A Latrobe man, while on the run for more than a day after a deadly shooting and robbery two years ago, repeatedly confessed to friends that he fired the fatal shots, witnesses testified Wednesday during the second day of Zachary McGrath’s murder trial.

A series of friends testified that McGrath recounted how and why he shot and killed Daniel McNerny, 20, outside a St. Clair Street home in Latrobe on Jan. 20, 2016.

Robert Stewart of Ligonier told jurors that he picked up McGrath blocks from the murder scene and, while he drove McGrath around town that night, McGrath confessed to his role in a plot to rob two Pittsburgh-area drug dealers.

“I asked him what happened, and he said he and Austin Krinock were trying to rob a guy when a friend of his, Dan, came out and intervened,” Stewart testified. “While wrestling with Dan, he fired his gun at him, twice. He said he wasn’t sure if he hit him, then he took off running.”

Westmoreland County prosecutors contend McGrath, along with Austin Krinock, 20, of Johnstown and Colin Gearhart, 20, of Latrobe planned the robbery. Krinock was convicted last year of second-degree murder and sentenced to serve 34 years to life in prison. Gearhart is charged with second-degree murder. His trial is scheduled to start in March.

McGrath is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery and other offenses.

The prosecution contends McGrath, 23, wore dark clothes and a cover over his face during the robbery, in which $12,000 was taken from his targets. McNerny was not part of the robbery plot or its target, police said.

Witnesses said McGrath fled after the shooting. Stewart testified McGrath called him and asked for a ride. As they drove around the Latrobe area, stopping to buy beer and smoke marijuana, Stewart said McGrath told him about his involvement in the shooting and turned over to him the murder weapon.

Stewart testified he hid the gun in an outside wood burner near his home then disposed of the weapon the next day in a drained lakebed in Unity.

Police found the gun a month later.

Stewart was charged with hindering apprehension and other crimes associated with McGrath’s flight. His case is pending.

McGrath confessed to his role in the shooting to at least three other people, according to prosecutors, including his then girlfriend, who he and Stewart picked up about a block from the Latrobe police station, where she had been taken for questioning after the robbery.

Destiny Parry, 21, of Scottdale testified she was asleep upstairs in the home during the fatal robbery.

“(McGrath) told me he was involved in the shooting, that he was the one who shot Dan,” Parry testified.

Parry said she and McGrath slept at another friend’s home in Latrobe that night and that he fled the next day after she learned police were en route to question her again about the incident.

Randy Nevin of Latrobe told jurors that he and two others spent that next day with McGrath, when he again detailed his role in the shooting.

The group had dinner together that night at Buffalo Wild Wings in Hempfield, after which McGrath told them he intended to turn himself in to police the next day, Nevin testified.

The prosecution is expected to conclude its case Thursday.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)