A Peoria woman has been arrested again in the murder of her cousin over a year ago.
Brianna Zerth
The Peoria police department report that 30-year-old was arrested on a warrant last week in the murder of her cousin, 33-year-old Peter McKenna Jr.
Zerth was originally arrested on Wednesday, May 5, 2022 when just after noon police responded to a medical call at a home near the corner of 111th and Olive avenues. Responding officers found McKenna dead inside. At the time an officer noticed several injuries to McKenna’s back. The wounds were determined to be puncture wounds from a claw hammer. Officers found blood covering several walls in the home, and a hammer was located near McKenna’s body.
Per the court documents, Zerth told investigators that her cousin, McKenna, had been staying at the home for approximately three weeks after Zerth’s mother’s death and the two had been drinking alcohol the night before. Zerth told authorities that she and her cousin began fighting, which led throughout the house. She said details about what happened that evening were “blurry.” She said when she woke up the next morning, she found McKenna face down on the floor, covered in blood. Zerth reportedly covered McKenna’s body with a jacket, cleaned up the area by picking up pieces of glass so her 6-year-old daughter would not step on it. She then called the police.
Peter McKenna Jr.
Zerth was taken into custody and booked that day for charges including second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and aggravated assault but was released from jail after a short time when the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office sent the case back to the Peoria police department seeking additional information.
Zerth’s legal troubles did not stop there. In June 2022, police arrested Zerth for aggravated assault after allegedly trying to run her boyfriend over with a car while under the influence. A judge granted her supervised release. In October 2022, Zerth was arrested for a third time, this time on criminal damage and disorderly conduct charges. Those two cases are still pending.
Last Friday, just before 4 p.m., detectives arrested Zerth at her new home, just two doors down from the home where McKenna was killed. Zerth was booked into jail for second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence.