Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel

Summary

48 Hours: Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel – Episode Summary

Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host: Anne-Marie Green
Correspondent: Peter Van Sant

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of 48 Hours, titled "Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel," CBS News host Anne-Marie Green delves deep into the perplexing murder case of Gary Farris. Joined by seasoned correspondent Peter Van Sant, the episode unpacks the intricate details surrounding Gary's death, the conviction of his wife Melody Farris, and the ensuing turmoil within the Farris family.

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Case Overview

Gary Farris was brutally murdered in 2018, with his remains discovered in a burn pile on the family farm in Georgia. Initially, suspicion fell on his wife, Melody Farris, who was subsequently charged and convicted for the crime. However, Melody vehemently maintains that the true perpetrator is their son, Scott Farris, a claim that Scott staunchly denies.

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Interviews with Scott Farris

Peter Van Sant provides an in-depth analysis of Scott's involvement—or lack thereof—in the investigation. He recounts a revealing interview with Scott, highlighting key points that cast doubt on Melody's accusations.

• Alibi Confirmation: Scott was "far away from the family farm" on the day of the murder (07:27). His cell phone activity places him elsewhere, contradicting Melody's claims.

• Consistency in Testimony: Van Sant notes, "You have a belief that you can judge a person's veracity... Scott has told a consistent story throughout" (02:51). This consistency contrasts sharply with typical deceptive behavior observed in suspects.

• Unanswered Questions: A significant mystery remains—“how does a 120-pound Melody Farris manage to get, if she murdered her husband, a 300-pound body into that burn pile?” (05:14). Despite extensive investigations, no concrete evidence links Melody to the physical act of moving Gary's body.

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Courtroom Proceedings

The trial against Melody Farris was fraught with dramatic moments and strategic legal maneuvers.

• Defense Strategy: The defense attempted to cast doubt on Melody's capability to commit the murder, introducing visual demonstrations to suggest the impossibility of her moving Gary's body. Van Sant critiques this approach, stating it "backfired" when the defense failed to convincingly present an alternative suspect (09:46).

• Critical Evidence: One pivotal piece of evidence was the movement of Gary's cell phone from the house to the burn pile and back, exclusively linked to Melody (12:36). Additionally, unusual phone activity between Melody and her lover, Rusty Barton, raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the murder (14:05).

• Jury Deliberation: Initially nearing a hung jury after three days of deliberation, the jury ultimately convicted Melody on all five counts, including malice murder and making false statements (15:34).

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Melody Farris's Sentencing and Accusations

During the sentencing hearing, a moment of high drama unfolded when Melody publicly accused her son Scott of the murder.

• Dramatic Accusation: Melody, who had remained stoic throughout the trial, suddenly exclaimed, “Scott is the killer. I know that Scott did this,” shocking everyone in the courtroom (15:34).

• Impact on the Courtroom: Van Sant describes the scene as “absolutely breathtaking” and notes the profound shock and disbelief among those present (15:34).

• Scott's Reaction: This public accusation by his mother added another layer of trauma for Scott, who already felt betrayed by the defense's insinuations against him (16:58).

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Exclusive Interview with Melody Farris

Peter Van Sant conducted a rare interview with Melody immediately following her sentencing, providing unprecedented insights into her perspective.

• Melody's Testimony: Melody claimed that her deceased mother had confided in her that Scott was the true murderer. She asserted, “We will one day be able to prove that Scott did this,” expressing unwavering belief in her son's innocence (19:44).

• Challenging Her Claims: Van Sant probed Melody on the lack of tangible evidence supporting her allegations against Scott. Despite intense questioning, Melody remained steadfast, “Scott is the killer. It's not me,” indicating her determination to shift blame (21:27).

• Lack of Evidence: Melody's assertions lack concrete evidence, as investigators found no remnants of the tow strap Scott mentioned or any DNA linking Scott to the murder scene beyond speculation (07:47).

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Family Aftermath

The Farris family's dynamics have been irreparably damaged by the murder, trial, and ensuing accusations.

• Strained Relationships: Scott reported ongoing divisions within the family, particularly with his sister Amanda, who maintains faith in their mother's innocence (22:37).

• Family Fracture: The other children describe Melody as having had anger issues and being a source of conflict, further exacerbating familial tensions (22:37).

• Emotional Toll: Van Sant reflects on the profound tragedy, noting, “to have all this hatred, animosity and ultimately death and the burning of a corpse on that property is just mind-boggling” (22:37).

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Conclusion

"The Farris Wheel" episode of 48 Hours provides a comprehensive exploration of a deeply disturbing and complex murder case. Through meticulous reporting and exclusive interviews, Anne-Marie Green and Peter Van Sant shed light on the unresolved questions, contested testimonies, and the lingering impact on the Farris family. The episode leaves listeners contemplating the murky waters of justice and familial loyalty, underscoring the human emotions entwined in legal battles.

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Notable Quotes

• Peter Van Sant (02:51):
  "You have a belief that you can judge a person's veracity... Scott has told a consistent story throughout."

• Peter Van Sant (05:14):
  “How does a 120-pound Melody Farris manage to get, if she murdered her husband, a 300-pound body into that burn pile?”

• Peter Van Sant (15:34):
  “It was absolutely breathtaking.”

• Peter Van Sant (19:44):
  “We sat down and had a really spirited interview, to say the least, where I pressed her on her accusations, and it was fascinating.”

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This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of the 48 Hours episode, offering listeners a thorough understanding of the Farris murder case, the courtroom drama, and the enduring ramifications for the involved family members.

Transcript

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[Peter Van Sant]

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[Paige Desorbo]

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] foreign welcome back to Postmortem. I'm your host, Ann Marie Green. And today I'm joined by 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant to discuss the murder of Gary Farris, whose remains were found in a burn pile on his Georgia farm in 2018. Now, his wife Melody was charged and then convicted of his murder, but she says the real killer is actually their son, Scott. Scott Farris denies all of this. We are going to talk about all the details in this case. Peter's exclusive interview with Melody right after she learns her fate that she's sentenced to life behind bars. Peter, I want to thank you for joining us.

[Peter Van Sant]

Hi, Anne Marie. It's great to be here again. And they called this the Ferris wheel. So hop on and enjoy the ride, folks.

[Paige Desorbo]

Yeah, exactly. And a reminder, if you haven't taken the ride yet, meaning if you haven't actually listened to this episode yet, you can find the full hour in your podcast feed right above this one. So go listen to this case and then come on back so we can discuss. All right, Peter, so we are gonna talk about your exclusive interview with Melody Faris, which is absolutely remarkable. And it's funny cause I was watching, I didn't actually clue in that she was wearing orange until later on, which gives you a little indication that, you know, things did not go her way. But before we even get into that, I want to talk about Scott because you also had an interview with Scott Farris. His job was to run the day to day Operations on the farm. He lived there. Police zero in on Melody, though. But I'm really curious because she points the finger at her own son. Was he ever a suspect in this case?

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott was questioned. He was never charged with any crime whatsoever. And during the course of the trial, defense attorneys, there was all this innuendo out there, and they're questioning that he must have had something to do with his father's murder. But in fact, on July 3, 2018, the day that authorities believe Gary Farris was murdered, Scott's cell phone and Scott were far away from the family farm. He didn't return until about 11:30 that night, so he simply wasn't there. Sitting across from him, though, you know, people like you and me who've interviewed so many people, we have a. We have a belief that we have a sense that we can judge a person's veracity, their honesty. He looked me right in the eye. He has told a consistent story throughout. People who are lying oftentimes will tell different versions of what happened because they can't quite keep their story straight. Not with Scott. I challenged him with lots of tough questions, and he took them on with great spirit, answered everything. There was nothing that. That was off limits with Scott, which was fantastic. The defense tried to raise suspicions that he was involved with all of this. We didn't get into this a lot in the. In the hour, but it is interesting. Scott Farris lived in an apartment at the very top of the barn, and his mother complained that investigators didn't do a good job of searching that barn. Well, it turns out that some.38 caliber ammunition was found in the barn. And remember, Gary Farris's bullet that was found on his rib cage was a.38 caliber. And yet in the barn, there was no firearm that could shoot a.38 caliber bullet. So in Melody's mind, well, clearly her son must have used a gun, disposed of that weapon. But it turns out that Scott Farris had a buddy who did have a gun, fired a.38. They'd get together and do some target practice, and that the bullets, the ammunition they found inside that barn was explained to the satisfaction of investigators. On top of everything else, in the end, the.38 caliber bullets found in the barn was actually a different type of.38 caliber slug than what was found in Gary Farris's body.

[Paige Desorbo]

All right, so. So there you go. So the other thing that you did, Peter, and I'm really curious about what this was like, is that you actually went to the exact locations, and sometimes that really makes a Difference in terms of your reporting to see the distance from one place to the next. This hill, this, this farm, how did like going to these locations inform your reporting?

[Peter Van Sant]

One of the big issues in this case, which for me is still unresolved, is how does a 120 pound melody Ferris manage to get, if she murdered her husband, a 300 pound body into that burn pile? And one of the things that investigators looked at, there were two farm vehicles that they had. One was called an rtv, a rough terrain vehicle. And what investigators were wondering, and by the way, Melody knew how to use both of these vehicles, so they were wondering, did she take the RTV and drag him out to the pile? So they went and checked the RTV and there was no DNA at all of Gary Faris on there. There was a single drop of blood. It turned out to be Melody's blood on the shifter. But as somebody that, you know, we have a place out in the country and when you're out there, I mean, every time I go out there, I cut myself on something. So they, they just didn't think that was significant. The other vehicle was a tractor with a small shovel in the front, but large enough to carry a human being. And investigators checked it out to see if there was any DNA inside that shovel that matched Gary Faris and they found nothing there. So there was just no evidence at all that a body had been dragged from the house up to the burn pile, had been dragged anywhere, and there were no tire marks that went directly from the house to the burn pile. So to this day it's like, like a space alien came down and somehow scooped up his body and put him in that pile. And for me, and for 48 hours, producers who were, who were there at the trial, it just eats away at us. How did she get that body in that burn pile?

[Paige Desorbo]

It's a wee bit of a distance too. It's not like a short distance. But you spoke to Scott, which I can only imagine he's racking his brain trying to come up with a theory. This was not included in the hour and so I want to play some of the sound of what Scott said to you, how what he believes happened. Let's play the unaired clip.

[Peter Van Sant]

Several months after my father was murdered, we had one of our horses get into the pond. This is wintertime, cold water. He couldn't get out. So I rushed home and my buddy came and helped me. I went to go look for a tow strap that my dad and I used the weekend prior to his murder. Big yellow nylon Tow strap. We use it to drag logs and boulders and stuff around with the rtv. I couldn't find that tow strap anywhere. I searched the entire property. It's missing, gone. That right there is when I knew what she used to get him to the burn pile. She used that to drag him there. The strap that Scott is talking about is a strong nylon strap. You can hook it on the back of an rtv. There's usually an eyelet there. They'll use it oftentimes if they're out deer hunting, let's say, and they want to bring a carcass back, or if they're hauling waste materials from the farm, if they're pruning trees or whatever and they'll take things to the burn pile. That strap may be missing. And it's one of many unanswered questions in the course of this case. But it doesn't count as evidence. And this is important. No remnants of that strap was ever found on that burn pile.

[Paige Desorbo]

Nevertheless, police do arrest Melody. They arrest her in 2019. They charge Melody Ferris with the murder of her husband Gary. But then the case drags out. It's five years before they actually go to trial. The DA said, you know, this had partially to do with COVID And we know, Peter, that Covid, it really did sort of delay a lot of cases. Your team, however, was in the courtroom. I just want to get a sense of what it was like when arguments were heard from the defense, from the prosecution. Did people in the courtroom get a sense of where this case might be going?

[Peter Van Sant]

It's interesting because I was getting briefings from producers who were at the trial and they felt as though it was going Melody's way in that this unanswered question of how she could have gotten the body from the house to the burnt pile was huge.

[Paige Desorbo]

Right.

[Peter Van Sant]

So during the defense close, there was a moment of real drama because the big question, how could she have possibly gotten that 300 pound body to the burn pile? And the attorney brings in these large sacks of rock salt, one bag at a time, dumps it in front of the jury and then keeps talking. Then the next one, boom. Eventually getting up to around that 300 pound mark to try to demonstrate whether a person would be able, especially someone of that weight, 120 pounds, would be able to move that weight. But I believe that strategically, this is where the defense attorney made an enormous mistake. What he should have had done then is say, here's someone from my office, here's Carol. She's £120 Carol, I'd like you to try to move this instead. He pulled the tarp. And this is a courtroom, it's a flat floor, it's lacquered, and he pulled it. It was a dramatic stunt that, that backfired. There was also this issue of there were just a couple spots of blood inside the house. Prosecutors seized on that and said, well, that's where he must have been shot. And the blood started in the kitchen, went down some steps into this lower area where that was his bedroom, and there was a door out there that led outside, according to the defense. Why wouldn't there have been a bunch more blood there and some blood spatter if he had been shot? And also, and this was confirmed by the Ferris daughter, Amanda, just a few days prior to his disappearance, her father had been bitten by Melody's dog on the ankle in the kitchen and he had bled. And so when our people heard this stuff for them, there was reasonable doubt out there. But what became the biggest piece of evidence for the jurors was when one of these electronics, cell phone experts testified that Gary Farris's cell phone shows that the day after they believe he had been placed in that burn pile, his phone moved from the house to the burn pile and back to the house. And at that time there was only one person that was on the property who could have done that, and that person was Melody. And for jurors, that was the single most important piece of information for them that said, well, no one was at the farm at that time except Melody.

[Paige Desorbo]

Huh? Yes, I thought that was a curious bit of evidence as well. And I was frankly surprised that they could track the phone over that short of a distance.

[Peter Van Sant]

Yep. And also that expert analyzed the phone relationship between Melody and her lover, Rusty Barton. They'd had a relationship for several years and they tended to always speak at a certain time in the evening. But on July 3rd, these phone calls went on through the night. There were several of them. And the last call was made around 2:30 in the morning, which was highly unusual. And it suggested to people, well, what were they talking about? What had just occurred that might demand a phone call like this? And the speculation is a murder. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed. Or your Money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast terms apply.

[Paige Desorbo]

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[Peter Van Sant]

Well, this was high drama. I've been to so many sentencing hearings and none of us knew this was coming. Melody comes alive. She'd been silent throughout this entire trial. Unemotional, stoic, not reacting to some of the things that are being said. And all of a sudden, this. It was like Mount St. Helens, you know, that lava dome had built up and built up, and now this was her moment. And it exploded. It erupted. And she dramatically accuses her own son of being the killer. And the judge, you could tell, was stunned. Everyone was stunned in that room. And looking over at them, they were physically reacting. You know, when you. You say something so stunning to someone and so hurtful, there's a shudder that people will do. And they were all looking at each other and they were having that, that shudder reaction. And it was so powerful. And then to have the, the. The mother that brought you into this world and raised you and say, not only that, but I can't wait until you are in handcuffs, being led away to prison to spend the rest of your life behind bars. It was absolutely breathtaking.

[Paige Desorbo]

So then was this coming as a complete surprise to Scott, or did he know that his mother had been suggesting that maybe he was the culprit?

[Peter Van Sant]

You know, when a defense team builds a lot of their case on, she Couldn't have done it. She physically couldn't have moved that body. They had to suggest a potential other suspect. Then when they cross examined Scott, they really went after him. You are physically able. You are the only one on that farm that could move that body. You had issues with your father or financial issues. You had told people that one day this farm would be yours. They suggested all these things that he had a motive to kill. So you knew it was out there in the ether. But it wasn't until this moment that you knew for sure that his mom thought, the wrong person has been convicted of this crime. The real killer is just sitting right behind me off to the side. And that killer is my own son.

[Paige Desorbo]

So, you know, Peter, it's one thing to hear that suggestion from your mother's defense attorneys, right? You know, at least on some level that they're doing a job and it's to create doubt. But it's another thing to hear it from your own mother who is not only saying that you did this horrible thing, but is, you know, sort of preemptively celebrating the day that you will get what's coming to you. I don't know if Scott was even kind of ready to talk about, like that emotional stuff, but when you sat down and talked to him, did he talk about that hurt, that betrayal? This is his mom.

[Peter Van Sant]

Absolutely. It was profound for him. And for him, it was also just one more betrayal because he claims that Melody's story about Scott's relationship with his father is a lie. According to Scott, he got along with his dad. They loved each other very much. He worked hard at that farm. That his father had not talked to him about cutting off his funds and things that she had made up a relationship that simply didn't exist. And for Scott then to hear all of this was just another turn of the knife that was already in his back. And it was a tragedy. It was this Ferris wheel taking one last evil turn.

[Paige Desorbo]

Isn't that the truth? Okay, so let us talk about your exclusive interview with Melody. Maybe this has happened before. You've been doing this for a long time. I don't recall ever watching when an accused who is then convicted walks right out of the courtroom and sits down in front of 48 hours cameras. How did that come about? Tell me more about this interview.

[Peter Van Sant]

Well, this has happened once before in all my years at 48 hours and through our producers that worked this. They had made contact with defense attorneys, had a good relationship with him, and proposed this interview. And Melody agreed to did occur so quickly that after the drama in the courtroom, I dashed to the back. We had set up a room there at the courthouse to do this interview. And I'm sitting in a chair looking down at my notes, getting ready for Melody to come in. I look up and she's already in the chair, sitting there, staring at me with that face that I had seen on TV screens. And she was raring to go. And I told her I just listened to one of the most dramatic sentencing hearings of my career. Tell this audience what you want them to know. And it all came out. The flood of this came out, in which she now claimed that her dead mother had told her. We both know that Scott did this. I know that Scott did this, but I want you to protect my grandson. This is what Melody claimed and that Melody had agreed to do that. Melody didn't take the stand and tell this story. When I asked her that, it was the classical. My attorneys didn't want me to. My attorneys didn't want me to. Keep in mind, as Melody is making all of these claims, this case had been exhaustively investigated. And police have told us that for them, all of the evidence led to one person, and that person was Melody. But we sat down and had a really spirited interview, to say the least, where I pressed her on her accusations, and it was fascinating.

[Paige Desorbo]

Did she say anything that surprised you?

[Peter Van Sant]

Her bringing in her mother, who is dead and cannot speak for herself, that was a big surprise, saying that she had made this promise, but now she had to speak up. The thing. I spent a lot of time challenging her. Just about how does a mother go after her own son when. What's the evidence that he did this? Beyond the fact that she's created this narrative. But she's really stuck with it. She doubled down on that. Scott is the killer. She said over and over again, it's not me. I'll have a new day in court. I will be. We will one day be able to prove that Scott did this. I don't know how that's going to happen, but she claims this case is not over and she looks forward to the day that her own son is in chains being led away.

[Paige Desorbo]

Wow. And then you have the whole family. You talked about the Ferris wheel, the tumultuousness of their family dynamic. And so now you have. Their father is dead, their mother is behind bars. Just how are they getting along now?

[Peter Van Sant]

Well, Scott says that things with Amanda have not healed as yet, that division still remains. Amanda testified that she believes in her mother. The other three children are just certain. They say Melody Ferris was a contentious person, had anger issues, was betraying their father, humiliated their father by bringing her lover to their one of the daughter's wedding receptions, dancing with him, partying with him, holding him. The family has blown apart. And you know, as I said when I went out to this bucolic farm, about 10 acres, this beautiful pond, old barn, a mansion that's there. And to have all this hatred, animosity and ultimately death and the burning of a corpse on that property is just mind boggling to me. If I can just mention one other thing too, that's always baffled me. The weekend in which he died, the grandkids were visiting the farm. Who plans a murder when their grandchildren are there. Whether that family will ever come back together, all of them, I don't know.

[Paige Desorbo]

It's such a shame. But it's fascinating story and it's heartbreaking to see the devastation that's left behind with this family. Peter, thank you very much.

[Peter Van Sant]

Thanks Anne Marie.

[Paige Desorbo]

And if you like this series postmortem, please rate and review 48 hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also listen ad free with a 48 hours plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening.