results before charging Sanchuk with homicide. That arraignment is expected to be Thursday inside the Lackawanna County Prison, where Sanchuk is being held without bail.
Police say they got the 911 call around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and found a gruesome scene inside the couple's home on Prince Street in Taylor.
"When they got to the door of the residence, they observed a female lying on the dining room floor, with blood all over her face, chest, and head. There was evidence throughout the room of a violent struggle, including broken furniture, tipped over furniture, broken glass, and blood splatter throughout the room," said Lackawanna County District Attorney Shane Scanlon.
Taylor police say Robert Sanchuk has a history of mental health issues.
The district attorney says he expects Sanchuk's mental capacity to play a role in how the homicide case goes forward. The first step may be to order a mental health evaluation.
The district attorney says this homicide makes a total of 11 defendants in pending homicide cases in Lackawanna County, something he says he hasn't seen in more than a decade.