The Farris Wheel

Summary

48 Hours: The Farris Wheel - Episode Summary

Introduction to the Ferris Family The episode "The Farris Wheel" delves into the intricate and tumultuous dynamics of the Ferris family, setting the stage for a gripping true crime narrative. The Ferris family, comprising patriarch Gary Ferris, his wife Melody, and their four children—Chris, Scott, Emily, and Amanda—lived on a picturesque 10-acre farm in Cherokee County. Despite outward appearances of affluence and stability, significant undercurrents of familial discord simmered beneath the surface.

“The Ferris family is made up of Gary Ferris the patriarch, Melody Ferris the mother, and then there were four children…” ([02:30]).

The Disappearance of Gary Ferris On July 4, 2018, the seemingly idyllic life of the Ferris family took a dark turn. Gary Ferris, a successful commercial real estate attorney, went missing. Initially, family members presumed he might have suffered a heart attack, given his health issues. A thorough search of the property yielded nothing—until a shocking discovery changed the course of the investigation.

“It was brought to my attention by my sister and my mother that my father was missing...” ([03:19]).

Discovery of the Body The search for Gary led to a burn pile used for disposing of yard waste. Scott Ferris, the family's eldest son, made a grim discovery when he noticed human bones amidst the ashes, immediately identifying them as his father's remains. A bullet lodged in a rib bone indicated foul play rather than an accidental death.

“I looked down and immediately I could start seeing bones. I squatted down and I'm like, those are human remains.” ([04:01]).

Initial Investigation and Suspicion Detective Daniel Hayes was assigned to the case, uncovering a web of family tensions centered around financial disputes and personal grievances. The Ferris family's internal conflicts, particularly over Gary’s wealth, became the focal point of the investigation.

“Peter Van Sant reports. Ferris wheel. Detective, where are we right now?” ([05:17]).

Familial Dynamics and Potential Motives As the investigation progressed, it became evident that Melody Ferris harbored significant resentment towards Gary. Her extramarital affair with Rusty Barton, a farm equipment salesman, further complicated the familial tensions. Melody’s lavish spending and secretive behavior raised suspicions among both the investigators and her children.

“I loved him. Still love him. Was I in love with him? No.” ([14:25]).

Melody Ferris as the Prime Suspect Detective Hayes zeroed in on Melody as the primary suspect. Evidence such as drops of Gary’s blood found throughout the house, Melody’s possession of Gary’s wallet, and inconsistencies in her statements painted a compelling case against her. Additionally, cell phone records showed movements that implicated Melody in the disposal of Gary's body.

“Melody Ferris, at her size, it is impossible that she moved that body from the location where the state says his body was to a burn pile.” ([25:07]).

The Trial The trial commenced in October 2024, with prosecutors presenting a robust case against Melody Ferris. They argued that Melody was motivated by financial gain and her desire to continue her affair with Rusty Barton. Key evidence included cell phone location data and testimonies from family members who claimed Melody’s manipulative behavior.

“According to prosecutors, Melody wanted Gary dead so she could cash in on his multimillion dollar assets and live happily ever after with her lover...” ([23:28]).

Verdict and Aftermath After three days of deliberation, the jury found Melody Ferris guilty on all five counts, including malice murder and felony murder. The decision was influenced heavily by the cell phone evidence, which prosecutors argued was definitive proof of Melody's involvement.

“We, the jury, find the defendant guilty.” ([36:09]).

Melody’s Accusations Against Scott Ferris In a dramatic turn during her sentencing, Melody accused her son Scott of being the true murderer. She alleged that Scott orchestrated the murder to gain control of the family's assets. This shocking revelation stunned the courtroom and further fractured the already broken family.

“I know Scott killed his father. He took my husband, the father of Chris, Emily, and Amanda.” ([38:17]).

Final Reflections The episode concludes with the lasting impact of the case on the Ferris family. While Melody Ferris faces a life sentence, the truth about Gary's murder remains a subject of contention within the family. Scott Ferris vehemently denies any involvement, reinforcing his stance that Melody is solely to blame for their father's death.

“I absolutely had nothing to do with my father's death. And it was 100% Melody Ferris who murdered my father. That is the truth.” ([41:48]).

Conclusion "The Farris Wheel" masterfully unpacks the complexities of a family torn apart by greed, betrayal, and murder. Through meticulous reporting and in-depth interviews, CBS News' "48 Hours" presents a riveting account of the Ferris family's descent into tragedy, highlighting the profound effects of internal discord and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Notable Quotes:

• “I'm the mother who took care of everything, took care of everybody. I was the one that my children called when they needed help.” – Melody Ferris ([02:30])

• “They don't have a single clue. I called it a soap opera because... who shot Gary Ferris.” – Detective ([04:54])

• “She thought she was smart enough to hide it from everybody. But we all found out.” – Scott Ferris ([14:58])

• “I did not do it.” – Melody Ferris ([41:31])

• “She knows she did it. She needs to stop with the lies.” – Scott Ferris ([42:57])

Timestamp Highlights:

• Gary's Disappearance: [03:14] – [04:01]
• Discovery of the Body: [04:01] – [04:19]
• Investigation Begins: [05:17] – [10:38]
• Melody as Suspect: [12:22] – [18:47]
• Trial Proceedings: [23:02] – [36:45]
• Verdict and Accusations: [36:09] – [44:45]
• Final Statements: [44:07] – [45:18]

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key elements of "The Farris Wheel," providing a clear and engaging overview of the episode for those who have not listened to it.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Detective]

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[Narrator]

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[Detective]

Be in good hands.

[Narrator]

Go to cozyearth.com Spotify and use code Spotify to save up to 40%. That's cozyearth.com Spotify murders don't happen every day in Cherokee County. The type of murder that happened in this case doesn't happen a lot, but if it were to happen, it would be in this family.

[Detective]

Was the Ferris family a happy family?

[Narrator]

No. This family was not like every other family. There was a lot of love there, but there was also a lot of family drama, constant infighting, animosity among siblings for money, for their father's money. And I think that that's where the drama always came back to was who was going to get dad's money. The Ferris family is made up of Gary Ferris the patriarch, Melody Ferris the mother, and then there were four children, the oldest being Chris Farris. Then there was Scott Farris and then you have Emily and then Amanda. Gary Farris was a brilliant commercial real estate attorney. He was very smart, he loved his kids. Melody is a very straightforward person who for the last 35 years had been a stay at home mom.

[Melody Ferris]

I'm the mother who took care of everything, took care of everybody. I was the one that my children called when they needed help. I was always there for them. I never told them no.

[Narrator]

The Ferris lived on the east end of the county. Their Property was around 10 acres. Very nice piece of property. It was obvious that these people were likely affluent, had a house, a barn.

[Melody Ferris]

We had four horses. We had I don't know how many goats.

[Narrator]

They lived a life though odd to a lot of us. It was normal to them.

[Melody Ferris]

It has been called the Ferris wheel. And it was, but it was our Ferris wheel. It was our life.

[Narrator]

On 4th of July of 2018, everything changed for this family.

[Scott Ferris]

It was brought to my attention by my sister and my mother that my father was missing. He wasn't the healthiest man. He had high blood pressure, he smoked a lot. We were all thinking he might have had a heart attack. We decided to start searching the property. I started checking all the pastures.

[Melody Ferris]

We had been out looking for quite some time. We had been over every square inch of that property.

[Scott Ferris]

We couldn't find him. Something's really off here.

[Melody Ferris]

Scott and I were standing there by the burn pile, just looking.

[Narrator]

With this being a working farm, they would pile tree stumps and rotten firewood, just kind of like a trash pile. And every now and again they'd burn it.

[Scott Ferris]

My dad did talk about he was going to burn that stuff on that pile. I looked down and immediately I could start seeing bones. I squatted down and I'm like, those are human remains. I'm calling 911 right now.

[Narrator]

We heard the radio call that somebody remains had just been found in a fire. The first thing that stuck out to me was the amount of fire damage done to the body. This guy's been in this fire burning for quite some time. During the excavation of the bones, there's a bullet found lodged in a rib bone. This is not an accident, it's a murder.

[Scott Ferris]

They go through the family members and they're going to look at who had the opportunity.

[Narrator]

And anyone who lived on that property.

[Detective]

Would have been in that box.

[Narrator]

How did he get on the burn pile? Who shot him with what gun?

[Detective]

Where?

[Narrator]

We don't have a single clue. I called it a soap opera because the old TV show Dallas, you had money, then you had the who shot JR except it was who shot Gary Ferris.

[Detective]

Peter Van Sant reports. Ferris wheel. Detective, where are we right now?

[Narrator]

We're here at the ferris Farm.

[Detective]

On July 5, 2018, Detective Daniel Hayes of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office north of Atlanta responded to a most unusual call. A human body in a burn pile. Had you ever received a call like that in your career?

[Narrator]

I had never personally responded to a call like that, no.

[Detective]

The body was later identified as 58 year old Gary Farris, the larger than life, 300 pound patriarch of the Ferris estate, now reduced to skeletal remains. Detective Hayes learned Gary Ferris was a wealthy commercial real estate attorney married to Melody Farris. They raised four children, Chris, Scott, Emily and Amanda.

[Narrator]

They're all in their late 20s, early 30s at this point, if not a little bit older.

[Detective]

Hayes also learned Gary and Melody were married for 38 years and lived in this house on their beautifully manicured 10 acre farm. Son Scott, who had served in the army, managed the day to day operations at the farm and lived in an apartment above the barn.

[Narrator]

Scott's main function at this point in his life is to be the farmhand.

[Detective]

It was a seemingly idyllic life until Gary Farris remains were discovered on that burn pile.

[Scott Ferris]

I never thought such tragic thing would happen there.

[Melody Ferris]

My world was spinning. I wanted to find out what happened.

[Detective]

Melody told Hayes the last time she saw Gary alive was during the evening on Tuesday, July 3, 2018.

[Melody Ferris]

He came in and wanted to know if I was going to prepare dinner. And I said, gary, there's enough food in that refrigerator there to feed Cox's army. I said, if you don't want it, then go get something to eat and that's it.

[Detective]

That was the last word, that was.

[Melody Ferris]

The last words that were spoken to him.

[Detective]

Melody told Detective Hayes. Her husband then went down to his bedroom in the basement. Gary had sleep apnea and slept alone with his CPAP machine. Scott said he had also last seen his father on July 3rd at lunch. Scott spent the rest of the day out with his friends. He returned home that night around 11:30 and says he immediately noticed a glow in the distance.

[Scott Ferris]

When I pulled in the driveway, you could look off in the direction where the burn pile was and you could see it was burning.

[Detective]

A burn pile, typically a dumping spot for yard waste and brush.

[Scott Ferris]

My dad did talk about he was going to burn that stuff on that pile.

[Detective]

The next day, July 4th, Scott and Melody told investigators they didn't encounter Gary.

[Melody Ferris]

It was not unusual not to see Gary.

[Detective]

It wasn't until the next day, July 5, Melody says she realized Gary was missing. Two of the grandchildren who had spent the night asked to ride the rtv, or rough terrain vehicle with Gary, who they called Big Daddy.

[Melody Ferris]

And I told them, I said, go ask Big Daddy to go ride it with you all. And they said they couldn't find him.

[Detective]

Daughter Amanda was there too. Son Chris arrived soon after. And all the adults started searching the property until Scott noticed some bones among the ashes at the burn pile.

[Scott Ferris]

I'll never forget it until the day I die.

[Melody Ferris]

His words were, oh, I found him. What do you mean you found him?

[Detective]

When the forensic team arrived, they began documenting the burn pile, Working past dark to sift through the ashes. That's when the bullet was found lodged in Gary's rib. And what had started as a possible accidental death became a murder investigation. Why would somebody want to burn a body?

[Narrator]

Cover up a crime.

[Detective]

You destroy evidence Elsewhere, investigators searched the house, the barn, even the pond. They found a shotgun in the house. Several other guns and ammunition were discovered in the barn. Both Melody and Scott allowed investigators to test their hands for accelerants. The tests came back negative. Scott also told the detectives something intriguing. He had recently seen a pistol in the basement that was now missing.

[Scott Ferris]

It was just very odd.

[Detective]

And another thing Scott found odd was that his mom had his dad's wallet.

[Scott Ferris]

And I said, where'd you find that? And she said it was in the console of his car. And I found that very, very odd because my dad never left his wallet in his car.

[Detective]

As Hayes investigation continued, he was learning all about the Ferris family's dysfunctional dynamic, which came to be known as the Ferris wheel. In a tape recorded conversation with Melody, she told him there had been tension between Gary and Scott.

[Melody Ferris]

He and Scott would get into it pretty heavily. I mean, you know, and they'd come to blows just over things because Gary was so anal about everything. I mean, Scott's hot. I mean, he is, he's hot in timber.

[Detective]

But when detectives asked Scott what he thought happened, he pointed the finger of suspicion at his mother.

[Scott Ferris]

I've always had this gut feeling if something ever happened to my dad, that somebody needed to check her out.

[Detective]

With the Ferris wheel starting to turn, detectives asked Scott if his father was having an affair.

[Scott Ferris]

My father did not do that. He was a one woman type of man and he married that woman. He was not that kind of man.

[Detective]

Hayes then asked Melody if she was having an affair. What did she tell you?

[Narrator]

She said no.

[Detective]

Police focused in on what appeared to be drops of blood on the kitchen floor, the stairs leading to the basement, and on the basement floor itself. When spots in the basement were tested, they were confirmed to be Gary's blood. Police also found a.38 caliber bullet on the basement floor. This same type found lodged in Gary's rib bone from the burn pile. And does that suggest in any way some sort of progression of an attack on Gary?

[Narrator]

That's what we interpreted as, as we started looking at it, is that possibly something happened upstairs, led down the stairs and into the basement.

[Detective]

Detective Hayes asked Melody point blank if she had anything to do with the death of her husband.

[Narrator]

So your statement is you didn't do anything to harm Gary? No. And you don't know who did?

[Melody Ferris]

No.

[Detective]

Hayes was skeptical. Investigators had found in Melody's purse birth control and a credit card with another man's name on it. Roy Barton. When someone's lying to you, what does that suggest?

[Narrator]

They're guilty of something.

[Detective]

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[Narrator]

We're firefighters.

[Detective]

We're gonna find a way to get.

[Narrator]

You out of here. We take the hits together.

[Melody Ferris]

We're on the same team.

[Narrator]

I'm right here with you. No matter what. I would never leave you hanging in the deep end. This place is a way of giving you new family.

[Detective]

Fire Country. All episodes now streaming on Paramount.

[Narrator]

Plus.

[Detective]

When that credit card was found in Melody's purse, investigators did not recognize the name on it.

[Narrator]

It's Roy Barton. Later find out it's Rusty Barton.

[Detective]

Rusty Barton was a farm equipment salesman who spent time on the road in Central Tennessee. In 2014, Melody was helping take care of Rusty's ill stepmother, who happened to be her cousin. That's when Rusty and Melody became intimate.

[Narrator]

We learned that Rusty is Melody's lover that she's having an affair with and has had an affair with for quite some time.

[Detective]

Did you fall in love with Rusty?

[Melody Ferris]

I loved him. Still love him. Was I in love with him? No.

[Detective]

Investigators wanted to know more about the couple. How serious is this relationship between Melody and Rusty?

[Narrator]

Depends on who you asked. The evidence showed it appeared to be pretty serious. They were researching wedding bands.

[Detective]

You know, if you were planning on getting married, it sounds like a motive for murder.

[Melody Ferris]

You don't marry the person you're having an affair with.

[Detective]

Scott says Melody and Rusty's love affair was the world's worst kept secret.

[Scott Ferris]

She thought she was smart enough to hide it from everybody. But we all found out.

[Detective]

We all knew, including Gary. And when daughter Emily got married in 2016, Melody scandalized the wedding by inviting her lover for all to see.

[Narrator]

Your husband is there at the same venue, and you're dancing and drinking and having a good time with this other man. It was upsetting to Gary, you know, it was upsetting to all the family.

[Detective]

That wasn't a nice move on your part, was it?

[Narrator]

No.

[Melody Ferris]

In hindsight, no.

[Detective]

It seemed the Ferris wheel was spinning faster, with household drama becoming more frequent.

[Scott Ferris]

This whole Ferris wheel term, none of us really like it. But if you want to know who the motor was of turning that Ferris wheel was Melody Ferris. She always stirred up drama. Always.

[Narrator]

It's a real life soap opera. That's it.

[Detective]

A soap opera. Hayes believed that revolved around what Gary had and others coveted. Money.

[Narrator]

A lot of bickering, a lot of fights over money. A lot of jealousy.

[Detective]

Gary had always been generous toward his children, even as adults. Investigators learned he helped Emily by a house. House and financially assisted son, Chris, with his business and children.

[Narrator]

It made Melody turn against her children because the children were spending money.

[Detective]

But Melody claims she was only upset because the children were taking advantage of their father's wealth.

[Melody Ferris]

Chris, our oldest one, had been stealing money like you cannot believe.

[Detective]

Chris says he and his father did not argue over money. Detective Hayes looked into the agreement Gary had struck with Scott.

[Narrator]

He worked on the farm, and Gary gave him spending money he had gotten.

[Melody Ferris]

Where he just would not do anything. He was all the time playing golf, going to the lake, going out with his friends.

[Detective]

And who was paying for all of this?

[Melody Ferris]

He was taking, you know, credit cards from Gary.

[Detective]

But Scott says that's not true at all and that the arrangement he had with his father worked well for both of them. Them.

[Scott Ferris]

I was there to help him with the farm. There was no mooching.

[Detective]

Scott says it was actually Melody who'd run into a financial roadblock with Gary, largely because of her lavish spending on her affair with Rusty.

[Scott Ferris]

She would leave for weeks at a time, and then thousands of dollars would be spent out of the account.

[Narrator]

We found text messages where he confronted her and said, you know, your spending is done. We got to get a handle on this.

[Detective]

So what you're saying is that it was Melody who was facing the potential of having her money lifeline cut off?

[Scott Ferris]

Pretty much, yes.

[Detective]

Was he angry at your spending?

[Melody Ferris]

No. I had a debit card. It had his name on it. I was free to use it however I wanted to.

[Detective]

While Melody and Rusty lived in different states, cell phone records show they live their lives in constant communication.

[Narrator]

She's on the phone with him every.

[Detective]

Hour of every day, including the early morning hours of July 4, 2018, a day and a half before Gary was found. When questioned by investigators, Rusty told them that Melody had said something alarming.

[Narrator]

So probably the last minute of the last conversation, she said, gary is in the burn pile.

[Scott Ferris]

No, she said, he is in the burn pile. And I said, what? And she said, he's in the burn pile. And I said, do not say another word and do not tell me anything. I do not need to know.

[Detective]

At that time, only the killer could have known Gary was on the burn pile. Had Melody Ferris confessed to murder? As the investigation continued, she was now the detective's number one suspect.

[Scott Ferris]

I told them everything I knew.

[Detective]

Scott remembered something that happened with his mother the day before Gary vanished. It now seems like foreshadowing.

[Scott Ferris]

She comes out of the house with a plate in her hand, and she's screaming and cussing and she throws the plate up against the wall of the house and shatters it all into pieces. And she says, I can't wait till that man's dead. I can't wait till I don't have to live with him anymore.

[Detective]

Gary Farris himself took out his phone and recorded this video.

[Scott Ferris]

This is what happens when you leave.

[Detective]

A plate of the plate shards scattered on the ground. Three days later, he was dead. On June 18, 2019, after an almost 12 month investigation, detectives say they had gathered evidence, enough evidence to charge Melody Ferris with the murder of her husband, Gary. Why did it take a year to arrest Melody?

[Narrator]

We were waiting on the autopsy results and the positive identification of Gary Wayne Ferris body.

[Detective]

But for Detective Hayes, there were unanswered questions. How did Melody get Gary's body out the basement door and to the burn pile about 50 yards away? She weighs, what, 130 pounds around that, I believe. And Gary is 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5, 300 pounds. How in the world could that woman have moved that body with the tractor, with the rtv, Two pieces of machinery that were found on the farm.

[Narrator]

She admitted that she drives RTV all the time, has operated the tractor.

[Detective]

Hayes sees the two vehicles as evidence.

[Narrator]

This is what we're looking at, these two vehicles.

[Detective]

He took me to the lot where they are stored. How could each of these vehicles have been used to get Gary's body onto that pile?

[Narrator]

Both were capable of pulling a lot of weight. This tractor has a bucket on the front that is designed to scoop heavy loads. We found tractor marks, but there were tractor marks all over the property. But there were none necessarily, obviously leading right up to the burn pile.

[Detective]

What did you find as your forensic people took a look at these vehicles?

[Narrator]

We found blood evidence of blood on the vehicles.

[Detective]

Can you show me where I can.

[Narrator]

So on the tractor we found blood evidence in this area, Gary's blood.

[Detective]

But nothing was found in the front bucket. On the rtv, Hayes says Melody's blood was found on one of the gear shifters. Nothing was found in the back. Hayes considered other scenarios.

[Narrator]

There's also a theory that she did it under her own power. Rolling him down to the burn piles, downhill all the way to the burn pile.

[Detective]

Is there any blood that was discovered going from the house to the burn pile?

[Narrator]

Not that we found.

[Detective]

So this still remains a mystery, doesn't it?

[Narrator]

It does.

[Detective]

It was a mystery too, for prosecutors Megan Frankish and Jeffrey Foggus.

[Narrator]

We don't know exactly how she got him to the burn pile. She was a farm girl. She was resourceful.

[Detective]

We know she killed him.

[Narrator]

How she did it doesn't really matter.

[Detective]

Because we know she did.

[Narrator]

Cause he was there.

[Detective]

The case took more than five years to bring to trial. During that time, a deep divide formed in the Ferris family. Three of the children, Chris, Scott, and Emily, were all convinced their mother murdered their father. Gary and Melody's youngest child, Amanda, believed in Melody's innocence. What did it mean for you that your daughter Amanda stood by you during all this time and has believed in your innocence?

[Melody Ferris]

She's a good girl.

[Narrator]

Ladies and gentlemen, the jury.

[Detective]

When the trial finally began in October 2024, prosecutors Megan Frankish and Jeffrey Foggus spoke to jurors with absolute security.

[Narrator]

The answer to the question, who did it? Sits right there. Melody Walker Ferris.

[Detective]

The motive.

[Narrator]

Money, sex, new life.

[Detective]

According to prosecutors, Melody wanted Gary dead so she could cash in on his multimillion dollar assets and live happily ever after with her lover of the past four years, Rusty Barton. Why shouldn't people believe you had the greatest motive to murder Gary?

[Melody Ferris]

I knew nothing about our financial situation. Absolutely nothing.

[Detective]

Prosecutors say on the evening of July 3, two days before Gary's body was found, Gary and Melody got into a fight in the kitchen, and Melody shot him.

[Narrator]

He goes downstairs trying to get away. She shoots him again. There's a blood trail from the kitchen, and they went down the steps. Those blood trails never lead out of the house, upstairs or downstairs.

[Detective]

In their opening statement, defense attorneys Michael Ray and John Luke Weaver attacked the prosecution's claims and told jurors, there's a harmless explanation for those blood drops.

[Narrator]

Gary had been bitten by one of Melody's dogs on the ankle and was bleeding as he walked down the stairs. We're talking tiny little droplets of blood. That would not be consistent with a shooting. You would expect far more blood.

[Detective]

And daughter Amanda would testify she saw that wound on her dad's leg. The defense also argued Melody is innocent, questions without answer. And raised those questions about how Gary's body got to the burn pile.

[Narrator]

Melody Ferris, at her size, it is impossible that she moved that body from the location where the state says his body was to a burn pile. It is absolutely impossible.

[Detective]

The defense also raised questions about the murder weapon.

[Narrator]

Where is the gun? No idea.

[Detective]

They offered up an alternative suspect, Melody's own son. And his motive would be financial.

[Narrator]

He wanted the property. One big thing you're going to hear, and you're going to hear it a lot, is Scott Farris.

[Detective]

The defense argues that Scott, from the very beginning, tried to draw attention of investigators away from him.

[Narrator]

Thirteen minutes after Law enforcement arrives. Scott Farris is already blaming his mother. From the very beginning, Scott is saying, melody, Melody, Melody. Leading law enforcement down this trail. Raise your right hand. Solemnly swear.

[Detective]

From this. When the prosecution put Scott Farris on the stand, they asked him directly, did.

[Narrator]

You murder your father?

[Scott Ferris]

I absolutely did not murder my father. I love my father. He was the backbone. He was the glue to our family.

[Detective]

Sitting just feet away, Melody says Scott's testimony was an act.

[Melody Ferris]

The Scott that was in that courtroom was not my son. He was well rehearsed.

[Narrator]

Could you stand for the jury, please?

[Scott Ferris]

Sure.

[Detective]

On cross examination, the defense pointed out that Scott, at 6 foot 8, 280 pounds, was the only person on the farm physically capable of moving Gary's 300 pound body.

[Scott Ferris]

Because of my size and size of my father, yes, I was going to be looked at like that, but I had nothing to do with it.

[Narrator]

Raise your right hand.

[Detective]

To help establish a motive for murder, prosecutors called Melody's lover, Rusty Bart, to the stand.

[Narrator]

You're from Alabama, is that right? Excuse me. Tennessee. I apologize. I'm from Tennessee and you are a Tennessee. That's a big difference. That's true.

[Detective]

He's charming, he's smart, and he says he captured the heart of married Melody Farris.

[Narrator]

You were in love with her? Fair to say yes. And she was in love with you? Fair to say yes. Do you recall searching for wedding bands on the Internet?

[Scott Ferris]

I do.

[Narrator]

What type of wedding bands did y'all have in mind? We talked about plain gold bands. Tell the jury what you focus.

[Detective]

Also asked Rusty about that incriminating call.

[Narrator]

She said that Gary was on the burn pile.

[Detective]

Remember, Rusty had told investigators that call had taken place before Gary was found. But a year later, after Melody was arrested, Rusty changed his story, saying the call happened after the body was discovered. He said he had the dates wrong.

[Narrator]

What I told you was correct, but.

[Scott Ferris]

When it happened was not correct.

[Detective]

But prosecutor Foggus didn't buy it and claims Rusty was trying to help Melody. Do you believe him?

[Narrator]

No. He was still in a relationship with her. He didn't know how this was going to turn out.

[Detective]

At the time of the murder, Rusty was hours away in Tennessee. He was never charged with anything relating to the death of Gary Farris. More witnesses would testify, and later, Melody, who was silent throughout the trial, would address the court in a dramatic and explosive statement that would leave her family reeling.

[Narrator]

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. Hey, it's Morgan Absher and I'm Kayla Moore. And we're the hosts of the Crime House original podcast, Clues.

[Melody Ferris]

Every Wednesday, we sneak past the crime.

[Scott Ferris]

Scene tape and open a new case file for some of the most gripping true crime cases.

[Narrator]

While Kaelyn pieces together the timelines and breaks down the hard facts of these cases, I'll be diving into the theories and pulling at the threads that may or may not add up. From serial killers to shocking murders, Clues.

[Scott Ferris]

Dives into all the forensic details and.

[Melody Ferris]

Brilliant sleuthing that went into the world's most infamous cases.

[Narrator]

These clues shine a light on stories that have been waiting, sometimes for decades, to finally be heard. So join us as we open a case and uncover the breakthroughs, the heartbreak and the relentless pursuit of answers behind these unforgettable investigations.

[Scott Ferris]

Follow and listen to Clues an Odyssey.

[Melody Ferris]

Podcast in partnership with Crime House.

[Scott Ferris]

Available now on the free Odyssey app.

[Narrator]

And wherever you get your podcasts.

[Detective]

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[Narrator]

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[Detective]

No judgments. But that's weird.

[Narrator]

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[Scott Ferris]

We're affirming testimony you're about to give.

[Detective]

In the matter of many day after day, Melody Farris faced witnesses determined to see her pay for the alleged murder of her husband.

[Narrator]

How is it that you know the defendant in this case? She's my mother.

[Detective]

None seemed more dogged than her own children, like Chris.

[Scott Ferris]

I just had my suspicions that she.

[Detective]

Had something to do with this. Her daughter, Emily.

[Narrator]

She became more hostile. She was more aggressive with us. She was demanding money. You see your mom sitting in court?

[Scott Ferris]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

And Scott, I mean, she always, you.

[Scott Ferris]

Know, talked bad about my dad. It's like she always tried to brainwash us. Like he was, you know, such a horrible person.

[Detective]

Can you describe what it was like to watch each of your children take the stand.

[Melody Ferris]

The most heart wrenching, gut wrenching thing I had ever sat there in my entire life because I knew they were lying.

[Detective]

I have to tell you, you seem so stoic during all of.

[Melody Ferris]

Was that the time that I'd walk out of that courtroom at nighttime? I was ready to scream at the top of my lungs.

[Detective]

Melody says three of her children are trying to pin their father's murder on her for one simple reason.

[Melody Ferris]

Money. Absolutely money.

[Detective]

One of the final witnesses called by prosecutors was Lindsey Harris, who leads the Intelligence division in the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.

[Narrator]

I was asked in 2018, July of 2018, to analyze some phone records.

[Detective]

Harris says she was able to track the precise movements of Gary Farris cell phone on the family farm because Gary had an Android phone with its Google location services turned on.

[Narrator]

So this helps us know when the device is traveling even within a certain area.

[Detective]

Harris discovered that on the morning of July 4, when investigators believe Gary's body was already on the burn pile, his cell phone moved from the house to the burn pile and back to the house 100%.

[Melody Ferris]

The device moves from 758 to 905.

[Narrator]

Someone must be moving it.

[Detective]

Prosecutors say that someone could only have been Melody Farris.

[Narrator]

We knew that the only person home was Melody.

[Detective]

Lindsay Harris says that during that time, Scott's phone was miles away from the farm.

[Melody Ferris]

Scott leaves the residence around 6:30am on July 4. He does not return to the home.

[Narrator]

Until 8pm ish 8:30pm on July 4.

[Detective]

The defense tries to challenge this seemingly powerful evidence by questioning the accuracy of Harris findings.

[Narrator]

You can clearly see that sometimes the circle is very large, sometimes it's small and sometimes it says you're absolutely nowhere close to where you are.

[Detective]

The defense called seven witnesses. One of them was Gary and Melody's youngest daughter, Amanda.

[Melody Ferris]

She has told me that she's not guilty and all I can do is believe that until somebody can prove she is guilty. So I would like to believe that my mother had nothing to do with this. There's just so much pain. There's no good outcome.

[Narrator]

He's never coming back.

[Melody Ferris]

He'll never be there again.

[Narrator]

And that's just the worst part about it all.

[Melody Ferris]

And knowing that my mother could potentially spend the rest of her life in prison is terrifying.

[Narrator]

Ms. Frankish, you can go ahead.

[Detective]

It was now time to wrap this case up with closing arguments.

[Narrator]

She had plenty of motives. She despised Gary.

[Melody Ferris]

She hated that he was giving away.

[Detective]

Their money, her money.

[Narrator]

That was the main motive. Rusty was a bonus 100.

[Detective]

In their closing, the defense did some heavy lifting to demonstrate how difficult it would be for someone Melody's size to somehow get her 300 pound husband onto that burn pile.

[Narrator]

This is 320 pounds. I am 185 pounds. And that's all I have. I just. It's not realistic. And then the fact that they. They've presented no actual evidence as to how she did that, that means there's doubt.

[Detective]

On October 30, 2024, the jury got the case. But after three days of deliberations, they sent a note to the judge saying they were deadlocked. The judge told them to give it one more try.

[Melody Ferris]

I was absolutely numb. You don't know what to think.

[Detective]

And just a few hours later. All right.

[Scott Ferris]

Understand y'all reached a verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty.

[Detective]

Melody Ferris was found guilty on all five counts against her, including malice murder, felony murder, and making false statements.

[Melody Ferris]

It was horrible. They carried me immediately over to the jail. I was alone, curled up in the fetal position.

[Detective]

Jurors Sheila Albright and Chris Hyatt say the cell phone evidence convinced them of Melody's guilt.

[Narrator]

Once we agreed on the time of.

[Detective]

Death, then it was okay. Well, how is this phone moving after Gary's body? It was in the burn pile. And who was on the property at that time? And who was Melanie? As for the question of how Gary got to the burn pile, Sheila Albright had a theory.

[Melody Ferris]

But in my mind, I thought that.

[Narrator]

She first shot him inside the house because there was evidence of that. I thought maybe he had run out the door trying to get away from her. And maybe she took him by gunpoint.

[Detective]

Down to the burn pile.

[Narrator]

I think that maybe the burn pile is the last place she shot him.

[Detective]

For Scott and some members of the Ferris family, the guilty verdict brought relief, even though their own mother was now a convicted murderer.

[Scott Ferris]

Because we got justice from my father, agreed to by you, we fought six years to get answers. My father loved my mother. He fought for my mother. He was a very loving father.

[Detective]

But there would be no love shown by Melody at her sentencing when she was given the opportunity to express remorse and ask the judge for leniency.

[Melody Ferris]

I have waited for years to make this statement to everyone.

[Detective]

But instead of asking the judge for.

[Melody Ferris]

Mercy, I want the world to know who did this.

[Detective]

She named who she said was the real killer.

[Melody Ferris]

I know Scott killed his father. He took my husband, the father of Chris, Emily, and Amanda. He took Big Daddy from our grandchildren.

[Detective]

But Melody was far from dying, son. Tormenting her son.

[Narrator]

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[Melody Ferris]

Scott, this is unforgivable. Scott, I have spent an entire life of loving and protecting you. But this I refuse to cover for you.

[Detective]

When Melody Farris used her sentencing hearing to accuse her son Scott of being Gary's true murderer, some of those in the courtroom were floored.

[Narrator]

I'm back at the prosecution table and we're all kind of like, I cannot believe this is happening. So I was not prepared for that. It was shocking that that is the opportunity she believed was hers to take.

[Detective]

Scott, sitting behind his mother with his family, simply stared in disbelief.

[Scott Ferris]

Oh, I was furious. She did her last final jabs. That shows you what she was like.

[Detective]

One last turn of the knife.

[Scott Ferris]

One last turn to make somebody's life a living hell. Because it didn't go her way, Judge.

[Detective]

David Cannon had little patience.

[Narrator]

Ms. Ferris, I'm gonna cut you off.

[Detective]

But Melody persisted.

[Melody Ferris]

And I plead with you to roll this verdict out. Help me get justice for the correct person. As bad as it sounds, I want to be there to watch him chained and shackled and brought to justice.

[Detective]

Instead, it was Melody who would be led away in chains.

[Narrator]

And the penalty for murder is life.

[Detective]

The 64 year old was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. She also received an additional five years for concealing Gary's death by burning his remains and making a false statement to police. Melody didn't take the stand in her trial. Instead, she chose to tell her story exclusively to 48 hours. I just watched one of the most extraordinary moments inside a courtroom that I have ever seen in my career. What do you want people to know about you and this case?

[Melody Ferris]

I want everyone, but especially my children, my grandchildren, and at this point, the world. I didn't do this. I know who did. And it's our son, Scott. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know he did it.

[Scott Ferris]

I absolutely had nothing to do with my father's death. And it was 100% Melody Ferris who murdered my father. That is the truth.

[Detective]

Why do you think she accused you of killing your father?

[Scott Ferris]

Because I was an easy target. I lived on the property. I'm former military.

[Detective]

Melody claimed she hadn't spoken up until now out of maternal loyalty. She says her own mother, now deceased, suspected Scott all along and asked Melody to take the blame. But now her time as Scott's shield was over. Melody says she believes Scott set her up from the beginning. And she says she knows why.

[Melody Ferris]

Scott wanted that property to be his. He had made that known to countless people. It's the perfect murder. You kill your daddy, you set your mother up, she goes to prison, you get everything.

[Detective]

You understand, though, that to people listening to this, they're thinking, here is a mother willing to sacrifice her son to save her own skin. What would you say to that?

[Melody Ferris]

This is a mother's worst nightmare.

[Detective]

Melody stands by her claim that Gary was getting ready to cut Scott off financially.

[Melody Ferris]

Gary had made it very well known that Scott needed to get a job. Things were fixing to change on that property.

[Detective]

But Scott says Gary never issued an ultimatum that he get a job and never accused him of not pulling his weight.

[Scott Ferris]

My dad actually made comments to me saying, hey, leave some work for me. You know, because he wasn't there during the week. He's like, well, don't cut the pasture yet. Let me do it.

[Detective]

Melody says she told Detective Hayes she'd seen Scott acting suspiciously the day before Gary's body was found.

[Melody Ferris]

I said I saw Scott come from that burn pile.

[Detective]

Did she tell you that?

[Narrator]

No.

[Detective]

And why would she lie now?

[Narrator]

You have to look at the timing of the statement. She has nothing to lose. She's going to make all kinds of off the wall claims at this point that are just not provable.

[Detective]

Despite a sentence that will likely mean spending the rest of her life in prison, Melody remains determined to prove her innocence. One day, you believe you will walk a free woman again?

[Melody Ferris]

I certainly hope so. I do. But I will be sitting there, right behind my son in court.

[Detective]

And for those who believe you got exactly what you deserved, you say, I didn't do it.

[Melody Ferris]

I did not do it.

[Scott Ferris]

She knows she did it. She needs to stop with the lies. Just come clean. Stop trying to ruin all of our lives because it didn't work out for you. I still haven't been able to figure out why she would do this. I don't know if I ever will.

[Detective]

Melody Farris will be eligible for parole in 2054. She will be 94 years old. Join me Tuesday for post mortem from.

[Melody Ferris]

48 hours, where we'll dive even deeper into today's episode and answer your questions about the case.

[Detective]

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[Detective]

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