Christina Parcell: The Rose Petal Murder // 564

Summary

Going West: True Crime

Episode 564 – Christina Parcell: The Rose Petal Murder
Date: December 16, 2025
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman

Episode Overview

This episode of Going West: True Crime examines the haunting 2021 murder of Christina Parcell in Greer, South Carolina—a case entangled with a bitter custody battle, manipulative relationships, and an astonishingly theatrical crime scene. The hosts, Daphne and Heath, trace Christina's troubled path through toxic relationships, the web of false accusations, and the unraveling of suspects—culminating in a shocking betrayal involving two men vying for control over her life and legacy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Victim: Christina Parcell’s Background

[02:52] – [06:40]

• Christina Parcell (b. 1980) grew up in South Carolina, loved baking, animals, and helping others.
• Excelled as a veterinary technician; described as compassionate and witty by her manager, Dan Randall.
• Family appreciated her—except her tendency to choose poor romantic partners.

2. Relationship with John Mello

[06:40] – [12:22]

• Met John Mello at 24 when he was 43 and married. Their friendship became romantic as his marriage dissolved.
• Christina and John had a daughter after five years of friendship; relationship soured over time.
• John became controlling, influencing Christina to cut ties with her family ("I'm severing the ties of discontent…" – Christina, [06:40]).
• After breakup, Christina resurfaced in 2015—her family discovered her daughter's existence for the first time.

Quote:
"John was reportedly very possessive and drove Christina away from her family, which, you know, we often see in many cases that we cover" – Heath [06:40]

3. Custody Battle & Escalating Tensions

[12:22] – [14:02]

• Attempted co-parenting with John failed; led to accusations against Christina of drug use and sex work.
• Courts sided with John, giving Christina only weekend custody; John began withholding their daughter, absconding to Italy.
• Christina had to take the custody dispute to Italian family court. The court sided with Christina, but John stayed in Italy to avoid repercussions.
• Christina and her daughter moved in with her sister Tina, returning to South Carolina five months before her death.

Quote:
"Instructing Christina via email that it would be better for her if Christina wasn't in the picture. So he's like, yeah, I took her to Italy… bye." – Daphne [09:35]

4. The Fiancé: Bradley Post

[12:22] – [13:46]

• Christina became engaged to Bradley Post, a wealthy, egocentric retired engineer.
• Tina (her sister) described Bradley as "smug, arrogant, and off-putting" [12:22].
• Christina was increasingly unsure about the engagement before her death.

5. Harassment Campaign & Suspicious Behavior

[13:46] – [14:58]

• Nude photos and a fake sex work listing of Christina were sent anonymously; envelopes traced to South Carolina and Tennessee—despite John being in Italy.
• Christina blamed John, suspecting he’d enlisted someone else to harass her.
• The harassment heightened family concerns for her safety.

Quote:
"Again, this feels like a really weird revenge plot." – Heath [13:57]

6. The Murder – Chilling Details

[14:58] – [21:18]

• October 13, 2021: After a job interview, Christina was last seen at 9:07am on a neighbor’s Ring camera.
• Bradley, after not hearing from her, went to check at her house. Entered via unlocked back door, found Christina dead. House smelled of chemicals.
• Christina’s body was surrounded by rose petals—an unusual, unsettling detail.
• 911 call by Bradley: “I think I might have a death... There’s a very weird smell…” – Bradley [16:20]
• Evidence suggested Christina fought for her life, was attacked almost immediately after entering.
• She was stabbed 35 times—19 times to her neck/face; blood patterns showed she was likely dragged.

Quote:
"Eerily scattered around her body and throughout the house were rose petals." – Daphne [16:20]

• Police immediately sensed a “crime of passion”.

7. Investigation: Suspects & Shocking Revelations

[25:53] – [29:50]

a. John Mello

• John quickly named as a person of interest but was in Italy at the time; police focus shifted.

b. Bradley Post

• Initially cooperative, but became evasive after devices seized.
• Arrested on charges of possessing child pornography, discovered during the murder investigation.
• No evidence connected Bradley to the murder itself.

Quote:
"Bradley was concealing child pornography on his devices." – Daphne [27:25] "It's a terrifying thought. The fact that Christina's 9 year old daughter had been around Bradley…" – Heath [28:48]

c. Surveillance Footage and Neighborhood Clues

• Video revealed a masked, all-black-clad figure entering home at 9:15am, fleeing 12 minutes later on a bike—did not match John or Bradley physically.

d. New Suspects – Michael Manigault and Zachary Hughes

• Investigation led to Michael Manigault—he pointed to Zachary Hughes, a 29-year-old Juilliard-trained pianist and friend of John Mello.
• Zach, known for being artistic and sensitive, was allegedly obsessed with the aftermath of the murder and John’s claims of custody abuse.

Quote:
"He had never even met Christina. Just 29 years old, he was known for being creative, artistic, and an incredibly gifted musician." – Heath [31:44]

8. Zachary Hughes – The Murderer and His Motive

[33:27] – [42:48]

• Zach, manipulated by John's false and inflammatory claims of child abuse by Christina and Bradley, became convinced he needed to “rescue” the daughter.
• On October 13, 2021, Zach posed as a flower delivery man, forced his way into Christina’s home, and viciously stabbed her. Attempted to destroy evidence by pouring paint thinner on her hands.
• Zach’s DNA was found under Christina’s fingernails (from her fighting back).
• Admitted to sending the nude photo envelopes.
• Claimed he killed Christina under John’s coercion and promise of payment.

Quote:
"If you think a child is in danger, you don't dress up in black and put on a mask and murder the person potentially responsible and cover them in rose petals like some vigilante poet." – Heath [35:00] "He had arrived at the home under the guise of being a floral delivery driver... Christina attempted to fight him off, but Zach revealed a knife and began beating her mercilessly..." – Daphne [39:43]

• In court, Zach argued he acted in good faith, but the hosts express strong skepticism and outrage at this defense.

Quote:
"It's like you're saying that Christina is a victim of Bradley, but then you're the one that takes her life." – Heath [39:01] "He acted in good faith? That doesn't cut it." – Daphne [42:48]

9. Outcome – Trials and Aftermath

[42:48] – [46:56]

• On February 19, 2025, Zach Hughes was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
• John Mello was arrested and charged as an accessory before the fact and solicitation to commit a felony, based on exchanged messages and Zach’s testimony.
• John remains in jail awaiting his own trial.

Quote:
"John was arrested for his involvement and the orchestration of Christina's murder. He was taken into custody on February 19, 2025..." – Daphne [44:21]

• Christina’s daughter was placed with friends of John’s; Tina, Christina’s sister, attempted to gain custody. Allegations were made against Tina but no charges were filed; custody issues remain murky and controversial.

10. Ongoing Questions and Final Thoughts

[45:15] – [46:56]

• The hosts raise doubts about the truth of John’s abuse allegations, noting his consistent pattern of manipulation.
• The fate of Bradley Post (awaiting trial for child exploitation) remains unresolved; no evidence directly links Christina to his crimes or to any abuse of her daughter.
• The episode closes with a commitment to follow up as new information emerges regarding trials for John and Bradley.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On John's control:
  “He was the factor in the reasoning for that. Now, Christina and John did try to salvage part of their relationship…” – Heath [07:56]
• On the crime scene:
  “Rose petals everywhere… automatically you’re like, okay, it has to be some sort of romantic partner.” – Heath [16:20]
• On the investigation turning to Bradley:
  "Bradley was concealing child pornography on his devices." – Daphne [27:25]
• On Zach’s defense:
  "If you think a child is in danger, you don't dress up in black and murder the person… like some vigilante poet." – Heath [35:00]
• On John’s manipulation:
  "He was the puppeteer and got Zach to murder Christina for him." – Daphne [45:23]
• On the lasting ramifications:
  “It's just so hard without seeing any proof. We can't believe you … And again, either way, it wasn’t Zach’s job to kill Christina.” – Daphne [42:13]
• On the case's complexity:
  "It seems like a very messy situation just in the fact that you really just don't know what the truth is here." – Heath [45:15]

---

Important Timestamps

• Christina’s Background: [02:52]
• The Split & Family Estrangement: [06:40]
• Custody Battle and Absconding to Italy: [09:35]
• Fiancé Enters the Picture: [12:22]
• Harassment via Nude Photo Campaign: [13:46]
• Day of the Murder and Crime Scene Discovery: [14:58]
• 911 Call from Bradley: [16:20]
• Police Initial Theory—Crime of Passion: [21:18]
• Investigation: Suspects Ruled Out, Attention on Zach: [25:53]
• Bradley’s Arrest (Child Pornography): [27:25]
• Surveillance & Turn to Zach Hughes: [29:50]
• Zach’s Motive, Manipulation, and Confession: [33:27] – [39:43]
• Court Defense and Conviction: [42:48]
• John Mello’s Arrest: [44:21]
• Custody Battles and Remaining Questions: [45:15]

---

Closing Notes

Going West’s coverage of the Christina Parcell case highlights the insidious power of manipulation and false narratives within toxic relationships, and the tragic fallout when misguided “saviors” take action based on lies. The crime’s unusual elements—rose petals, a vigilante artistic killer, and layers of legal and moral ambiguity—make it a haunting episode, with Daphne and Heath’s tone oscillating between outrage, empathy, and disbelief. They promise further updates on the aftermath, especially as trials for John Mello and Bradley Post proceed.

"So for everybody out there in the world, don't be a stranger." – Daphne [48:03]

---

Transcript

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[D]

And I'm your host, Daphne.

[C]

And you're listening to Going West.

[D]

Hello everybody. Keith is back. So happy to have him. Thank you guys for tuning in. Hope everybody is well and healthy presently. And just want to say if you're digging the show, we haven't said this in a while. It means the world to Heath and I when you guys leave us reviews on Apple and Spotify and wherever else. It helps the show so much. Also, when you share this show on social media with a friend, what have you.

[C]

Yeah, or just go give us a follow on social media.

[D]

Yeah, all of the above. Thank you guys so much. And big shout out to Wendy who recommended today's twisted ass case.

[C]

Yeah, this one is extremely devastating, just from a lot of different angles and just very shocking. So without further ado, this is episode 564 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[D]

Sam. In October of 2021, deputies in Greer, South Carolina responded to a chilling scene in a suburban home. A 41 year old woman found lifeless in her living room, surrounded by rose petals and enveloped in a chemical odor, had been stabbed by dozens of times. And what made the case especially unsettling was how unsuspecting her attacker ended up being. This is the murder of Christina Parcel. Foreign. Was born on March 9, 1980 to parents Erica and Timothy and an older sister named Lutina, who went by Tina. We're going to call her Tina today. So we have Christina and Tina. Growing up in South Carolina, Christina loved to bake and had an affinity for animals and for taking care of people, which is exactly what helped lead her to becoming a veterinary technician. Dan Randall, who managed Christina's veterinary clinic that she worked at, described her intelligence and quick wit, calling her an asset to the practice. She just did a really good job of exhibiting compassion and empathy and she was always very even tempered. She was just fun to be around and somebody you would enjoy talking to. But according to her family, although they loved her so much, she was so wonderful. One thing that they didn't admire about Christina was just how she chose her romantic partners. Like she didn't really find people who appreciated her, she found people who were kind of bad news or at least just not good to her. So at just 24 years old, Christina met 43 year old John Melo. And at the time he was married and had two young kids. Christina had initially run into John at a cigar shop and felt an instant connection. Although John maintains that they started out as friends. But as his marriage soured and his friendship with Christina deepened into something a little bit more than that, they started to explore their feelings for each other. After about five years of being friends. Thus John divorced his wife and he and Christina embarked on a six year relationship. Within their first year, when Christina was about 30 and John was about 50, she became pregnant with their daughter and they were absolutely thrilled. By all accounts, Christina was a doting mother even when her relationship with John was on the rocks. Her manager, again, Dan Randall, remembered, there were a couple of times where I got to be around her and her daughter together. Her daughter was such a bright light and a kind spirit. But the same could not be said for her relationship with John, which was becoming increasingly more contentious.

[C]

Yeah, because John was reportedly very possessive and drove Christina away from her family, which, you know, we often see in many cases that we cover, unfortunately. I mean, this is such an initial red flag, someone creating space between you and the people that you love. And in Christina's case, this even led her to go no contact with her family, writing them a letter in which she declared her desire to cut them off completely. The letter read, I'm 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, please do not worry. So now, Christina was estranged from her family for four long years. And it wasn't until October of 2015 that she would resurface after her breakup with John. And her parents and sister were shocked to discover that she had a daughter. I mean, they didn't even know that this daughter existed. And she was 4 years old at.

[D]

This point, which just says a lot about John's controlling behavior and especially considering, oh, they break up and now you start talking to your family, it's because he wasn't, quote, unquote, letting you.

[C]

Yeah, he was the factor in the reasoning for that. Now, Christina and John did try to salvage part of their relationship so that they could co parent their daughter. But when that didn't stick, a bitter custody battle ensued. In what would become a pattern of accusations, John claimed that Christina was behaving erratically and was an unfit caretaker for their daughter. He alleged that Christina was engaging in drug use and sex work and that their daughter was always in the vicinity of her poor parenting choices. Now, he claimed that he feared for her safety and well being when they were splitting custody. So in turn, Christina admitted to being afraid of John, calling him manipulative. But according to the police who were helping them navigate these disputes, John wasn't found to be a very credible source and was known to be very, very difficult and for sensationalizing his accusations as well as just outright lying to get what he wanted. However, to Christina's devastation, the court leaned towards siding with John, and Christina was granted only weekend custody of her daughter. But this still wasn't enough for John. And in order to put a stop to Christina's involvement in their daughter's life, in a way that felt much more like revenge than for the good of their daughter, he made the decision to travel internationally with her, purposefully not making it back in time to give Christina her allotted weekends. Like when their daughter was eight years old, she and John absconded to Italy, and as far as her daughter knew, they were moving there permanently.

[D]

Yeah, and obviously you can't do that. That's not allowed. But John is very loud in what he's saying about Christina. From the onset of their split, he maintained that Christina was a quote Horrific human being and that he did what he did to keep his daughter safe, which was to be away from her mother. He then continued to keep their daughter out of the country with him again in Italy, instructing Christina via email that it would be better for her if Christina wasn't in the picture. So he's like, yeah, I took her to Italy. It's, it's really best if you're not here. You're not a part of this. Bye, bye again. You can't do that.

[C]

Yeah. This is just another part of John's manipulation.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

You know, it's like he needs to control every situation of his daughter's life.

[D]

Yeah. But now Christina knows the kind of person that John is. So she's terrified. She misses her daughter, she is distraught. Weeks are turning into months and there was no indication that John had any intention of bringing their daughter back to the states. Though John did maintain some contact with Christina, he continued to claim that he had every right to take their daughter, despite the fact that Christina still had visitation rights. So with John unwilling to come to a reasonable compromise, Christina was forced to fly to Italy to kinda iron out the custody dispute in Italian family court. Her sister Tina accompanied her for support, remembering that the dispute was active until the moment she died. There were still hearings while he was still in Italy, while to her relief, the court sided with Christina and demanded that John adhere to their shared custody agreement again.

[C]

So you were correct that you know, he was really not allowed to do this.

[D]

Yeah. Even though he had primary custody, he, it's still shared custody to a degree. So he's not allowed to leave the country and even the courts are acknowledging this. So at this point, John decided he was going to stay in Italy, even though that was going to make things really complicated. But it's because he knew that he would face legal repercussions when he returned to the states. But I will say these charges were later dropped. So for the time being, he's almost like hiding out in Italy. Meanwhile, Christina, her daughter and her sister Tina returned to South Carolina together five months before her death. In the wake of the bitterness that this couple was navigating or this ex couple, Christina and her daughter moved into Tina's large ranch style home in Greer, South Carolina, which is located in the northwest corner of the state.

[C]

Now, although correspondence between Christina and John continued to remain combative, Christina had managed to meet and fall in love with another man. In the wake of her split with John. At 41, she became engaged to 65 year old Bradley Post, who was A retired engineer who owned multiple businesses and properties and just loved flaunting his wealth and success. He was a little bit of an egomaniac, this guy. So Christina was initially enamored with him, though her sister Tina described him as smug, arrogant and off putting. But just as she had with John, Christina saw something in him. However, in the months leading up to her murder, Tina recalled that Christina was growing disillusioned with the idea of spending the rest of her life with Bradley and didn't know if she wanted to remain engaged to him. So at this point, they're still living separately and his high strung particular nature and self importance were beginning to wear on her. Well, aside from her hesitancy with keeping things going with Bradley, Christina was going through a pretty rough time because after she brought her daughter back to South Carolina from Italy, a strange turn of events occurred wherein nude pictures of Christina were shared en masse, along with a printout of an online listing for sex work that had not actually been posted by Christina.

[D]

So somebody is trying to make her look like a sex worker. They're trying to embarrass her, maybe discredit her, make her appear like she's an unfit parent.

[C]

Yeah, again, this feels like a really weird revenge plot.

[D]

Totally.

[C]

So Christina and her sister Tina suspected John instantly. You know, of course, because he's the only person that really has a grudge with Christina at this point. But here's the really tricky part about this entire situation. The envelopes were sent from South Carolina and Tennessee, and John, of course, was still in Italy. Well, Christina came to the belief that he was behind the ruse anyway and that he likely had someone from back home doing this for him. On the morning of her murder, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, Christina had a brief job interview with a new veterinary clinic in hopes of expanding her hours so that she could possibly offer more stability for her daughter. Now, the interview went pretty well and concluded quickly, and Christina headed home around 9am that day with plans to pick up her daughter from school and take her to gymnastics that afternoon.

[D]

At 9:07am she could be seen on her neighbor's ring camera headed toward her house. Exactly two hours after she passed by the camera, Bradley Post called her sister Tina to tell her that there had been an emergency at the house. So Tina left work and raced to Christina's. But by then it was too late. Christina had been murdered almost immediately when she arrived home after her job interview in the morning. So let's go back a sec. According to Bradley, remember, they did not live together. Christina Went to the interview and then was heading home. But when he didn't hear from her for nearly two hours after that, he kind of started to get worried. So he went to her house to check on her. He found the house static and silent when he arrived, and the front door was locked, so Bradley let himself in the back door, which was always left unlocked. The first thing he noticed was that it reeked of chemicals inside. And he likened the smell to some sort of pesticide. On the floor in the living room was Christina unresponsive and surrounded by blood. And eerily scattered around her body and throughout the house were rose petals.

[C]

I mean, this is such a strange detail of this case because automatically you're like, okay, it has to be some sort of romantic partner. Because, like, that just really feels like, why would you put rose petals around somebody's body?

[D]

Yeah, like, why would you do that in the first place? But also, Tina later confirmed that she knew the flowers had not been in her home, in Christina's home, her sister, before she was killed. So that means that somebody would have had to have brought them in, of course. Which then is like, to your point, who and why? And was it romantic? It's such a strange detail to this story. So shocked and confused at what he was seeing, you know, not only the. The deceased body, the. The brutally murdered body of his fiance, but also all these freaking rose petals. Bradley called 911, telling the operator, quote, 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.

[C]

I feel like that initially, like, feels kind of off, you know, like it doesn't sound very. What's the word for it that I'm looking for?

[D]

Sincere.

[C]

Like sincere or just very? Like, worried? No, like, like urgent. You know, it kind of sounds like he's just like, well, I've got a. I've got a death here.

[D]

I think he's just. Maybe he's in shock. But, yeah, the wording is weird, but maybe it's because he's like, what the hell is going on? I've never been in a situation like this.

[C]

I'm sure. Yeah. And I know that people handle situations differently, so, you know, it's obviously not to put anything past him, but it does feel weird.

[D]

Well, he was also speaking quite quickly. He was being. Even though. Like he wasn't jibber jabber all over the place. Like, he was able to get his words out, obviously. And he even Asked the operator if he should try to revive her. So when the operator instructed that he should attempt cpr, he told her, okay, I think she's gone. He then added, quote, it looks like somebody might have shot her in the back. I don't know. I don't know what to do. As the operator continued to ask him questions, he lost his patience and demanded, get somebody the fuck over here now.

[C]

Okay, I guess that does prove a little bit of urgency there.

[D]

Yeah, I think he's just freaking out a little bit. Understandably, so.

[C]

So police arrived on the scene first and approached Bradley, who by then was waiting anxiously on the driveway and was frantically calling Christina's family to let them know what was happening. And by the way, this was so important to him that when the deputy began to ask him questions, he just wagged his finger in the officer's face to indicate that he needed to wait. As he finished calls to Christina's loved ones. When he hung up his final phone call, he continued to speak in a measured, matter of fact tone about the murder. As Tina raced home to join Bradley to assess the scene, she just reeled from the shock of the news, having just had coffee with her sister that very morning, like any other day now, inside investigators noted that the pattern of blood spilled on the floor looked as though Christina had been dragged to her final resting place. Her sunglasses were tossed on the floor of the front hallway, leading detectives to believe that perhaps she had been surprised when she walked through the front door. In the back room of the home, a small gun was found inside of a suitcase, which was taken in for evidence and also removed from the home were two bags containing $500 each in cash and also a USB drive. Blood spatter samples were taken from various parts of the home, including her sheets from the bedroom and droplets from inside the bathrooms. And the scene really did indicate that Christina had put up a fight for her life and that the perpetrator had chased her through the home before the paramedics had even arrived. Police deputies headed back outside to speak with Bradley and and break the news that Christina was, in fact, dead. And this was the very first time that Bradley showed emotion about the plight of his fiance, Breaking down in tears and saying, she's got a young daughter who's nine. So as detectives are picking apart this scene, they realize that Christina had actually been stabbed and not shot like they had originally thought. And more alarmingly, she had been stabbed 35 times, with 19 of those stab wounds being on her neck and her face. That coupled with the rose petals left scattered around the house led investigators to believe that this was a textbook crime of passion.

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When asked who could possibly serve as a person of interest in this strange murder case, both Tina and Bradley were quick to tip police off about Christina's ex boyfriend and the father of her daughter and John Mello. Bradley even went so far as to describe him as an asshole, which that's so true.

[C]

I mean, they're both, they're both assholes, as you guys are gonna see.

[D]

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[C]

Sorry, not trying to spoil, but they both are assholes.

[D]

So John was still in Italy, so he obviously could not have committed the murder, so detectives were at a loss. And initially, Bradley was helpful. He spoke with police extensively at the scene and immediately consented for his devices to be searched. You know he is coming across as a guy with nothing to hide. But as the hours passed, Bradley grew cagey and defensive and walked back his previous commitment to be as helpful as possible. Still in the front of the house with the deputies, Bradley began to seem flustered and even irritated at their probing questions. Body cam footage later released revealed Bradley snapping at an officer, quote, 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 this is. So maybe you guys are like, okay, fair. This guy didn't do it. He doesn't want to be grilled and pinned and become a suspect for being the fiance of a murdered woman if he's innocent. Right?

[C]

Yeah, of course.

[D]

Yeah. But that's when a second shocking development came about. That day. Bradley was concealing child pornography on his devices.

[C]

So like I said, asshole.

[D]

Yeah. And worse. We've got. I mean, he's 65 years old.

[C]

Yeah. Pedophilic asshole.

[D]

Yes. So Bradley, you know, despite the fact that his fiance's killer was still at large and it didn't seem like he was actually connected to Christina's murder, Bradley was arrested in the aftermath of her murder on completely unrelated charges. So it's almost like they were getting too close to what he was hiding. And he's like, I don't know if I want to help you anymore because you know, I didn't do this.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Because he's like, you guys are going to find what I have and I don't want that.

[C]

Well, it's like he, he knew that he didn't do this, but of course, you know, he did other shit. He did other shit. He's not a good person.

[D]

No. The crimes he committed were still shocking and vile because on October 20, 2021, exactly one week after Christina's death, Bradley Post was arrested for the trove of sexually explicit content involving children that was found on his devices. You know, it's bad when it's described.

[C]

As a trove and you know, at.

[D]

This point, I mean, it's bad anyway.

[C]

Yes, yeah, of course. But you know, at this point it really, I'm actually just like. It's a terrifying thought. The fact that Christina's 9 year old daughter had been around Bradley at different periods of time and the fact that he had this trove of, you know, content on his devices, I mean, it's just sickening.

[D]

It's very disturbing. And though the Greenville County Sheriff's Office has not explicitly detailed their findings out of protection for the minor victims, not that we need to know anyway. Bradley was charged with one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the third degree, along with two counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor. But however horrific and alarming his conduct was, he was not thought to be responsible or involved in, in Christina's murder.

[C]

Now, when detectives combed the neighborhood cameras they discovered footage from Christina's neighbor situated across the street and actually caught the moment that the person who was likely the perpetrator, at the exact moment he entered Christina's home. He went inside at 9:15am shortly after Christina was believed to have arrived home, and then exited just 12 minutes later, fleeing on a bicycle. He was dressed in all black with a long sleeved shirt and pants on, as well as a face mask, so they clearly came prepared. But this footage put to rest any lingering suspicion of the involvement of either of Christina's past relationships, because the stature of the man did not match either Bradley Post or John Mello. However, investigators still felt that John possessed the greatest motive for taking the life of his daughter's mother. As we know, the custody battle was still pretty fresh, and he had been telling anyone who would listen, including his friends and family, that she was just an unfit parent. So, of course, this led them to his friends, one of whom was named Michael Manigault. And this person, Michael, worked for John intermittently, cleaning his house and completing yard work while he was, of course, overseas in Italy. When asked to come in for questioning, Michael was cooperative and even offered up another name, an acquaintance of his who helped tend to John's house and also maintained a friendship with him, a man named Zachary Hughes. Now, Michael told investigators that Zach had been exceedingly interested in the murder and its aftermath and that he had been wanting to talk about it, which is.

[D]

Kind of a sign that you want to involve yourself in the conversation and the investigation.

[C]

Of course, you know, we see this all the time in different cases. While unlike Bradley and John, Zach was an unlikely suspect, he had never even met Christina. Just 29 years old, he was known for being creative, artistic, and an incredibly gifted musician. He was even a Juilliard trained pianist, having graduated in 2015. And he even spent a season working for a symphony orchestra in Tennessee before finding a home in Greenville, South Carolina.

[D]

Well, between gigs, Zach would frequently play outside for tips, you know, like on the street, showing off his prowess for the community as some sort of troubadour. And this was actually how he met John Mello, who approached him to make a song request. And though they were kind of an unlikely duo just given their backgrounds and their age gap, they became fast friends, mostly bonding over their shared love of music, as John Melo identified himself as a music producer. Like when John absconded to Italy with his daughter, Zach even visited him there, which was probably when John began filling Zach's head with the notion that abuse was taking place in Christina's. Home and that John was powerless to stop it, which was why he kidnapped his daughter in the first place. Zach later testified that he was absolutely convinced that Christina and Bradley were teaming up to abuse their nine year old daughter, despite the fact that Bradley didn't live with them. And there was no evidence whatsoever to suggest that this was true at all.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, really all they had at this point was that they knew, or John probably knew that Bradley was arrested on those child sexual abuse content charges. So.

[D]

But it kind of makes you wonder because if he's putting this in Zach's head before any of that was uncovered, like, where did that come from? It kind of makes you wonder how he would have known that.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, it really does depend on the timeline in which he was talking to Zach about all of this.

[D]

But also, there's no evidence that Bradley abused their nine year old daughter.

[C]

As far as we know.

[D]

Of course, as far as we know. So I just really wonder where this comes from because there's no evidence pointing to it. But then it's like, okay, Bradley literally is a pedophile. So I just find this really interesting because again, as we know, Christina was an amazing mother and person. She didn't have any charges like Bradley did. Well, Zach later explained, I told him 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 Parcell's life. And this is just such bullshit. If you think a child is in danger, you don't dress up in black and put on a mask and murder the person potentially responsible and cover them in rose petals like some vigilante poet.

[C]

You know, that artistic side of Zack is really coming out with those fucking rose petals, dumbass.

[D]

So true. Like you call cps, you call the police. Like he's acting like the only way was for me to kill her.

[C]

Yeah, no, it wasn't. You could have easily called the police and they could have taken action.

[D]

And not to give away, but basically on his trip to Italy, Zach apparently became convinced and even obsessed with this abuse by Christina, quote, unquote, and decided he needed to help John exact revenge and remove his daughter from the situation. So in the days following Christina's murder, Zach's gold pickup truck could be seen driving around with a black bike in its back bed, an exact one to the perpetrators caught on surveillance footage. By now convinced of Zach's involvement, investigators obtained a search warrant for his residence and arrived to arrest him. So he was 29 year old. Zach was arrested for Christina's murder on November 3, 2021, and put up no fight with police when they came to announce their warrant. Most damning of all was the DNA found under Christina's fingernails, which matched that of Zach Hughes. The Greenville County Sheriff's Office came to the belief that Zach rode his bike to Christina's house that day under the guise of delivering flowers, likely motivated and perhaps even coerced by John Mello, who had been filling Zach's head with desperate pleas to free. Free his daughter from, you know, this alleged sexual abuse that she was suffering at the hands of Christina and Bradley, despite, again, no evidence existing.

[C]

But on the flip side, when John was questioned about Zach's possible involvement, he maintained that Zach was incapable of doing so, saying, there's just no way. The guy's heart is as big as the moon and what would his motive be?

[D]

Oh, give it up.

[C]

However, a search of the devices of both men revealed that in the months leading up to the murder, John and Zach exchanged thousands of WhatsApp messages. Now, unfortunately, many of the messages were encrypted and were scrambled or illegible, but detectives were able to decipher a few of these messages and determined that in one, John was attempting to convince Zach to harass Christina, which is likely what resulted in those nude pictures of her being sent to her loved ones. In their final message, which was exchanged just mere hours after Christina's murder, John asked cryptically, how did the music research go? To which Zach responded with equal vagueness. Good. I'll tell you over the phone. But according to John's attempt to dispel any connection between his friend and his ex's murder, Zach was merely helping out with yard work and upkeep at John's house while he was abroad, along with enjoying their burgeoning friendship. In the immediate aftermath of Zach's arrest, he was confronted by the detectives with the DNA evidence stacked against him, and he readily admitted to the murder of Christina Parcell. But even with a confession now, there was still a strong faction, including Zachary's family and John Melo, who maintained that he was innocent. Zach's trial began in early 2025, and despite being incarcerated for his own actions, Bradley testified against Zach. Zach himself also took the stand, admitting that he, in fact, was the one to send the envelopes with the nude pictures of Christina and bemoaned the fact that Christina and her daughter seemed trapped in this situation with Bradley Post.

[D]

So now, suddenly, Christina is also Trapped in a situation, and yet you kill her.

[C]

Yeah. It's like you're saying that Christina is a victim of Bradley, but then you're the one that takes her life.

[D]

Yeah, he's changing it up.

[C]

Well, then he revealed what detectives had suspected from the very beginning, that John had put him up to it and that he had convinced Zach to commit the murder.

[D]

With his brow furrowed, but no tears to speak of, Zach offered up his admission of guilt to the courtroom, adding that the idea had been John's and that John had offered multiple times to pay him to complete the task.

[C]

I really would not put that past John.

[D]

No, of course. And Zack's just a fool. By Zach's admission, he had arrived at the home under the guise of being a floral delivery driver who had flowers for Christina's sister. Because, remember, Christina was living on Tina's property. And when Christina told him that her sister wasn't home, he pulled a gun on her and forced his way into the house. Christina then attempted to fight him off, but Zach revealed a knife and began beating her mercilessly, following her through the house, until he eventually stabbed her around 30 times, taking her life. So, as we know, there was his DNA under her fingernails, and that is because Christina scratched his face. Yes, she did. And so he actually poured paint thinner on her hands, hoping to cover up that DNA, but it didn't work. And then he fled on his bike after only about 10 minutes inside, his defense team argued that because he had acted in good faith, allegedly hoping to extract Christina's daughter from an abusive situation, his crime should not qualify for a murder charge.

[C]

This is his defense, though. That is absolute.

[D]

They're reaching. They always do, you know, But I agree. Well, on the stand, to protest from both the judge and the prosecution, Zach also repeated erroneous claims about Christina's history of sexual abuse, though they had already been deemed inadmissible in court, he went so far as to say to the jury, there is proof to that that the state is hiding from you. While through all the heinous revelations that came out during the trial, Zach maintained that he had done what he believed was best for Christina's daughter, who needed to be rescued from her plight. And this is. It's kind of hard because, like we mentioned with Bradley's charges of sexual conduct against minors, it's just. I want to believe him almost, but. And he's saying there's proof, but he's not allowed to show the proof. And I don't know why that would be if there really was proof. Why would the judge and the prosecution not want to see that? Or at least the judge, you know?

[C]

Well, I can also see how John would be able to use that information to manipulate Zach to get what he ultimately wanted, which was Christina to be dead.

[D]

Yeah. It's just so hard without seeing any proof. It's like we. We can't believe you because nobody else is claiming this except for you and John. And John has all the reason to lie. And again, either way, it wasn't Zach's job to. To kill Christina. It wasn't his job to fix something that we can't even say is real. You know, he shouldn't have done this.

[C]

Yeah. And I mean this. That's not how we deal with situations in the States. You know, we don't deal with vigilante justice. We rely on the justice system to do their job.

[D]

Yeah. So it's like he's looking for leniency with, through his defense, saying, well, he acted in good faith. He was doing this for a good reason. And like you and I are saying, that doesn't cut it. That's not how the world works. And ultimately, Zach could not avoid the DNA evidence presented at trial, along with the harrowing details of Christina's final moments and the brazen attitude that he presented when outing himself as her killer. So, on February 19, 2025, Zach Hughes was found guilty and was later sentenced to life in prison for Christina's murder. And somehow, John Melo had avoided all charges and culpability up to that point. But finally, after Zach's trial, with enough evidence from the trial and the text messages they had exchanged before the murder, John was arrested for his involvement and the orchestration of Christina's murder. He was taken into custody on February 19, 2025, right after Zach's accusation that he attempted to pay for Christina's murder. And he currently remains in prison and is being charged with accessory to a felony before the fact and solicitation to commit a felony. And he will stand trial at a later date. With both of her parents now taken from her, Christina's daughter was sent to live with friends of John's. But Christina's sister Tina fought to take over custody, hoping to raise her herself. And initially, Tina was granted two weekends per month. But then John and Christina's daughter actually allege that Tina took explicit photos of her. Now, I want to mention this because obviously, that's really important to this story. It's really important to those potential accusations, because after this came out, Tina was no longer allowed to be in care of her. And now John remains in charge of orchestrating her care despite being behind bars. So a lot of people do wonder about the potential of that. Some people wonder if John manipulated their daughter to lie, and Tina never did that. Like, no charges were filed. So it's really hard to say and know all the details there, but it's. It's really complicated.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, it seems like a very messy situation just in the fact that you really just don't know what the truth is here.

[D]

Well, because another thing I wonder about is the fact that John pulled the strings. He was the puppeteer and got Zach to murder Christina for him. If that abuse was real and he wanted his daughter back and he had proof, why didn't he just show the courts why? That's like the first thing you do is you say, hey, my daughter is being abused. Look at this. I have all the evidence. Give me her back. But he didn't do that. That's why it's really hard to believe anything he says.

[C]

Exactly. And that's why people are suspicious. That's why they're questioning what his motives were here and if he really was involved with the situation between Tina and his daughter.

[D]

Yeah. Well, Bradley Post is still awaiting trial on his child exploitation charges. And again, though, there has not been any public confirmation that any of his crimes involved Christina's daughter, nor that Christina herself had anything to do with them or any knowledge of this, many have posthumously condemned Christina for being involved in child sexual exploitation as well. Now, though these details were spared from Zach's trial, it's likely that more information will come out whenever Bradley's case heads to trial. Thank you so much, everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[C]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. We will try to keep you guys posted on Bradley's trial and what happens with that, because I'm sure that there's going to be a lot more information that comes out.

[D]

Yes. And John's. Those, we assume, will be somewhat soon, maybe even this coming year, and maybe there will be enough and we'll do an update episode. But speaking of update episodes, last week we gave you guys a little extra episode of Going West. It's a full length, hour long episode of the Update on Rebecca park story that we covered like a week and a half ago or less. Yeah. So check that out because those new details are so beyond just disturbing. I know a lot of you probably saw that an affidavit came out, but it's, it's very long, it's like 20 pages.

[C]

Yeah. And the details are like things that I've never. I couldn't even like, comprehend with my brain.

[D]

No, it's, it's beyond. And we, we break it all down. So sickening. So thank you guys so much for tuning in. Again, a huge shout out to Wendy for recommending this case and we will see you guys on Friday.

[C]

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