A Russian Mission man has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for shooting and killing a man with a rifle in 2024.
Richard Pitka was first charged with second-degree murder for the death of Russian Mission resident Patrick Changsak, who died in his home after being shot in the leg by Pitka. He was 46 years old.
According to charging documents, a former health aide responded to Changsak’s home after reports of gunfire to find Pitka holding Changsak, who was severely wounded and later pronounced dead at the local clinic.
At Pitka’s sentencing hearing in Bethel, the state said that it was convinced that the shooting was a criminal mistake, but not a cold-blooded killing.
In 2025, Pitka, who is 47, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter for Changsak’s death. In February, Judge William Montgomery sentenced Pitka to a total sentence of 20 years in jail with five years suspended, and to 10 years of probation.
