|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Prosecutors in the ‘Rose Petal Murder’ trial of accused killer Zachary David Hughes rested their case on Friday afternoon (February 14, 2024) – Valentine’s Day. Fittingly, S.C. thirteenth circuit solicitor Walt Wilkins made the announcement on a holiday inexorably linked with roses.
Wilkins rested the state’s case just moments after introducing damning DNA evidence which definitively placed Hughes – a concert pianist with no prior known connection to the victim – at the scene of this graphic, ritualistic murder.
In discussing an “intimate sample” of DNA tested in his lab, Greenville County forensic scientist Tim Nafziger told jurors a sample of cells taken from underneath the fingernails of the victim – 41-year-old veterinary tech Christina Parcell – was “825 million times more likely” to contain DNA from Hughes than some other random individual.
“Did you just tell this jury that Zack Hughes’ DNA is 825 million times more likely than a coincidental match to an unrelated individual to be found under Christina Hughes’ fingernail?” Wilkins asked.
Nafziger responded in the affirmative, telling Wilkins “the lowest probability we’ll report is a match of 1,000.”
“And this one was 825 million?” Wilkins asked.
“Yes,” Nafziger confirmed.
***
Our @TheWillFolks reports on the state of South Carolina resting its murder case against accused #RosePetalMurder suspect Zach Hughes. Defense begins its case on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/qagIVtQxHs
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) February 14, 2025
***
The introduction of this potentially decisive DNA evidence followed compelling testimony from forensic pathologist Claire Rose, who detailed the savagery inflicted upon the victim during this attack.
“I found that there were thirty-five sharp force injuries to Ms. Parcell,” Rose testified, citing her autopsy of the deceased.
She then proceeded to detail the exact location and nature of each wound – as well as the catastrophic damage done to Parcell’s body by these injuries.
According to Rose, Parcell sustained eight stab wounds to her body – including one to her left breast which actually punctured her lung. She also sustained a stab wound to her “mid-back” area which penetrated her chest cavity. Most of the stab wounds – 27 in total – were to the head and neck area, however.
Among those wounds were six separate stab wounds to the right side of Parcell’s neck – wounds which perforated both her right carotid artery and her right jugular vein, per Rose. Those are the two primary vessels which carry blood to and from the head.
Those wounds caused “significant bleeding,” Rose noted.
***
Dr. Rose presented her documentation of Parcell's wounds during the last day of the state's case against Hughes.
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) February 15, 2025
Parcell received 35 sharp-force wounds, as well as a number of other injuries. pic.twitter.com/y3qiiL2ref
***
Rose wrapped her calm, dispassionate testimony by determining Parcell succumbed to “multiple sharp force injuries” – and that the manner of her death was a homicide.
During Rose’s testimony describing each of the stab wounds and the damage they did, Lutina Parcell – the sister of the victim – stared intently at Hughes across the packed courtroom.
After the state rested its case and the jurors were excused, Hughes’ attorneys moved for a mistrial – reiterating several previous objections which asserted that prosecutors had failed to properly document the chain of custody for the DNA evidence in this case.
“There are multiple people handling evidence whose identities have not been established,” attorney Andrew Moorman noted.
Moorman cited testimony from Greenville County serologist Hannah Burbage, who told jurors that more than one law enforcement officer had provided her with evidence related to the case – evidence which she then prepared for DNA analysis.
***
“Not only do you have one missing link, but based on the testimony of Ms. Burbage you have multiple people who handled this evidence,” Moorman said.
S.C. circuit court judge Patrick C. Fant III denied the mistrial motion – and subsequently denied a request from Hughes’ attorneys seeking a directed verdict in his favor because, according to them, “the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt” that Hughes committed the murder.
“Your honor, you’ve heard the evidence – we think the evidence speaks for itself,” Wilkins responded.
Fant indicated the trial would resume next Tuesday (February 18, 2025) at 10:00 a.m. EST at the Greenville County courthouse in downtown Greenville, S.C. As he dismissed jurors, the judge gave them explicit instructions related to the oaths they took – admonishing from discussing the case with anyone and reminding them that they are to consider only the evidence and testimony presented to them in court.
“You are prohibited from watching any TV coverage,” he said. “You should not do any research, go on the internet.”
After jurors were dismissed, Fant gave Hughes extensive instructions regarding his right to testify on his own behalf – explaining how he would instruct the jury based on Hughes’ eventual decision.
“Do you understand?” Fant asked Hughes at the conclusion of his instruction.
“Yes sir,” Hughes responded.
Of particular interest? As Hughes’ attorneys were leaving the courtroom, they briefly discussed logistics for the coming week’s proceedings with producers for CourtTV. At one point during this conversation – which centered around the potential duration of Hughes’ testimony – one of his attorneys remarked that the potential duration of Hughes’ testimony would be relevant only “if” the defense decided to present a case.
In other words, Hughes’ lawyers are apparently contemplating whether they should mount an affirmative defense. If they opt against such a presentation, the case would proceed directly to closing arguments.
***
BACKGROUND…
***
The body of Christina Parcel was discovered shortly after 11:00 a.m. EST on October 13, 2021 in the front living room of a suburban home in Greer, S.C. owned by her sister. She was found, unresponsive, by her fiancée, Bradly Post. According to Post, he placed multiple calls to Parcell on the morning of her murder – calls which went unanswered. When he drove to the home to check on her, he found her savagely slain.
Greenville County sheriff Hobart Lewis confirmed Parcell had been “brutally stabbed multiple times” and “murdered in a very violent way.”
As we exclusively reported at the time, the killer sprinkled rose petals – or deadheaded roses – around Parcell’s body after dragging (and posing) her in the front living room of the 2,100-square foot home owned by her sister
“Rose petals were sprinkled around her body,” a source familiar with the killing told this news outlet. “She was dragged – there were drag marks. The scene was staged.”
***
***
Hughes was arrested on November 3, 2021 by GCSO deputies and charged with Parcell’s murder. The arrest shocked the Upstate seeing as he had no known connection to Parcell at the time. Hughes has been held without bond at the Greenville County detention center since his arrest.
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 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 lengthy discovery battle tied to Post – one of the key witnesses for the prosecution.
(Click to view)
***
As previously reported, Parcell’s body and the bizarre rose petal scene weren’t all police found as they began investigating this savage murder. A massive cache of child porn (or “CSAM”) was also discovered at the suburban home. 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.
As a result of this discovery, the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson charged Post with 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.
Also, Post and the estate of Christina Parcell have been named in civil cases related to the discovery of these files.
Hughes’ attorneys have repeatedly sought to get evidence related to the child pornography into the trial, but Fant has steadfastly refused.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
