Zachary Hughes was sentenced to life in prison for murder of Christina Parcell in South Carolina
A Juilliard-trained pianist was found guilty of murdering a woman after he claimed he killed her in order to protect her daughter from abuse.
On Feb. 20, a South Carolina jury found Zachary Hughes, 32, guilty of murdering Christina Parcell, 41, in October 2021.
"I’ve never had a defendant get on the stand with the kind of attitude, ego, cold-faced sternness and explain a brutal murder in the way he did. It shook me a little bit," prosecutor Walt Wilkins said.
Hughes testified during his trial that he killed Parcell, a pet hospital staffer, to protect her child from abuse. Parcell was locked in an ongoing custody battle with the child's father, whom Hughes had befriended. While Hughes was on the stand, authorities also arrested Hughes’ friend, John Mello, 64, for his involvement in Parcell’s death.
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Zachary Hughes, 33, looks on as Judge Patrick Fant III instructs the jury at the trial for murder in the death of Christina Parcell at the Greenville County Courthouse in Greenville, South Carolina, on Feb. 20. (Ken Ruinard/The Anderson Independent Mail)
Parcell's lifeless body was found inside her home with over 30 stab wounds, including to her jugular and carotid arteries, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said that the gruesome scene was juxtaposed with crimson rose petals strewn throughout the crime site.
Prosecutors revealed that prior to Parcell’s murder, Hughes allegedly harassed her by distributing nude photographs of her to her employer and neighbors.
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Hughes and Mello allegedly worked in tandem in their elaborate revenge scheme by exchanging hundreds of text messages formulating their plan, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
In the messages, Mello allegedly told Hughes that he obtained Parcell’s private cellphone number and instructed Hughes to "harass the s--- out of her."
Zachary Hughes reacts after receiving two life sentences for the murder of Christina Parcell at the Greenville County Courthouse in Greenville, South Carolina, on Feb. 20. (Ken Ruinard/The Anderson Independent Mail)
The week of Parcell's slaying, Mello took the couple’s daughter out of the country.
Prosecutors allege Mello texted Hughes on the day Parcell was killed, asking, "how did the music research go," with Hughes responding, "good, I’ll tell you over the phone."
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During the trial, Hughes described to the jury how he rode a bicycle to Parcell’s house, dressing as a delivery florist to entice Parcell into opening her front door before killing her. Hughes told jurors that Mello allegedly notified him of when Parcell would be home and offered Hughes $5,000 for the murder, before increasing the payment to $10,000.
Police used the information in Hughes’ testimony to arrest Mello before Hughes even left the stand, charging Mello as an accessory before the fact of murder and for solicitation of a felony. If convicted, Mello also faces life behind bars.
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John Mello was booked into the Greenville County Jail on charges of accessory before the fact of murder and for solicitation of a felony relating to the stabbing death of Christina Parcell in 2021. (Greenville County Sheriff's Office )
Hughes denied accepting the money but admitted to murdering Parcell to protect Mello’s child from alleged sexual abuse at the hands of Parcell and her new fiancé, Bradley Post. Post is currently awaiting trial on sexual abuse charges, but Circuit Court Judge Patrick Fant III ruled the allegations were inadmissible in the case and therefore were not presented to the jury.
"I knew from that moment on [the child] would be safe. [The child] would be safe from the sexual abuse that her mother was perpetrating on her, and there is proof that the state is hiding from you," Hughes told the jury.
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Following his statement, Fant halted proceedings and sentenced Hughes to six months in jail for contempt of court.
"You rarely have a defendant get on the stand and detail such a heinous crime and a justification that makes no sense," Wilkins said.
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Zachary Hughes listens to Judge Patrick Fant III instruct the jury at the trial for murder in the death of Christina Parcell at the Greenville County Courthouse in Greenville, South Carolina, on Feb. 20. (Ken Ruinard/The Anderson Independent Mail)
Hughes, who trained as a classical pianist at the Juilliard School in New York City, met Mello in 2020 after being hired to clean Mello’s house, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Hughes was found guilty of multiple charges — including murder, burglary and harassment — and was sentenced to life in prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.