Woman who killed cousin with claw hammer tried to vacuum up the blood before calling for help, police say

An Arizona pistillate who beat her relative to decease with a claw hammer and past seemingly tried to vacuum up the humor has been sentenced to decades down bars.

Brianna Zerth, 33, admitted to attacking Peter McKenna Jr., 33, with a hammer connected May 4, 2022. She pleaded blameworthy successful April to 1 number of home unit manslaughter, and she was sentenced Friday to 21 years successful prison, according to tribunal records.

As Law&Crime previously reported, officers with the Peoria Police Department responded to an exigency telephone conscionable aft noon connected May 5, 2022, astir a dormant antheral astatine a location successful the country of 112th Avenue and West Diana Avenue. First responders recovered McKenna — who appeared to person suffered aggregate blunt-force trauma injuries — and declared him dead.

A preliminary probe revealed that Zerth was related to the victim, who lived successful the location wherever helium was found. Zerth reportedly told constabulary that she and McKenna had been up precocious the erstwhile nighttime drinking intoxicant erstwhile they began to fight. She reportedly said the specifics were "blurry," claiming she woke up to find McKenna dormant connected the level successful a excavation of blood.

According to a study by local quality corporate AZ Family, Zerth told constabulary she covered her relative with a overgarment and tried to cleanable up the country — including by trying to vacuum up the blood. She besides seemingly tried to prime up the breached solid due to the fact that she was acrophobic of her girl stepping connected it.

She reportedly called the constabulary aft that, telling them that McKenna was "stiff and acold to the touch."

Tucson CBS affiliate KOLD reported that Zerth aboriginal claimed McKenna was strangling her during the combat and caused "significant trauma," which an introspection corroborated.

According to the determination outlet, Zerth was initially charged pursuing her apprehension but aboriginal released erstwhile prosecutors declined to formally complaint her owed to a deficiency of evidence.

More from Law&Crime: 'He knew it was over': Man cracked ex-girlfriend's skull unfastened with claw hammer aft she 'blocked him'

As portion of Zerth's plea, prosecutors dropped charges of battle with a deadly limb and grounds tampering. She was primitively indicted connected 1 number each of second-degree intentional murder, aggravated battle with a deadly limb oregon unsafe instrument, and tampering, destroying, oregon altering carnal evidence.

According to tribunal records, 21 years is the maximum condemnation allowed for home unit manslaughter; Zerth was credited with 1,056 days down bars, oregon conscionable nether 3 years.

Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.