DICKSON CITY, PA — A Lackawanna County jury returned a guilty verdict Thursday convicting a former Lowe's employee of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of his co-worker inside the Dickson City home-improvement store last year.
District Attorney Brian Gallagher confirmed that jurors found 36-year-old Christopher Wasnetsky guilty on the most serious charge following trial proceedings before Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle. Wasnetsky had faced counts of both first- and third-degree murder in connection with the June 2025 death of 44-year-old Jeffrey Moeller Jr.
During the trial, both prosecutors and defense counsel agreed that Wasnetsky shot Moeller in the head early in the morning on June 14, 2025, while Moeller was working inside the Lowe's facility on Viewmont Drive in Dickson City.
Prosecutors argued that Wasnetsky planned and premeditated the killing, bringing a handgun to the store during an overnight shift and opening fire while Moeller was operating a forklift. Defense attorneys argued that ongoing workplace disputes and alleged harassment drove Wasnetsky to act, but jurors rejected lesser charges in favor of a first-degree murder conviction.
First-degree murder in Pennsylvania carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. A formal sentencing date will be scheduled by the court.
