Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Marcin Pieciak was arraigned today on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the fatal stabbing of Sarah McNally, his 41-year-old girlfriend. The woman was working as a bartender at a Maspeth tavern when Pieciak allegedly stabbed her then slit his own throat.

District Attorney Katz said: “This as an attack that shocked the community. It was unprovoked and a devastating loss for the family. We are using every resource to make sure there is accountability.”

Pieciak, 36, of 76^th Street in Glendale, was charged with murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Queens Criminal Court Judge Julieta Lozano ordered the defendant to return to court on April 5.

He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

According to the charges:

• On March 30, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Pieciak arrived at the Ceili House Bar at 69-56 Grand Avenue in Maspeth where his girlfriend, 41-year-old Sarah McNally, was working as a bartender. Pieciak then stabbed McNally multiple times.
• Pieciak cut his own throat several times and tried to leave the bar. A bar patron made efforts to detain Pieciak until police arrived.
• Police recovered two knives from the ground after observing Pieciak drop them as he left the bar.
• McNally was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead due to her injuries.

The investigation was conducted Detective Todd Friedrich of the 104^th Queens Detective Squad.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicole Aloise of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorneys Jaggnoor Lali and Veronika Podoprigora, under the supervision of John Kosinski, Bureau Chief and Karen Ross, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.