The Rose Petal Murder

Summary

20/20: The Rose Petal Murder

Host: ABC News
Release Date: May 3, 2025

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Introduction

"The Rose Petal Murder" delves into one of South Carolina's most perplexing and brutal true crime cases. Set against the backdrop of Greenville, a city renowned for its safety and vibrant cultural scene, this episode explores the intricate web of relationships, custody battles, and unexpected revelations that culminated in a heinous crime.

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The Crime Scene

On an ordinary October morning in 2021, a horrifying discovery was made at the residence of Christina Lorraine Parcell, a 41-year-old veterinary technician. Deputy Chris Robinson arrives at the scene to find Christina dead, brutally stabbed 35 times, with rose petals scattered throughout the room—a detail that would later perplex investigators.

Deputy Chris Robinson [00:12]: "All right, I got her feet right here. This is weird, dude. First thing I noticed was the rose petals everywhere. Something I've never seen before."

The presence of rose petals suggested a planned and symbolic act, hinting at a personal motive behind the murder.

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Initial Investigation and Suspects

Christina's fiancé, Bradley Post, reported her unresponsiveness after a job interview, leading Deputy Robinson to the grim scene. Post presented a seemingly credible alibi, claiming to be abroad in Italy during the time of the murder.

Deputy Chris Robinson [00:45]: "Sheriff's office. I saw like a flower rose tore up. Absolutely impossible."

Initially, suspicion fell on two individuals:

1. Bradley Post: Christina's wealthy fiancé involved in a custody battle over their nine-year-old daughter.
2. John Mello: Christina's ex-boyfriend, a retired engineer with a contentious history involving unfounded accusations against Christina.

Despite suspicions, camera footage later provided alibis that exonerated both men, pointing the investigation in an unforeseen direction.

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Breakthrough Through Surveillance

A pivotal moment in the investigation came from neighborhood Ring camera footage. A white Ford Explorer was captured near the crime scene at the exact time of the murder, followed by an individual on a black bike exiting the area shortly after.

Deputy Chris Robinson [37:12]: "We were extremely lucky. The ring camera across the street was highly sensitive to cars driving by."

This surveillance evidence directed the hunt towards a new suspect, breaking months of dead-ends.

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Enter Zach Hughes

Zach Hughes, a 29-year-old classical pianist and Juilliard graduate residing in Greenville, emerged as the primary suspect. Despite his impeccable public persona and lack of criminal history, Hughes's DNA was found under Christina's fingernails, and matching surveillance linked him to the murder scene.

Deputy Chris Robinson [44:16]: "He was an extraordinary musician. He had no criminal record."

Hughes maintained an alibi, but further investigation revealed his close association with John Mello, uncovering layers of manipulation and motive rooted in the custody battle over Christina's daughter.

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The Trial and Confession

During the trial, Hughes took the stand in a surprising move, openly confessing to the murder. He claimed his actions were driven by a misguided attempt to protect the child from perceived threats posed by Christina.

Zach Hughes [65:25]: "I concluded that I had to rescue, and there was no other way."

His testimony included shocking admissions, linking him directly to John Mello's manipulative tactics to control the custody situation.

Zach Hughes [73:53]: "He asked me, would I be willing to kill Christina Parcell for $10,000?"

Despite his confession, defense attorneys argued a lack of malice—a required element for murder charges—claiming his intent was protective rather than malicious.

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Verdict and Aftermath

After a brief deliberation, the jury found Zach Hughes guilty of murder. The conviction underscored the complexity of the case, where personal vendettas intertwined with legal battles, leading to tragic consequences.

Jury Foreperson [78:01]: "I don't understand how you could stab someone 30 times and be in a struggle with them without malice in your heart."

Following Hughes's conviction, attention turned back to John Mello, now charged with solicitation to commit a felony and accessory before the fact of murder, implicating him in the orchestration of Christina's demise.

Deputy Chris Robinson [79:31]: "John Mello is charged with solicitation to commit a felony and accessory before the fact of murder."

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Conclusion

"The Rose Petal Murder" highlights the devastating impact of personal conflicts and the lengths to which individuals may go when driven by fear and manipulation. From the serene streets of Greenville to the intense courtroom battles, this case serves as a grim reminder of the complexities inherent in human relationships and the pursuit of justice.

Reporter [82:00]: "And at the center of this tragedy, an innocent little girl left without her mother. Christina's daughter has been temporarily placed with friends of John Mello upon his request."

The episode concludes by reflecting on the enduring effects on Christina's daughter and the community, emphasizing the need for vigilance and understanding in preventing such tragedies.

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Notable Quotes

• Deputy Chris Robinson [00:12]: "All right, I got her feet right here. This is weird, dude. First thing I noticed was the rose petals everywhere."
• Deputy Chris Robinson [37:12]: "We were extremely lucky. The ring camera across the street was highly sensitive to cars driving by."
• Zach Hughes [65:25]: "I conclude that I had to rescue, and there was no other way."
• Jury Foreperson [78:01]: "I don't understand how you could stab someone 30 times and be in a struggle with them without malice in your heart."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key elements of "The Rose Petal Murder" episode, providing an engaging and informative overview for those unfamiliar with the case.

Transcript

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Sheriff's office.

[Reporter]

I do smell something. This was a slaughter, make no mistake about it. And what did you find when you got inside?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

All right, I got her feet right here. This is weird, dude. First thing I noticed was the rose petals everywhere. Something I've never seen before. I definitely thought that whoever killed her brought those flowers in.

[Reporter]

Now the stunning court case making big headlines. When's the last time you talked to your sister? She was gone.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

She's got a young daughter that's nine.

[Reporter]

So you had to tell her that her mother was dead and her response was who did it?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I have great fear for my daughter's safety. Why do you think I left the country? There's been a custody battle.

[Reporter]

Where were you when Christina was murdered?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Italy. But at this point I'm getting worried about where we are. I really don't know if I want to comment more if this is what I think it is. Rarely do you ever have a murder where you get to see the bad guy walk through the front door. This isn't your typical murder that you see. When I walked in, there was a smell like a pesticide. The whole thing seems surreal. Sheriff's office. I saw like a flower rose tore up. Absolutely impossible.

[Reporter]

It makes utterly no sense.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Many of us just were shocked and amazed about the capacity of someone to cause such destruction.

[Reporter]

This was the manifestation of hate. We've come here to this quiet suburban street in South Carolina to cover one of the strangest crime stories we've ever come across. It's a story of love, betrayal, classical music, murder. A crime scene strewn with rose petals. And it all began at this house on an October morning in 2021 with a 911 call.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Granville County 911. What's the address of your emergency Pain Break drive? I think I might have a death. Walked into my fiance's house. She wouldn't answer my call. There's a very weird smell and I can't get her to come around.

[Reporter]

The man making the call is 65 year old Bradley Post, a local retired engineer. His 41 year old fiance is inside.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The house and he basically said he had found her and he needed help. He needed an ambulance, he needed law enforcement.

[Reporter]

What did I do?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Is she breathing? No. And we're going to start cpr, sir. Okay. I think you think she's gone. Yeah. Okay. All right. And tell me why you think she's dead. Because she won't respond. Eyes are open. All right. There's a lot of blood and a lot of blood. Okay. Yeah. And so they dispatched law Enforcement immediately, ambulances. And so he just continued to give as much information as he could to 911. It looks like somebody may have broke in and shot her in the head. Maybe. I don't know. I understand. Okay, I'm sorry. Say it again. I've got some people coming. Sir. I have everybody coming. I'm sending the paramedics to help now. Step out of the house and that way. Wait for the paramedics and the police at the front of the house. And leave everything as you found it.

[Reporter]

Master Deputy Chris Robinson rushes to the scene. He's the first to arrive.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And then when law enforcement arrived, Bradley Post standing in the driveway of the house. So he talks to Deputy Chris Robinson with his body camera on. Hey, man.

[Reporter]

So when you pulled up, was he just, like, standing there waiting for you?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yes, ma'am. He was just kind of standing to the side over here, just waiting. He was on the phone with someone. How'd you get in the house? You gotta come home right now. Emergency. Come home, come home. We just started talking briefly about what was going on inside. The basic info about when's the last time you saw her and last time you talked to her. She went for a job interview. Okay. She left and came back. I called her text today. Yeah, just like 9:00. I got her on a tracker. Yep. She didn't respond. So I went to the door. No response. So the back door's always unlocked. Okay. So I walked around the back door. When I walked in, there was a smell. Like a pesticide smell? Yeah. And I walked in and I didn't see. I saw like, a flower. Rose tore up. And then I walked in the living room, and she's laying on her back. There is a lot of blood. Okay. Do you live here? No. You stay here? Occasionally, yeah. Okay.

[Reporter]

I'm with her most days.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

All right, do me a favor. Just stand right here.

[Reporter]

You went in the back.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You want to help me clear it real quick?

[Reporter]

And what did you find when you got inside?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So I went in with another deputy. We started clearing. Sheriff's office.

[Reporter]

I do smell something.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

All right, you see what we got? There is a smell in here. All right, you want to hold right, and I'll clear this on the left. We didn't know who was inside. I barely see. And I could see her feet at that point, so I kind of knew what was going on. All right, I got her feet right here in front of me. Continued clearing, made it up to her, saw that there was no signs of life. We kept moving and cleared the rest of the house? Yes, ma'am. We're clearing the house now just to.

[Reporter]

Make sure there's no one in the house.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Correct. Pushing in. Sheriff's office. Take one. I'll take the other. Sheriff's office. I've been doing this 15 years, and it was pretty gruesome.

[Reporter]

And what could you see happened?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

First thing I noticed was the rose petals everywhere. I thought that was kind of weird. They were just kind of all over the floor. In no particular. Not a pattern. It was just kind of everywhere. This is weird, dude. There was also a chemical odor and just a lot of blood. A lot of blood.

[Reporter]

Could you tell that it was a stabbing or a shooting or. I couldn't tell at that point.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Our protocol is not to really touch anything. If there's no signs of human life, I don't have to render raid. We try not to contaminate the scene.

[Reporter]

Was there anything else about that room that seemed odd to you?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You could tell there was a struggle inside the house at some point. Looked like she was pulled by her ankles or moved somehow. Let's get out of here with that smell.

[Reporter]

And then you came back outside? Came back outside.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Kind of locked the house down. So nobody in or out and just lock it down. Definitely not a death odor. Anyway, I gotta go. Tina, get home as soon as you can. It's the owner of the house. Her sister gives her phone. Is she dead? As far as I can tell, I'm not ems, man. So. And this is your girlfriend? Well, she. My fiance. What's her name? Christina Lorraine Parcell.

[Reporter]

Christina Parcell, a single mother of one who police quickly discover has not been shot, but has been stabbed 35 times.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We learned that she was a vet tech and that she was engaged to be married to Bradley Post. And the other residents of there were her sister, Tina Parcel, and Christina Parcell's daughter. Son of. She's got a young daughter. That's nine.

[Reporter]

Lead investigator Jared Sparkman arrives to the scene shortly after Deputy Robinson. When you pull up to the scene, what do you see?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

There's a lot of deputies, investigators, already here.

[Reporter]

Describe to us this crime scene.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So it was very unique. First of all, you don't have many murders that are stabbings. You also see rose petals scattered around in the room where she's at. Something I've never seen before. I definitely thought that whoever killed her brought those flowers in.

[Reporter]

People think of stabbings as really intimate, right? Did this seem like. Like a fight? Like this was a crime of passion?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

That was something that crossed our mind, especially with the rose petals on the ground. This was no ordinary murder because the nature of the crime was so close and personal, so brutal, that either somebody was really mad at this particular person or something went terribly wrong. Obviously the first person that you want to talk to is the person that discovers the body. The fiance of the person is. He's definitely someone that we want to talk to.

[Reporter]

Quickly, what was he like? Pompous. Always wanted to be the smartest person in the room or the richest person in the room. Preferably both. This five bedroom ranch house was home for veterinary technician Christina Parcel, her nine year old daughter and her sister Tina, who says October 13, 2021 was a typical busy weekday morning. It was just so exceedingly normal. Not a day you would have thought anything of. Never. I remember every bit of it now. She had a job interview that morning. She was trying to find a job with more hours, better pay. Did you see her that morning as she was getting ready for it? I'm finishing my morning coffee, sitting on the couch. We talk, just normal people things. What have you got going on today other than your interview? I've got a hair appointment. Then I think they had gymnastics that afternoon.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Okay.

[Reporter]

Have a great day. You too. Love you. It's the last time you talked to your sister, she was gone.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So Christina Parcell had a very quick interview at a local veterinarian clinic. We actually have video of the interview. It did not last very long.

[Reporter]

And she texted me, you know, she felt good, it went well. It was talk me through your qualifications, et cetera, et cetera. Very short.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And then she drove back and she returned back about 9:07. And we know that because she passes by a ring camera three doors down and we see her car pass by.

[Reporter]

Meanwhile, Tina is at her office 20 minutes away. I was at work and my phone says, you have a voicemail. And it was post telling me there was an emergency at the house and I needed to come home.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Tina, this is Brad. You need to call me quick. There's a problem with Christina at the house. Please call me now.

[Reporter]

So I call him back and he says, you have to get here. I think she's dead. I'm like, what happened? He's like, I don't know, I can't tell. So you race home? Absolutely, race home. I get there about 11:30. They wouldn't tell me that she was actually dead from for the first hour, maybe hour and a half. It's a tragic end to a sibling relationship that survived ups and downs, beginning with an incredibly close bond. She was Younger, I was older. Two years apart. Two years and four days. Our birthdays were four days apart, so we would have birthday parties kind of around the same time. We were each other's best friends basically growing up. She was smart, she was quick witted and she was kind. Her sister says Christina loved running and gifting friends with her professional looking homemade chocolates. And she had ambitions for a new career. She had gone back to school for nursing. She seemed exceptionally devoted to her daughter. Christina Purcell shared custody with her ex boyfriend John Mello. Five months before her death, she and her daughter had moved into Tina's home in greer, a suburb 12 miles from the city of Greenville. Greenville, South Carolina is a city nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's one of the fastest growing cities in the US it's known for its southern charm, its tree lined streets, and its vibrant art and music scene.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We're a medium sized city. We have more cultural and artistic offerings than someone might expect to see in a city of this size. In theater, in dance, in the visual arts, in music. Classical music is very popular here in Greenville. As you walk down Main street, you'll see street musicians, good things. You hear some of the best music you would hear anywhere in the world. It is a wonderful place to come and raise children. It's a very safe place. The neighborhood where the murder occurred is usually considered a very safe neighborhood. It's a upper scale, low crime area and luckily we're able to solve the vast majority of our homicides. We have one of the highest clearance rates in the country.

[Reporter]

But clearing the county's latest homicide could pose a challenge. Back at the house, police are scrubbing the crime scene for more details.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So one of the first things we do when we get there is secure the crime scene. Once it's secured, we call our forensics unit to come with Christina. We collected her fingernails, we swabbed her hands, anywhere that DNA could have been left. Once her body is removed from the scene, we can really start searching that house for any clues and really kind of figure out what happened.

[Reporter]

This was a slaughter. Make no mistake about it. 19 slices to the neck and face. That's personal. Do you think she fought? I hope like hell she fought. Adding to the mystery, those scattered rose petals. Were there roses in the house before? Any idea where that came from? No. I mean, it had to have been brought by the person that was in my home. Leading to the question, who was that person in the home? Police first want to talk to Parcell's fiance, Bradley Post, and I saw her.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Sunglasses in the hallway, so it looks like she was surprised somehow.

[Reporter]

Post is a retired engineer and business owner. He and Christina Purcell had been dating for six years.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He'd owned several businesses and sold them. Retired. He's very wealthy. He drives fancy sports cars, lives in a big house.

[Reporter]

What was he like? Pompous. Always wanted to be the smartest person in the room. Or the richest person in the room. Preferably both. You didn't like him? No, not. No. He's very particular. He likes things the way he likes them. Did she seem happy? Sometimes. She was becoming less and less happy with Post and less and less enamored with the thought of marrying him. Two days after the murder, once the crime scene was released, Tina and Bradley Post do a walkthrough with police. What'd you think of him and his demeanor that day?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He was calm. You know, he wanted to be helpful.

[Reporter]

Anything unusual?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I remember him putting on gloves. He had on gloves when he showed up. He just said he was just trying to be careful.

[Reporter]

Seem strange to you?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You don't see that much.

[Reporter]

Did you find that to be weird? No. Because he was a fastidious, persnickety man. Didn't surprise me at all that he didn't want to touch anything icky. While Tina may have found Post off putting, it's another man she thinks police need to investigate. I can only think of one person in the world that I would instantly think of who would have interest in seeing my sister murdered.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I'm telling you, person of interest will be John Mello.

[Reporter]

John Mello. In the aftermath of Christina Parcell's murder, it's her sister Tina who's left to tell her nine year old niece the tragic news. So you had to tell her that her mother was dead? Mm. She wailed and she was inconsolable. SOBBING I told her there had been an accident, Mommy had been hurt very, very badly, and she died. She didn't make it. And her response was, who did it? When police talk to Christina's fiance, Bradley Post, after the murder, Tell me about this other dude, he immediately brings up somebody he thinks should be a person of interest. So you asked him, do you know who would do this?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Right.

[Reporter]

Yeah.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So I was like, do you know anybody that would be like our suspect in this or anything like that? I'm telling you, person of interest will be John Mellows. And then he did mention John Mello's name at that point. There's been a custody battle.

[Reporter]

And what did he say about John Mello?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

It was her ex. And they were having some issues with that. We started looking into John Mello.

[Reporter]

John Mello says he's a music producer. He met Christina in 2004. He was a 43 year old married father of two. She was 24. Yes. Now we got it.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Speed.

[Reporter]

Both cameras have it.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yep.

[Reporter]

Good. All good. So I guess let's start at the beginning. How did you come to meet Christina?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I met her at a cigar shop. We just became friends. She was, you know, very intelligent, very, very beautiful. Very fun, you know, to be around. We just hit it off as people, you know, in general.

[Reporter]

Were you trying to have a relationship?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

No, no, I was married. No. I just like talking to people. And throughout my life, most of my closest friends have been females. So it's just. I just, you know, easier to look at, but. No, not at all. It just kind of evolved later.

[Reporter]

At what point did it become a romantic relationship?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I'd say 2009.

[Reporter]

Mm.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You know, my marriage was not good. So it just happens.

[Reporter]

Melo and Christina dated for the next six years. So you had a discussion, decided you were gonna try to have a baby?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yes. Yeah. Planned it? No, she.

[Reporter]

That's a little surprising to me. Cause you were.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

It is to most people. Yeah. No, we planned her. She was born phenomenal. And things were pretty good at the beginning, you know, with all that.

[Reporter]

But while things were going well with the new baby, by then Christina had become estranged from her sister and the rest of her family. Between April and May of 2010, my sister cut off ties with our whole immediate family. She sent a letter to my parents, addressed it to all of us. Dear Mama, Daddy, and Tina, I am severing the ties of discontent and unhappiness that have haunted my life. Leave me to my peace and my newfound life. Please do not visit my home. Do not call or email. And most importantly, please do not worry. She had been with John for a year when she sent this. She was being increasingly cut off from the world around her. So when you started to talk to her again, how did she explain that letter? It's what John wanted. The estrangement would last over four years. When she came back to our family, I mean, we found out she had a daughter. My niece was more than two when I met her the first time. By the time the child was three years old, relations between Melo and Christina were breaking down. So at some point, you guys end up in kind of a tough custody battle.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yeah. Yes. She became very combative and very untrustworthy.

[Reporter]

Child custody cases are always intense.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I Would say that this one is.

[Reporter]

Probably up there really like a 10 out of 10. This one is probably as intense as they ever get. In 2016, Melo is granted sole custody. Christina just visitation. In court documents, Melo describes what he calls her erratic behavior and lack of consistent visitation. While Christina says she's afraid of Melo and doesn't earn enough money to support her daughter, she basically relinquished primary custody to John Mello. In the years that follow, Mello repeatedly contacts law enforcement and the Department of Social Services about Christina, accusing her of prostitution, drug use, and even child sex abuse.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

2018 ish. My daughter had come to me complaining about her mom and Brad Post. She said they made me sleep in the same bed with them and all these things. I was just like, this is not right. So I went to the Greenville County Sheriff's Department and I filed a complaint. The investigators that handled those cases found no evidence to substantiate his claims. Law enforcement DSS couldn't verify any of the information.

[Reporter]

In the course of their custody battle, Mello is arrested and charged with stalking and then harassment. Accused of repeatedly making unfounded accusations against Christina. Both charges are ultimately dismissed.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

John Mello I can tell you that a lot of people at the sheriff's office knew who he was and he was just difficult to deal with. He would always make crazy allegations and then when you wouldn't take him serious, he would get angry.

[Reporter]

It's 2018 when attorney Maggie Bailey gets a visit from Christina. She came into my office to ask.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

About possibly representing her, to help her get expanded visitation with her child. She wanted to have more overnights with.

[Reporter]

The child and to be able to be a regular mother.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We were successful and she obtained more visitation.

[Reporter]

She would do her visit weekends in my apartment. I got specifically a three bedroom apartment so she and my niece could stay with me and we could spend time together, go to the pool, go to the playground.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

She would tell me how much she.

[Reporter]

Enjoyed once her time, got excited, expanded. How wonderful it was to be able.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

To have your child overnight and spend time with her.

[Reporter]

But then in October 2020, the custody fight takes another explosive and for Christina, terrifying turn. It was time for her visit weekend and John said, we won't be back in time. I'll call you when I know more. His message reads, we are out of the country. Phone not working. Be advised we won't be able to fly back for Friday exchange. Sorry. More later.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

She'd gone by John Mellow's house. She tried to text him, she tried.

[Reporter]

To email him, she tried to call him. My sister reached out to the elementary school and found out John had withdrawn her from Greenville county school system. She messages Mello, please tell me anything you can about where our daughter is. I'm scared. She had no idea where John Miller and her daughter had gone. She was in tears because she was like, he's taken her. I don't know where he's gone and I may never see my daughter again.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

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[Reporter]

Hello, it's Robin Roberts here.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Hey guys, it's George Stephanopoulos here. Hey everybody, it's Michael Strahan here. Wake up with Good Morning America. Robin, George Michael, gma, America's favorite number one morning show. The morning's first breaking news. Exclusive interviews, what everyone will be talking about that day. Put some good in your morning and start your day with GMA. Good Morning America. Put the good in your morning. GMA 7A on ABC.

[Reporter]

For Tina Purcell and John Mello, there's not much room for agreement except on the strangeness of those red roses found at the crime scene.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

It's just a hell of a lot of effort to create something so theatrical and intentional and rage filled to send a message.

[Reporter]

Tina even keeps an eye out for a special delivery at her sister's funeral. I had the funeral home hold every flower delivery so I could inspect them to make sure no red roses were sent because I fully expected some to be sent. Why? Because that would be a mean and cruel thing to do. And let's just be honest, mean and cruel kind of Fits the whole bill for this situation. For her, the roses add to her suspicion of John Mello. She tells investigators what happened a year earlier in 2020. The custody battle between Christina Purcell and John Melo had become an outright war after he took off with their eight year old daughter. Christina has no idea where she is and frantically searches social media for clues. She just pored over the Internet looking for everything, doing all kinds of searches. And then Melo emails Christina, please do not bother people about us saying their daughter is doing great, she is happy and healthy. It's just a new setup. That's all. New rules.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Christina had no idea where her daughter or John was. She didn't know if they were in the United States or overseas.

[Reporter]

The first clue that she got was.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

A picture that he had posted.

[Reporter]

And it was in kind of like a courtyard. It's surrounded by buildings. And you could tell that on the building that it was in Italy.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You know, she had to blow that.

[Reporter]

Picture up in order to try to figure out what the sign said.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

John Mello took her child to Italy without any communication to Christina about their intentions. He and Christina's daughter moved to Italy permanently.

[Reporter]

She was inconsolable. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat. She called county police, she called the FBI. She called the State Department. Melo claims he took their daughter to Italy to protect her from her mother.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I have great fear for my daughter's safety and I always have. So why do you think I left the country?

[Reporter]

That's why you took her and you went to Italy, because you were scared for her?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yes. I watched her entire life, her mother be a horrific human being, Provided evidence to everybody and everyone. Some people believe it, some people don't.

[Reporter]

So when you went to Italy with your daughter, did you think that you were breaking any laws?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Absolutely not. I made certain that my custody order was written in such a way that there were no restrictions, that I do not have permission to leave, that the mother just has zero, absolutely no custody. While Christina Parcell did not have full custody, she had visitation rights. She decided to attempt to get her child back through the Hague Convention. So the Hague Convention governs international child custody disputes.

[Reporter]

You went to Italy with your sister to get your niece.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

She.

[Reporter]

She found out they scheduled a hearing at essentially the equivalent of family court in Italy. I asked her, do you want me to go with you? And she said yes. So I instantly bought us two round trip tickets. This is video from their hotel room from the day before the hearing. Christina is on the bed.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

She went to Italy Twice. It was the second time that the.

[Reporter]

Authorities in Italy handed her daughter to her and told her to take her.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Back to the United States.

[Reporter]

The court rules that Mello violated Christina's custody rights, even if limited, and acted against their daughter's interest. It's a victory for Christina. Six months after Mello took their daughter.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Out of the country, the family court in Venice. I'm not trying to sound the way it's going to sound, but they were all women, and her mom came and put on a very good show with the tears and the whole thing, and then they decided to let her go.

[Reporter]

That night, John Mello stays in Italy while Christina heads back to South Carolina with their daughter.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So when Christina came back from Italy.

[Reporter]

With her daughter, she brought her into the office, and she was just, like, all smiles. This is literally the day after she got back. I took her to the playground. But just three months after the joy of being reunited, Christina Purcell is blindsided again. I walked into my office one morning.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And my paralegal was opening the mail, and she goes, look at this picture.

[Reporter]

And it was a nude picture of Christina.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

It was really. I would call it a pornographic picture.

[Reporter]

It's not just her attorney who has received the mailing. The photos were sent to our house, Post's house, all of our neighbors, all of his neighbors, Christina's work, the Guardian ad litem.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And Christina Parcell knew that the only person who had possession of these photos of her was John Mello. And they were taken when they were dating back in 2010 or 2011, when she was much younger. And there was also included in there a photocopy of an escort site. And it was claiming that Christina Parcell had been posting on an escort site as a prostitute looking for business. None of the photos were connected to the escort site. They basically took a screenshot of an escort site and then copied and pasted the URL onto some private pictures that Christina and John had shared years ago. These packages all came from Greenville or Tennessee. And so we knew the person who sent them out or who put them in the mailbox and prepared them had to be living in the Greenville area. John Mello was in Italy. She said, it has to be John.

[Reporter]

She said, I just don't know who he would have gotten to send it. John Mello says he didn't arrange for the mailings to be sent out. Did you have those images mailed?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

No, no, no, I did not. No, I had them from years back. And of course, my intention was, when I get to the states in this custody, Case judge needs to see her background. If you're in a custody case and you have photographic and Internet evidence that the person in the custody case with you is prostituting online, you want the judge to see that? Yeah, I would, absolutely would. Was going to use that. There was no evidence that suggested that Kristina was a prostitute or drug dealer or escort.

[Reporter]

Two and a half months after the mailings were sent, Christina Purcell is murdered. But it turns out the man so many people seem to suspect could not have been the killer. Where were you when Christina was murdered?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Italy. Yeah, I was in Italy.

[Reporter]

Did you have anything to do with it?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

No, of course not. No. It's not my style. You know what I mean? It's just. It's. No, we still were looking at Mr. Mello and people that he knew, but we did know that he's not the person that walked in the front door and killed Christina.

[Reporter]

And then a huge turning point in the case thanks to a neighbor's ring camera.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Rarely do you ever get to see the bad guy walk through the front door before he engages in a horrific.

[Reporter]

Murder and a shocking arrest. But it's not what you think.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We were dumbfounded.

[Reporter]

Police are investigating Christina Purcell's murder. Her fiance, Bradley Post, tells them he's convinced John Mello, despite being in Italy, should be the prime suspect.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

There's been a heavy custody battle.

[Reporter]

This guy's been a.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He's a threatener, he's a thug.

[Reporter]

Although authorities have their suspicions about Bradley Post himself, their investigation seems to be pointing away from him.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Bradley Post was extremely cooperative. And when was the last time you spoke with her? Well, I'll tell you exactly. He said that he spoke with Christina that morning. Last time I talked to her was 8:15am, outgoing call, 10 minutes. She was on her way to a job interview that they texted, and then he attempted to call her with no answer, which is the reason that he came to the house. And by looking at his phone as well as Christina's phone, we were able to confirm that he was in fact, telling the truth. Because normally when she leaves somewhere, she'll send me a text. I'm on my way back, and I didn't hear from her. In addition, the way that he was dressed and the way he appeared in pristine condition, freshly showered, in a sports coat, a white shirt, slacks. Not somebody that had just committed a horrific murder.

[Reporter]

Even though he expresses some nervousness, Post continues to work with police.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

But at this point, I'm getting worried about where we are. I really don't know if I want to comment More, I want to help you, but if this is what I think it is, that's fine.

[Reporter]

But then investigators stumble upon what they claim is evidence of an entirely different crime.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Okay. Bradley Post agreed to allow us to look at his phone. He signed a consent form, a waiver. He gave us his password. We weren't expecting to find anything, but while reviewing his phone, we found some material that resulted in him being arrested for criminal sexual conduct with a minor. An upstate man facing several charges of sexual exploitation with a minor will remain behind a bar.

[Reporter]

Investigators say they found sexually explicit images of children in Post's possession. According to court documents, Post had a high volume of child pornography on his phone and electronic devices. He has not yet entered a formal plea to those charges.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I was personally dumbfounded. I couldn't believe that he just handed over that evidence for these alleged crimes. He could spend the rest of his life in prison.

[Reporter]

So although Bradley Post is now facing some serious charges, police still don't think he's the person who killed Christina Parcell. And they now have a critical clue in the hunt for who did. As you start to go looking for evidence, what's the first thing that you do outside of the home?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Cameras.

[Reporter]

Cameras, yes. So where were the first cameras that you found?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Well, the first camera was actually right here behind you. There's a ring doorbell camera.

[Reporter]

The camera is from the house directly across the street from where Christina Parcell lived. And so you get that camera. What do you see on that camera?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So that camera, it shows a person walking up the steps and going into the house. We were extremely lucky. The ring camera across the street was highly sensitive to cars driving by. And a white Ford Explorer drove by the exact moment that the individual was walking up the stairs and through the front door of the house at exactly 9:15.

[Reporter]

So if that vehicle hadn't driven by at that moment, you wouldn't have seen who walked in the house?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

That's right. We were able to enhance the video. You can actually see the gray sweatshirt, the black pants, the build of the individual, an individual walking up through the front door, getting ready to commit a horrific murder. We continued canvassing the whole neighborhood and came across some cameras that showed someone wearing the same type clothing, same stature, leaving the area. The next evidence we have of this individual is a ring camera down the street, and it shows an individual on a black bike, dressed in a black sweatshirt, black pants, with a N95 mask over their face, leaving on the bike at exactly 9:27. We believe that the suspect was in that house for about 12 minutes. Then at 9:28, we see the same individual passing a house in the exact same clothes on a black bike. They were wearing dark clothes. It was a nice day that day. Long sleeves, pants, Just odd. It was our first real clue.

[Reporter]

The ring camera offers another important development. While investigators don't know who the mysterious man is, they are now confident of who it isn't.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

After we found the cameras in the neighborhood, Bradley Post was ruled out. The build wasn't the same. It was pretty obvious that Bradley Post's stature does not match the stature of the person that went into that house. We were able to determine that Bradley Post could not have committed this crime.

[Reporter]

The next order of business, finding the man on the bike.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So finding the person on the bicycle was a tall order.

[Reporter]

Turns out the man on the bike will not remain a mystery for long. At the point you heard there was a suspect, were you surprised? Police zero in on somebody you'd never expect. Will this finally explain the crime? And those odd rose petals?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We had no suspects. And then with a click of a button, it's like, well, we just figured out who did it. Felt like I just wanted to let. The rose petal case was just a wild ride. So many twists and turns.

[Reporter]

The manifestation of hate wrought upon a physical body.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We still felt with the child custody dispute, there's motives where Zach Hughes began inserting himself into this custody battle.

[Reporter]

You don't think Zach is a killer?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

There's just no way. The guy's heart is as big as the moon. We started receiving calls that we had arrested the wrong person.

[Reporter]

It makes utterly no sense.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And there is proof to that that the state is hiding from you. Instruct him to be quiet. If there's no malice, there's no murder.

[Reporter]

How is that not murder?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

It was as close to a Matlock moment as you're gonna get.

[Reporter]

Either you had some part of this, or you were caught in the craziest murder case.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yeah.

[Reporter]

That any of us have ever heard of.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

County 911 was your emergency. I just walked in. My fiance. It looks like she's blood out on the floor. Is she breathing? No, I think a lot of blood still.

[Reporter]

Flowers look like somebody must have come here. After Christina Parcel is stabbed to death in the house she shares with her nine year old daughter and her sister Tina, Investigators piece together camera footage from around their neighborhood that provides critical details about the person who did it.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The ring camera across the street that caught the suspect going into the house was huge. Our immediate suspects were Bradley Post because he was Christina's Fiance and found her deceased and John Mello because they had a previous relationship and had a child together. From the ring and security camera footage in the neighborhood, we learned that our suspect appeared to be male, tall and slender, with very good posture, and arrived on a bike. It was pretty obvious that that Bradley Post's stature is not matched the stature of the person that went into that house. And John Mello was in Italy at the time. So we know he's not the person that walked into the door.

[Reporter]

With Bradley post and John Mello ruled out as the killer, investigators are working overtime to figure out who the man on the bike is.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We had been working I don't even know how many hours a day. We had no suspects. Everywhere we were turning, we were just running into dead ends.

[Reporter]

Given John Mello's solid alibi, investigators decide to dig a little deeper into his circle of friends and acquaintances.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We still felt like we need to talk to people that know him. Why he's not the one that killed her. But from the information we had with the child custody dispute, we just felt like there's motive there. We learn that an individual named Michael Manigault worked for John Mello to clean his house. So we found Mr. Manigault and we spoke with him.

[Reporter]

Like Bradley Post, Michael Manigault does not match the ring camera footage of the man recorded entering the Parcell house.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

When we were able to blow up the footage, we were able to tell the person we were looking for was white. Mr. Maniglaw is Africa American.

[Reporter]

But when investigators ask Manigault what he knows about Christina's death, he gives them a new name.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Tell me again how you heard about Christina. A mutual friend of me and John. Zach Hughes.

[Reporter]

He said about a week and a.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Half ago that Christina stabbed to death. He goes on to tell us that Zach Hughes cleans John Mello's house with him. Is this him? Is it that? Yes, that's it. At that point, you start looking into Zach Hughes. Find out who he is. Master Deputy Wolf. He did just a basic Internet search. There's YouTube video of Zachary Hughes.

[Reporter]

The videos are from a virtual concert series Hughes did with a local museum and posted on his YouTube channel.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Zach is a pretty extraordinary musician. I noticed that He's a pianist, and there's a lot of articles about him and his accomplishments. I was very surprised. He had no criminal record. I couldn't even find a speeding ticket. How does Zachary get around? You said old truck or something?

[Reporter]

Yeah, old truck. Peter.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I. He picks me up once on once. I have his name I can pull up every vehicle you have with your license plate. Within 10 minutes, we're able to learn that he, in fact, owned a gold Ford truck.

[Reporter]

Investigators discover a crucial clue not far from downtown Greenville. If you look up there, you'll see a camera that's called a Flock camera. It's an automated license plate reader that alerts law enforcement if a wanted vehicle is detected.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

A little after 2pm on the day of Christina's murder. There's a picture of his vehicle coming into the downtown area with a black bike in the bed of his truck. And that bike matched the exact description of the bike that we had on the ring cameras of the individual leaving the Canebrake neighborhood. The handlebars were the same. The brakes were in the exact same place. The frame was the same. Felt like I just won the lottery with all that information. We really honed in on Zachary Hughes as our main suspect. We get a search warrant for Zach Hughes's residence, where he's staying. When we all get there, it's almost like Zach was waiting on us. He comes out calm, puts his hands up, and he backs up towards my direction, and I put handcuffs on him. Anybody else in the house? Yes, sir. He never asked why we were there or what we were doing. I said him in the back of Investigator Wolf's car, and he stayed there while we executed the search warrant. We obviously want his cell phone. We're looking for the bicycle. We knew Christina Parcell had been stabbed, so we're looking for any objects that could have done that. They have a detached garage at this property. And then we were able to find the exact bike that is on the Flock pitcher in the bed of his truck. The bike had been washed or cleaned before we were able to locate it. It was an absolute pristine condition.

[Reporter]

Investigators don't have enough yet to make an arrest, so they let Zach Hughes go, but not before obtaining a sample of his DNA.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Her fingernails were broken, which made us think she fought back. So we believed that DNA could possibly be under her fingernails of her killer.

[Reporter]

While they wait for the DNA results, authorities are trying to determine just how close Zach Hughes and John Mello really are. How did you come to know Zach?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I was walking with my daughter down Main street, and we were just a couple of weeks away from moving full time to Italy, and he was playing piano on the street. And so he finished, and he said, hello, Tilburg. And she said, hello. And she says, do you know Claire De Lune? And he played Clair de Lune, and it was fantastic. And then days later he was in a different location by Falls Apart playing. And we chatted quite a while and exchanged contact information. And that was it. And then we left not long after that.

[Reporter]

Melo says that once he takes his daughter to Italy, he loses touch with Hughes for a few months. But after Christina Parcel wins her case to bring their daughter back to the United States, he says the two men reconnect.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I was unbelievably sad and distraught and I reached out to him and I told him what was going on because he was just like, oh my God, not your little girl.

[Reporter]

You don't think Zach is a killer?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

There's just no way. The guy's heart is the as big as the moon. And what would his motive be?

[Reporter]

Even while investigators are zeroing in on Hughes, prosecutor Walt Wilkins has the same question.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Why would Zach Hughes go kill somebody for John Mello? And if you do that for your friend, you must either be a really good friend or a really scary person. Do you think I could talk him into doing something like that for free? Throwing his life down the toilet at his age?

[Reporter]

This episode is brought to you by Greenlight.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

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[Reporter]

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[Deputy Chris Robinson]

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[Reporter]

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[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint.

[Reporter]

You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] I don't know what to say about Zach. I love him. He's one of my best friend. I think he has the ability to become one of the greatest pianists of our century.

[Reporter]

Zach Hughes. You know, a lot of people don't know who he is and kind of what his background is. How did he end up in Greenville?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He was born In California.

[Reporter]

When he was roughly 10, 11 years old, his family moved to Virginia on a small farm. They lived in Virginia until he was a teenager.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Then they moved to the upstate of South Carolina. His parents could see an aptitude for music, so his dad bought him a.

[Reporter]

Piano at a yard sale for $300. And that's where he started. And over the course of his childhood.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He just developed a passion for it, became very good at it.

[Reporter]

Like when you say good at it, like prodigy good. He consistently did things that were very extraordinary.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He begins to compete in very prestigious music festivals. He decided to apply for Juilliard and was accepted in 2010. Juilliard is one of our most prestigious conservatories. For musicians to be received into the program suggests that a young artist is at the top of his or her game.

[Reporter]

I Met Zach in 2011, Juilliard, and.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Very quickly we decided to build some projects and he started playing my music. I always felt Zach treating everyone with this equal, profound kindness. He was devoted to his friend, devoted to his parents, devoted to everyone he was meeting. Basically, in 2013, Zach came to Paris especially to premiere my first sonata, which was called Sonata Mystique, the Horatoire du Louvre, which is rather famous place in Paris. And it was. It was a huge success.

[Reporter]

As seen here in a video posted on YouTube. Zach Hughes graduates from Juilliard in 2015. He spends a season with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra before eventually settling in Greenville, South Carolina, amid its thriving local arts and music scene.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We've always punched above our weight artistically, you might say, here In Greenville in 2020, someone had contacted me to tell me about this young pianist who was going to attempt a really ambitious project, playing all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonatas in the space of a year. He called his project the Beethoven Odyssey.

[Reporter]

Zach Hughes posted videos of the Beethoven odyssey on his YouTube channel.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He was playing them by heart, and that was very, very impress. Together, they span 600 pages and more than 11 hours of music. I thought, based on his YouTube videos, as well as seeing him perform live and in person, that here was a young man with a very bright future ahead of him as a musician.

[Reporter]

During the COVID pandemic, Zachary Hughes could often be found here in downtown Greenville with his keyboard, sharing his Juilliard training and his love of Beethoven with the community.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He started off doing some concerts live, but then when Covid hit, he was doing some busking down in downtown Greenville, and one day a man walked up to him and asked if he would take a request.

[Reporter]

That man of course is John Mello. And this chance encounter is the start of their friendship.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

It was a pretty strong friendship from what I understood.

[Reporter]

It was in May of 2021, Zach actually goes to Italy to visit John Mello. What's that trip about?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Melo said, why don't you recharge your batteries and just come over and visit? I go, come to Italy. I go, I got a recording. I could use you. So he came and we rehearsed a lot and spent a lot of time together. He's just a really very well educated, very articulate, very fun, kind person. And we just really hit it off.

[Reporter]

Cemented by the time in Italy, their connection continues when Zach Hughes returns home to South Carolina.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Zach began doing yard work, just odds and ends around the house to help him out.

[Reporter]

Had he ever met Christina, not once.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

How would he ever have an occasion to meet her?

[Reporter]

But investigators are starting to believe that Zach Hughes did in fact meet Christina Purcell on at least one occasion. And they say they've now got the evidence to prove it.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The DNA results came back as Zach Hughes DNA was under the fingernails of Christina Parcell. And so as a result, we were able to get a warrant for his arrest. And he makes the decision to turn himself in. Typically, the people that we deal with for murders, they don't wear suits. They're not pianists. For us, this is just all very unusual. He just sat there. He wasn't rude, but he just had no emotion. And then after that, we took him to our detention center and booked him. This man locked up tonight, charged with murder. We started receiving calls that we had arrested the wrong person.

[Reporter]

And at a bond hearing for Zach Hughes, the courtroom is packed with supporters insisting that he's not capable of murder. As a mother, I know him and his mother, no doubt that Zach had.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Any part of this. We were convinced that we had the correct person and that he just made everybody believe he was something that he wasn't.

[Reporter]

Ultimately, the judge denies Hughes bond. And now it's up to the state of South Carolina to prove to a jury that this 29 year old piano virtuoso is also a cold blooded killer.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

John Mello had a problem. He had a custody problem, and Zach Hughes solved the problem for him.

[Reporter]

And prosecutors now think they have evidence implicating Melo in the murder. There was a text exchange between you and Zach where you ask him, how's the music research going?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Right? Yeah. On the day of the murder.

[Reporter]

On the day of the murder, it.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Was two musicians discussing the music project.

[Reporter]

So were the men Discussing music or murder. Three years after Christina Parcell's Zachary Hughes trial begins, family and friends pile in here to the Greenville county courthouse to see if this accomplished musician might also be a killer.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We will now begin the trial. State. The state intends to prove that Zachary Hughes did in fact murder Christina Parcell. Typically, in opening statements, you want to lay out a little bit of a roadmap for the jury. Christina Parcell had been going through a very tremendous child custody dispute with John Mello. Zack Hughes began inserting himself into this custody of the battle at the behest of John Mellow. And the evidence will show that Zach Hughes is a cold blooded killer. The state calls Bradley Post.

[Reporter]

One of the first witnesses to take the stand, clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, is Christina Parcell's fiance, Bradley Post. Prosecutors want to ask him about that morning he found her dead.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Good afternoon, Mr. Post. Where do you currently reside? Greenville county detention center.

[Reporter]

Prior to the start of the trial, the judge ruled that jurors would not be allowed to hear that investigators had allegedly found a high volume of child pornography on Post electronic devices or that he was facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Child pornography is extremely prejudicial. I mean, nobody in America thinks that that's okay. But the purposes of us being there was to determine whether Zach Hughes murdered Christina Parcell. When you arrived, what did you do? I went to the front door and rang the doorbell. She didn't answer. I walked into the back door. I saw her on her back. When you saw her on her back, was there a lot of blood around the room? Yes.

[Reporter]

The medical examiner testifies to just how violent the attack appeared to be.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

What jumped out at you in your findings?

[Reporter]

There were 35 sharp forest injuries to Ms. Parcell.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And then based on the appearances of.

[Reporter]

The wounds, it is most consistent with.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The knife being used.

[Reporter]

The chipped thumb, fingernail, Something that really stood out to me on scene.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Why does that stand out to you?

[Reporter]

Broken fingernails can be a sign that the person tried to defend themselves. Next, a court appointed attorney for the child in the custody dispute takes the stand to address the conflict that prosecuted prosecutors say is at the heart of this case.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

What findings did you make as to the lengths that Mr. Mello would go to get custody? He was very clear that there was nothing off limits. This was the worst case I've ever worked on as far as representing a.

[Reporter]

Child'S interest at the time of the murder. Remember, John. John Mello was still in Italy. And that, prosecutors say, is why Mello needed Zach Hughes.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

When John Mello left for Italy, they began using WhatsApp to communicate with each other. After Christina Parcell was able to retrieve her child from Italy and return back to the United States, their communications increased by 10,000%. When we downloaded Mr. Hughes phone, we obtained over 1700 WhatsApp messages between Mr. Hughes and John Mello.

[Reporter]

But because Zach Hughes had deleted those encrypted WhatsApp messages before authorities got his phone, when they were able to retrieve them, they came back scrambled.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The longer ones, obviously, we couldn't make sense out of. But some of the shorter ones, you can determine what I said. So you states 184. You recognize that? Yes, sir. This is a message from John Mello. It says harass of her. 5142. We can the out. I believe he's providing Christina's phone number, which ends in 5142. He's saying harass the out of her.

[Reporter]

When I spoke to John Mello prior to Zach Hughes trial, he told me about sending this message.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

They had the text of me saying, you know, to Zach, oh, I got a private phone or something, you know, use it. Harass her kind of thing. But his response was, no, I'm not going to get in trouble for you.

[Reporter]

But prosecutors argue at trial, this is when John Mello convinced Zach Hughes to help him in that alleged campaign of harassment against Christina, sent those explicit photos from a supposed escort website.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We were reviewing the Gmails of John Mello and Zachary Hughes. And inside was an email that came from Mullen Investigations, which we believe to be John Mello because we could never find Mullen Investigations and included two of the photos of Christina Parcell in a state of undress that were found in those envelopes.

[Reporter]

The most significant communication between the two men, prosecutors say was their last WhatsApp message sent just hours after Christina Parcell was killed.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

October 13, 2021. That did research on music Halgo at 2:53pm the message reads phone over. Tell you good. The aisle. The question John Mello asked about how the music research was going to me, I thought they were speaking in code for killing Christina.

[Reporter]

There was a text exchange between you and Zach where you ask him, how's the music research going?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Right. Yeah. On the day of the murder.

[Reporter]

And some people think that could be code for how did the murder go?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Okay, yeah, I know, I know. That's what they're thinking. It was two musicians discussing the music project he was working on. Simple as that. That's what it is.

[Reporter]

The prosecutors have one more damning piece of evidence against Hughes to put before the jury.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The cherry on top was the DNA evidence. Zach Hughes had no business being in Christina Parcell's house that day. They had no prior relationship, and his DNA under her fingernails slammed the door on this case.

[Reporter]

With the state's case laid out, it's now the defense's turn. And in a twist, they announce Zach Hughes will be taking the stand.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

His state, Zachary David Hughes.

[Reporter]

And what he tells the jury catches prosecutors and just about everyone else in the courtroom off guard.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

There is is proof to that that the state is hiding from you, you, Honor. Instruct him to be quiet.

[Reporter]

Why? Did you feel like it was important for you to be there? Part of me feels like by being there every day, every minute of this trial, maybe she got to be there, too. Courtroom eight got fuller and fuller as days went on.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

So we're standing outside the courtroom right now.

[Reporter]

It has been quite a sight, to say the least.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Stay. Rest. Your Honor. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Now it's our turn. We are honored and privileged to be representing Zach.

[Reporter]

Zach Hughes's defense team opens with a bombshell, announcing not only will Hughes take the stand, but he's prepared to confess to killing Christina Parcel.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Zach has been waiting for this opportunity. He's been waiting and wanting to tell you why. You're gonna hear that this was done for a just cause. We didn't know exactly what he was gonna say and how he was gonna do it and for what purpose. Please state your name for the record. Zachary David Hughes.

[Reporter]

Hughes first describes how he met John Mello and learned the details of the contentious custody ballot that Mello was in with Christina.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He.

[Reporter]

He says Mello told him that he was worried for his daughter's safety. And in an attempt to help, Hughes admits he was the one who mailed those envelopes with the explicit pictures of Christina.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You sent multiple mailers beginning in June and going into July of 2021. Is that correct? Yes, I did. I wanted different people, such as the Garden, Adelaide, them, to have access to this information that clearly demonstrated that Christina Purcell was a danger to children and her own daughter.

[Reporter]

I'm curious. Why the concern for this child, a child that he doesn't really know that well.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Well, he got to know the child somewhat. I think Zach is just naturally a caring person, just in general. Another point was Christina Parcell's fiance was a man named Brad Post. And Zach was convinced that Christina Parcell was going to allow him to harm her.

[Reporter]

At the beginning of October 2021, did.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You conclude that you had to rescue, and there was no other way. Yes, I did. I had been wrestling with this since June, feeling that I needed to do something to save her, and yet feeling this incredible reluctance to do the one thing that I knew would save her because of how terrible I knew it would be to do it. It's extremely rare for a defendant to get up there and admit to killing somebody in cold blood. Almost as if he was doing something for the sake of humanity. I had prayed like I'd never prayed before.

[Reporter]

He testified it was something he just.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Felt like he had to do to protect that child. But every fiber of his being was fighting him. When you arrived at the house, what did you do? I laid my bike down in the driveway. I took a bunch of roses, and I walked up to the door, and I rang the doorbell.

[Reporter]

According to Hughes, those roses found at the scene that caused so much speculation were nothing more than a ruse. And along with the flowers, he also had a gun.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

A woman came to the front, so I told her that I had a delivery for Lutina Purcell, her sister. And she told me that Lutina wasn't home. So I handed her the roses, and I took the revolver out, and I pointed it at her, and I told her to be quiet and to go back into the house. She began to try to fight back. And during this period of time, the roses had dropped and the petals and stems had scattered. So I pulled out the knife I was wearing, and it just kept striking her and striking her until finally we fell on the floor, and I stopped striking her when she stopped struggling.

[Reporter]

Zach Hughes says that he knew he didn't have time to clean up all of the now scattered rose petals.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And I looked in a mirror before I left, and I saw that she had scratched my face in the struggle. And, of course, I realized that this could leave DNA, so I used the paint thinner to try to clean her hands. I do smell something.

[Reporter]

The paint thinner Hughes brought with him explains that odd smell the responding officer noticed. But even after his detailed testimony, Zach Hughes's defense attorneys insist that he is not guilty of murder.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Murder is defined in South Carolina as a killing of another with malice aforethought. Malice is defined as having a dark heart, a wicked and depraved heart. Zach did this without malice. If there's no malice, there's no murder.

[Reporter]

He planned this. He had a gun and a knife. He basically lied to get into the home, and then he stabbed this woman. How is that not murder? It's very important to understand the motive.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

The entire Motive behind what he did was to save this child. Period.

[Reporter]

And the defense had argued that there were serious abuse allegations against Christina Parcell herself and that jurors should hear them. The judge ruled those accusations were irrelevant and inadmissible. But that didn't stop Zach Hughes from repeatedly making them during his testimony.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

As soon as I left the house, I felt the most enormous wave of relief wash over me. Because I knew from that moment on, be safe from the sexual abuse that her mother was perpetrating on her. And there is proof to that that the state is hiding from you. Your Honor. Instruct him to be quiet.

[Reporter]

Okay.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

You need to stop talking. That was his third sort of outburst, I believe, which I was able to strike from the record. We don't know the circumstances surrounding Christina Parcell and her child and their relationship with Brad Post. And as far as this case is concerned, it does not matter. Assuming it's all true, Christina Parcell doesn't deserve to die the way that she did.

[Reporter]

Investigators say it's also important to note that nobody knew of the allegations against Bradley Post until his arrest. After Christina Parcell's murder.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Zach had never met Christina. The only thing that Zach knew about Christina was what he got from John Mello. We found no evidence that Zachary Hughes knew anything about Bradley Post's alleged behavior prior to the murder.

[Reporter]

But Zach Hughes's testimony isn't over yet. And there's one more bombshell to come.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I was shocked and insulted. It was as close to a Matlock moment as you're going to get. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock.

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[Reporter]

This Greenville county courthouse. Classical pianist Zach Hughes has a rapt audience as he takes jurors step by step through how he says he killed Christina Parcell.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Did you take Christina Parcell's life? Yes. You made me think he just rehearsed it all, which. He is a performer. I felt like he was trying to put on a performance, so I just kept striking.

[Reporter]

And if a confession from the witness stand wasn't shocking enough, Hughes drops another bombshell, testifying that his friend and Christina Parcell's ex, John Mello, offered to pay him on two separate occasions to kill her.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He asked me, would I be willing to kill Christina Parcell for $10,000? It was as close to a Matlock moment as you're gonna get. I told him, john, there's no amount of money that would ever tempt me to do something like this. The only way I would ever consider taking action like this is if I was absolutely convinced that his daughter was not only in danger, but that the only way to rescue her from that danger would be to take Christina Purcell's life.

[Reporter]

We reached out to John Mello about these allegations right after Zach Hughes's testimony, and he told us, quote, it never happened.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

I was incredulous to the absurdity of his statements that he is going to sit there and decide when somebody gets to live or somebody gets to die based on his own personal judgments. That is absolutely absurd.

[Reporter]

Before he made the decision to do this, did he have any physical proof that this child was in harm's way? So I would say he did.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He knew it.

[Reporter]

With the information he had received from John Mello, with the documents he had received, Zach Hughes says he also had the chance to see Christina's daughter while he was visiting John Mello in Italy. And Mello spoke to her over zoom.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He said that he could notice a profound change in her demeanor. The light went out of her eyes. So there were other things like that. The crying corroborated what he believed.

[Reporter]

Now, after a full day of testimony, it's the prosecutor's turn to question Zach Hughes.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

This is the opportunity of a lifetime for a prosecutor. I have the ability to cross examine a confessed murderer, but you have to understand the position that I was in. Zachary Hughes was stating things on his direct examination that he was ordered by the court not to say the battle in his mind was telling this jury information that they had no business hearing. And so I came up with a strategic decision to ask one question. Mr. Hughes, when you dragged Christina Parcel across the floor of the front room where you killed her, did you drag her by her Arm or by her ankle? I don't remember for certain, but I think by the ankle. That's all the questions I need to ask this, you, Honor. And I left Zach Hughes with the inability to say what he really wanted to say. We are about to begin closing arguments. He can confessed to killing Christina Parcel, but that in and of itself does not make him guilty of murder. The state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, malice. That is the intent, the knowledge, the mental part of murder. Just because Zachary Hughes heart is so cold and so dead that it can't be angry. That is not a defense. Vigilante justice is not allowed in this state. The evidence is absolutely overwhelming. I'm gonna ask you to find Zach Hughes guilty.

[Reporter]

The case is now in the hands of the jurors, one of whom was this man, David Collins.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

He confessed to the crime of taking Christina's life. None of us could believe what we were hearing.

[Reporter]

I was actually wondering why we were.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

In the courtroom and having a trial.

[Reporter]

After less than three hours of deliberations, the jury returns with a verdict.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Your honor, as to the charge of murder, we the jury, find the defendant guilty. I don't understand how you could stab someone 30 times and be in a struggle with them without malice in your heart. He was trying to play God, and he was trying to play the judge, and he was trying to play the executor.

[Reporter]

Before sentencing, Zach Hughes, father speaks to the court.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Thank you, your honor, for the opportunity to speak a few words. I'm my son's behalf. He has such a strong moral compass and a desire for the truth that sometimes he actually hurts himself. I love my son. I'm proud of my son. Thank you, your honor. Zachary David Hughes, you're to be committed to the state department of Corrections for life.

[Reporter]

The question now, will John Mello be the next person charged in this case? Are you worried they're gonna arrest you in connection with this murder?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Please state your name for the record. Zachary David Hughes.

[Reporter]

Zach Hughes. Hughes's unexpected courtroom testimony has now put the spotlight back on John Bellow, prompting investigators to take action.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

We discussed all the evidence we had against John Mello already. And then with Mr. Hughes's new statements, we believed there was enough to move forward with charges. John Mello is charged with solicitation to commit a felony and accessory before the fact of murder. Based on the nature of these charges and the situation involved in this case, I have been no bond. You.

[Reporter]

One of the people in attendance at tonight's bond court hearing was Christina Parcell's sister. You did this to your family. Your child has to. To know that you did this. When I sat down with John Mello before Zach Hughes trial, I asked him about the allegations swirling around him that he was somehow involved in this murder. Are you worried they're gonna arrest you in connection with this murder?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Two years I've been here. Did everything. DNA, fingerprints. You know, they talked about the telephone and the messages and. What? There's nothing there.

[Reporter]

But either you had some part of this, or you were caught in the craziest murder case that any of us have ever heard of.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I'm caught up in it. All I did was try to do the right thing.

[Reporter]

Did you have anything at all to do with the murder of Christina Percy?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

No. Absolutely not. No. No.

[Reporter]

We reached out to John Mello's attorney, but he declined to answer our questions and says he looks forward to his day in court. Mello has not yet entered a formal plea to these charges. Do you think in some ways that Zach was manipulated by John Mello?

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Zack is extremely intelligent person. He's a very disciplined person. He's not going to be manipulated by a person.

[Reporter]

There should be justice. People should be held accountable for their actions, for willfully, willingly, cruelly hurting people in this world, whether you know them or not, whether they're family or not, whether you love them or not.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

My lasting impression of this case is it was tragic. It was a heinous crime. It didn't have to happen.

[Reporter]

And at the center of this tragedy, an innocent little girl left without her mother. Christina's daughter has been temporarily placed with friends of John Mello upon his request. Following a family court rule, her aunt Tina is currently fighting for custody of her. Your niece, what do you want for her? The same thing I've always wanted for her. My job is for her to be safe, healthy, and happy, specifically in that order. She deserves better than this.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Remembering her sister tonight and with hopes for her niece. We should also note tonight that Zach Hughes has now appealed his conviction. And David, as for John Mello and Bradley Post, both men remain in jail awaiting trials. That's our program for tonight. Thanks so much for watching.

[Reporter]

I'm Deborah Roberts.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

And I'm David Muir. From all of us here at 2020 and ABC NBC News, good night.

[Reporter]

Hello, it's Robin Roberts here.

[Deputy Chris Robinson]

Hey, guys, it's George Stephanopoulos here. Hey, everybody, it's Michael Strahan here. Wake up with Good Morning America. Robin, George Michael, gma, America's favorite number one morning show, the morning's first breaking news, exclusive interviews, what everyone will be talking about that day. Put some good in your little and start your day with GMA Good Morning America. Put the good in your morning GMA 7A on ABC. This is Deborah Roberts. To hear the backstory to this episode, join me for the 2020 After Show. Every Monday. I'm gonna talk with correspondents, producers, some of those folks behind the scenes who bring you these stories. And you're gonna hear bonus tape that's not necessarily included in the episode. That's 2,020 the After Show Mondays in your 2,020 podcast feed.