A 33-year-old Arizona woman has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing her cousin with a claw hammer in 2022. Brianna Zerth pleaded guilty to domestic violence manslaughter in April.
Zerth admitted to attacking Peter McKenna Jr. with the hammer during a fight at a home in Peoria on May 4, 2022. She told police the details were blurry and claimed she woke to find him dead, then tried to clean the scene including vacuuming blood before calling authorities. The incident occurred after the pair had been drinking. Zerth later stated that McKenna was strangling her, and an examination showed significant trauma consistent with her account. She was initially released after arrest but faced charges again later. Zerth received the maximum sentence for the charge and was credited with time served. Prosecutors dropped related counts of assault and evidence tampering as part of the plea deal.