The man who fatally stabbed his girlfriend, 41-year-old bartender Sarah McNally, in Maspeth’s Ceili House before turning the knife on himself was arraigned today on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to a press release from District Attorney Melinda Katz.
36-year-old Marcin Pieciak was McNally’s boyfriend. The two lived together in Glendale for a year, according to cops. McNally was a former civil worker and bartender in her native Ireland. She had lived in the United States for about 10 years, according to the Daily News.
Police responded to a 911 call at the Irish pub on Grand Ave. near 69th Lane around 6:35 p.m., discovering McNally with a stab wound to her neck, and the 36-year-old man with self-inflicted stab wounds to his back and neck, according to officers.
Both were transported to Elmhurst Hospital Center in critical condition, where McNally later succumbed to her injuries, police confirmed.
“This was an attack that shocked the community,” Katz said. “It was unprovoked and a devastating loss for the family. We are using every resource to make sure there is accountability.”
Piecack faces charges of 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 him to return to court on April 5. Piecack could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
The news of McNally’s death reverberated beyond the local community, prompting condolences from a parliament member serving her hometown of Longford, Ireland, who described her as a “wonderful young woman.”
According to crime data analysis by Gothamist, domestic and interpartner violence in New York City is on the rise in recent years, claiming 71 lives in 2022. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233 and offers interpretation for over 200 languages.
