Rose Petal Murder: Defense Blasts Proposed Gag Order

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With scarcely two weeks to go until the start of his high-profile murder trial in Greenville County, South Carolina, lawyers representing accused killer Zachary David Hughes – the classically trained concert pianist alleged to have perpetrated the disturbingly ritualistic ‘Rose Petal Murder’ more than three years ago – are making moves.

Attorneys Mark Moyer and Andrew Moorman submitted a pair of pre-trial motions earlier this month which would indicate the fireworks in this case have already begun. One of the filings accused prosecutors in the office of S.C. thirteenth circuit solicitor Walt Wilkins – who is personally trying the case – of seeking to bar media coverage of the proceedings. According to the defense, such a move would “decimate Mr. Hughes’ First Amendment rights, defense counsel’s First Amendment rights, the First Amendment rights of the press, and the First Amendment rights of the people of the State of South Carolina.”

Hughes is on trial for the graphic murder of 41-year-old veterinary technician Christina Parcell nearly forty months ago. His trial is scheduled to begin in Greenville, S.C. on January 13, 2025.

To recap: On the morning of October 13, 2021, police say Hughes traveled via bicycle to 122 Canebrake Drive – a home owned by Parcell’s sister located in a peaceful suburb of Greer, S.C. There, he is accused of savagely slaying Parcell, who worked at the nearby Foothills Veterinary Hospital in Greenville, S.C.

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Hughes, 32, allegedly sprinkled rose petals around Parcell after dragging (and posing) her body in the front living room of the 2,100-square foot suburban home. Parcell’s cause of death was recorded by the Greenville county coroner’s office as a homicide due to “multiple sharp force injuries.” Specifically, Parcell “was brutally stabbed to death in her neck and head area,” sustaining “approximately 31 different stab wounds by a sharp object.”

Hughes was arrested on November 3, 2021 by GCSO deputies and charged with murder in Parcell’s death. The arrest shocked the Upstate seeing as he had no known connection to Parcell. Hughes has been held without bond at the Greenville County detention center since his arrest more than three years ago.

At the time of her murder, Parcell was involved in “an extremely contentious custody battle” with 62-year-old John Mello – her ex-boyfriend and the father of her young daughter. Mello and Hughes were “very close friends,” Wilkins has claimed, and the two reportedly used the encrypted smartphone application WhatsApp to communicate with each other. In fact, Mello and Hughes are said to have exchanged at least 1,769 encrypted WhatsApp messages.

In one conversation via WhatsApp on April 17, 2021, Mello indicated he had obtained Christina’s private number and instructed Hughes to use it to “harass the shit out of her.”

Authorities also uncovered numerous conversations between Mello and Zachary Hughes via WhatsApp between October 8 and October 13, 2021 – the day of Christina Parcell’s murder. On October 13, for example, there is a conversation in which Mello asked Hughes, “How did the music research go?”

“Good,” Hughes responded. “I’ll tell you over the phone.”

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In September of 2023, Hughes and Mello were charged with first degree harassment and conspiracy for allegedly disseminating nude photos of Parcell to an undisclosed group of recipients. Those charges are pending.

Hughes was originally scheduled to stand trial for Parcell’s murder on October 28, 2024 but those proceedings were delayed by a discovery battle.

Parcell’s body was discovered shortly after 11:00 a.m. EDT by her boyfriend, Bradly Post. While police were searching her home as part of their murder inquiries, they discovered evidence of child pornography (or “child sex abuse material”) linked to Post and Christina Parcell. As a result, Post is currently facing five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the first degree, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree, one count of third degree criminal sexual content with a minor and one count of buggery.

Post’s devices were seized by investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), but his case is being tried by the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson. According to Hughes’ attorneys, police found “more than 15,000 images and videos of child pornography… on nine electronic storage devices” while searching the home where the murder took place.

Hughes’ attorneys have sought for months to compel prosecutors to produce Post’s phone – which would open the door to a discussion of the child porn allegations – while Wilkins’ office countered with a motion (.pdf) asking the court to exclude any reference to child pornography during the trial.

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RELATED | ROSE PETAL MURDER: TRIAL SLATED FOR JANUARY

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Prosecutors argued Post’s electronic devices have no relevance to the murder charges against Hughes and would “not assist a jury at arriving at the truth of an issue.”

“The present case lacks any nexus of the child pornographic material/testimony to the charges against (Hughes),” Wilkins and assistant solicitor Jake Hofferth wrote in their motion. “To allow the introduction of child pornography evidence, through any method, by (Hughes) would incontrovertibly prejudice the state through the injection of patently inflammatory subject matter to the jury which distorts the issues which they will be charged to determine.”

Hughes’ counsel fired back that a decision on excluding child pornography evidence was “premature and ill-advised.” In fact, Moyer and Moorman noted that after years of being denied access to Post’s devices, a recent forensic review “has caused defense counsel to conclude that the contents of these devices are even more material to the preparation of Mr. Hughes’ defense than they initially believed.”

Referencing the forensic review, defense attorneys pointed to specific evidence which showed their claims were “well-grounded, supported in fact, and simply the truth.”

According to Hughes’ attorneys, the child porn evidence they reviewed documented the victim’s involvement in the production, direction and distribution of the obscene materials – which would clearly make her a less-than-sympathetic victim. And could give someone other than Hughes motive to murder her.

“The video begins with a minor child on a bed in the nude,” the motion (.pdf) noted. “(Christina) Parcell emerges from behind the camera, nude, and climbs on the bed with the minor. Both then engage in sexually explicit and coordinated poses.”

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“This video appeared on a device not capable of capturing the image and in the custody of another person,” the attorneys continued.

A second motion filed by the defense blasted the state’s motion for a gag order – a motion, ironically, which was filed under seal.

“In an astonishingly unprecedented, improper, and clandestine manner, the state asks this court not only to prohibit defense counsel’s communications to third parties about this case, but the state also asks this court to dictate to defense counsel what they can and cannot say both in written pleadings and in open court,” the second motion (.pdf) noted.

Referencing the alleged child porn conspiracy between Post and Parcell, Hughes’ attorneys claim the state is seeking to prevent them from talking about it “at all, either in written pleadings or orally in hearings before the court.” According to the defense, such a preemptive muzzling would violate Hughes’ right to free speech as well as their right as lawyers “to zealously advocate for their clients.”

Furthermore, the motion argued it would drastically impact the right of the public and press “to access open proceedings that occur in the courtroom.”

Stay tuned to FITSNews for updates as this highly-anticipated trial approaches. For more on the Rose Petal Murder, be sure to check out the first six episodes of our crime and corruption podcast FITSFiles (Apple, Spotify, Google) and check out this landing page.

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THE MOTIONS…

(S.C. Thirteenth Circuit)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

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