|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The defense team for accused killer Zachary David Hughes is expected to begin presenting his case to jurors as the ‘Rose Petal Murder’ trial resumes on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Or… will they?
Speculation is running rampant as to what Hughes’ strategy will be after S.C. thirteenth circuit solicitor Walt Wilkins rested the state’s case against him last Friday (February 14, 2024).
One of the many options available to the defense? Not presenting a case at all…
Hughes stands accused of stabbing 41-year-old veterinary tech Christina Parcell of Greer, S.C. nearly three dozen times on the morning of October 13, 2021 – and then sprinkling rose petals around her brutalized body. Wilkins concluded the state’s case against Hughes just moments after introducing damning DNA evidence which definitively placed the classically trained concert pianist at the scene of this graphic, ritualistic crime.
***
***
In discussing an “intimate sample” of DNA, Greenville County forensic scientist Tim Nafziger told jurors that cells taken from underneath the fingernails of the victim were “825 million times more likely” to contain DBA from Hughes as opposed to some other random individual.
Prosecutors are expected to weave evidence like this – and testimony from witnesses – into a cohesive narrative of this savage crime during their closing argument. Before we get there, though, Hughes’ lawyers must decide how to proceed with his case.
They have plenty of options… although it remains to be seen if any of them are capable of helping Hughes beat the murder rap.
S.C. circuit court judge Patrick C. Fant III – who has deftly presided over this high-profile trial – dismissed jurors on Friday with instructions related to the oaths they took. Specifically, he admonished them from discussing the case with anyone – and reminded them they are to consider only the evidence and testimony presented to them in court. That’s a wise move given the amount of information the jury is ostensibly unaware of in this case – including a massive cache of child sex abuse material (a.k.a. “CSAM” or child porn) discovered at the crime scene.
***
The existence of this child porn – and the extent to which jurors are aware of it – could be the defining factor in this case. Hughes’ attorneys have been trying since before the trial to get it introduced as evidence – to no avail.
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.
Will Hughes be called to the stand?
And if not him… who will his attorneys rely upon to carry their case?
Given the complexity of this case and the many possible strategies the defense appears to be considering, it’s likely this week could bring a number of surprises for those following this convoluted case.
***
AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE…
The instructions judge Fant provided to Hughes regarding his right to testify indicate defense attorneys Mark Moyer and Andrew Moorman could be considering presenting an affirmative defense on Hughes’ behalf.
An affirmative defense in a murder trial is a legal strategy in which the defendant admits to certain facts but presents evidence to justify, excuse or mitigate their actions such as self-defense, defense of others, insanity or acting under duress. If this strategy is utilized by Moorman and Moyer, they would be required to provide evidence supporting their claim, while the prosecution still bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hughes’ defense team could deploy a ‘defense of others’ strategy and claim that – while he admits to the murder – he did it in defense of Mello’s young daughter, whom he believed was being abused at the time of the murder by her mother and her fiancée, Bradly Post.
If Hughes were to take the stand to testify on his own behalf, he would likely be questioned about his relationship with Mello and his young daughter at the time of the murder as well as the cryptic messages between Hughes and Mello obtained from the encrypted smartphone application, WhatsApp. This move would also open him up to cross-examination by prosecutors – who could challenge his credibility, poke holes in his testimony and highlight inconsistencies.
***
THE ULTIMATE WILDCARD…
Given the risks associated with Hughes taking the stand himself, the defense could deploy another strategy and call the ultimate wildcard, John Mello, to the stand.
Although the jury has heard Mello’s name countless times throughout the trial, to them he remains a mystery as he has not been called to testify. Mello, a music producer who was Parcell’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her young daughter, was the primary focus of the investigation in the immediate aftermath of the murder of Parcell due to a contentious ongoing custody battle. Despite investigators focusing on Mello, after investigators determined he was in Italy at the time of the murder they ultimately located Hughes by focusing on individuals connected to the music producer.
To date, Mello has not been charged in connection with Parcell’s murder, but in September of 2023 he was charged alongside Hughes with harassment and criminal conspiracy in relation to explicit mailings which contained nude photos of Parcell sent in the months leading up to her October 13, 2021 homicide. Investigators alleged Mello conspired with Hughes to send the mailings to various addresses and individuals connected to Parcell and her fiancée.
***
***
The reason Mello has not been called to testify is likely very simple… he’s a wholly unpredictable witness and his testimony would likely elicit evidence and testimony related to Parcell’s involvement in child porn (a.k.a. CSAM), which the judge has previously excluded.
Mello’s communications with Vanessa Kormylo – the guardian ad litem (GAL) appointed to the young daughter of Mello and Parcell – were highlighted during her testimony. Included in the communications Kormylo testified to, were allegations Mello made which claimed the attorney was herself involved in a child trafficking ring involving Ukranian children in Spartanburg.
In lieu of calling Mello, Hughes’ attorneys could decide to try and get his underage daughter to the stand.
***
NO DEFENSE…
A decision not to present a defense in Hughes’ case would be an interesting – albeit extremely risky – strategic move. This decision would be based on the premise that jurors are so confused by state’s case they would find Hughes ‘not guilty.’ The two sides would then proceed to their closing arguments on the heels of the damning DNA evidence presented at the close of the prosecution’s case.
The defense would be operating on the assumption that Wilkins, a seasoned prosecutor, would not be able to effectively deliver a compelling closing argument tying together all the threads of this complex case for the jury.
Given Wilkins’ extensive prosecutorial history, this could backfire spectacularly.
While the case is confusing given the evidence and testimony the jury is not hearing, the evidence they have heard is more than compelling. From the surveillance and flock camera videos to the DNA evidence, the jury has been provided with what most would consider to be a solid case with little room for reasonable doubt.
They just need all of the dots connected for them…
***
BACKGROUND…
The body of Christina Parcell was discovered shortly after 11:00 a.m. EST on October 13, 2021 in the front living room of a suburban home 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.”
***
***
Officially, Parcell’s cause of death was recorded by the Greenville county coroner as a homicide due to “multiple sharp force injuries.”
According to forensic pathologist Claire Rose, “there were thirty-five sharp force injuries to Ms. Parcell,” including 27 to the head and neck area. 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.
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 Mello, who according to Wilkins was “very close friends” with Hughes. The two reportedly used the encrypted smartphone application WhatsApp to communicate with each other – exchanging at least 1,769 encrypted messages on the platform.
Authorities also found 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.”
***
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.
***
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.
