- Crazed Trent Ferree ploughed into woman and her daughter in Phoenix, Arizona
- The killer has admitted he drove around the town ‘looking for victim to run over’
- The victims were the wife and daughter of a devastated deputy sergeant
Trent Ferree has admitted killing a deputy sheriff’s wife
A truck driver killed a deputy sheriff’s wife and injured her 11-year-old daughter by deliberately running them over because ‘voices in his head told him to do it.’
Court documents show Trent Ferree told homicide detectives that he drove around Phoenix, Arizona ‘looking for a victim to run over’.
They say he ‘claimed it was the combination of drinking alcohol and hearing vibrations and voices that made him want to murder someone.’
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said the victims were the wife and daughter of a veteran deputy sergeant.
Phoenix police identified the woman killed as Amy Chervenak, 47, but didn’t immediately release the girl’s name.
The victims didn’t know Ferree, who lives in Mesa.
Witnesses said the woman and her daughter were walking back to their home after going to their mailbox when they were struck from behind by a pickup truck.
Ferree is accused of driving into the woman at least three more times before several neighbors pulled him from the vehicle and held him until police arrived.
Investigators learned that a 53-year-old man and 48-year-old woman also walking in the neighborhood earlier had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the pickup.
Chervenak was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Sheriff’s officials said a support crew was comforting Sgt. Steve Chervenak, who has been with the department since 2007.
Police said Ferree was booked into jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.
Bond was set at $1million at Ferree’s initial court appearance Thursday evening. He doesn’t have a lawyer yet and is facing a December 11 preliminary hearing.