Relative Danger

Summary

Blood is Thicker: The Farris Wheel

Episode 2: Relative Danger (March 18, 2026)

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Overview

In this gripping episode, CBS News explores the tangled family dynamics surrounding the shocking murder of Gary Farris, a prominent attorney found shot and burned on his own property in Cherokee County, Georgia. With a bullet found in a rib and his body incinerated on a burn pile, detectives quickly realized this was a homicide, and early evidence pointed towards a potential killer within the family. Host Peter Van Sant and Detective Daniel Hayes unravel motives of jealousy, financial strife, and secrets, focusing primarily on Gary's immediate relatives—his wife Melody, and their children. The episode delves deeply into each family member's relationships, financial ties, and possible motives, laying out the evolving investigation as suspicions swirl within the Farris household.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Immediate Fallout and Family Tensions

• Melody Ferris' Discomfort with Exposure
  • "This is horrible—to have to put all the secrets out on the table." (Melody Ferris, 00:30)
  • Melody expresses sadness about their private lives becoming public as she speaks with detectives the morning after Gary’s remains are found.
• Interviews with Detectives
  • Melody’s eight-hour interview is marked by suspicion and defensiveness.
  • She immediately implicates her oldest son, Chris, expressing distrust and referencing their feud.
    • "The only thing I found odd was that he wanted to leave immediately." (Melody Ferris, 01:37)
  • Melody admits to fearing a child might be responsible.
    • "The worst nightmare is to think that one of them could have done it." (Melody Ferris, 02:34)

2. The Crime Scene and Forensic Mystery

• Breakdown of the Murder
  • Detective Hayes describes the theorized sequence: Gary was shot in the kitchen, fled downstairs, and possibly shot again.
    • "He was trying to take the path of least resistance to get out of that house." (Det. Hayes, 04:01)
  • Despite expectations of a bloody scene, blood traces were minimal—contrary to Hollywood depictions.
    • "Not every scene that you expect to be that way is that way." (Det. Hayes, 04:41)
• Use of Electronic Forensics
  • CPAP device data established Gary never went to bed on July 3rd—he was killed before his nightly routine.
    • "We were able to take the SD card and get the data off of it that we were looking for." (Det. Hayes, 05:50)
• Missing Murder Weapon
  • No gun found; the murder weapon’s whereabouts remain a “million dollar question.” (06:46)
• Transporting the Body
  • No drag marks; possible use of farm vehicles (tractor or RTV).
    • "Investigators found drops of Gary’s blood on both the family’s tractor and rtv." (08:05)

3. Financial Motives and Family Discord

• Value of the Estate
  • Gary’s assets estimated at $4.5 to $5 million, a potential motive for family members.
    • "That’s what someone would stand to inherit." (Det. Hayes, 08:32)
• Reliance on Gary’s Wealth
  • Melody asserts her children depend on Gary’s money.
  • Melody claims she was ignorant of the total finances, but investigators believed family financial disputes, especially her want for the children’s independence, were at play.
• Planned Financial Changes
  • Gary allegedly planned changes that would cut off family support—tension escalates.
    • "Gary had made it very well known that Scott needed to get a job. Things were fixing to change on that property." (Melody Ferris, 21:30)

4. Suspects within and outside the Family

• Outside Enemies?
  • No significant non-family enemies discovered; focus returns to relatives.
    • "We couldn’t find a single person that hated your dad." (Scott Farris, 11:41)
• Deep Dive on Each Relative
  • Emily and Amanda: Both have solid alibis, not present at the time.
  • Chris:
    • History of family conflict, temper issues, and money troubles.
    • Text evidence: "Your stealing money is out of control. I will change my accounts tomorrow." (Gary to Chris, 16:01)
    • Digital records showed Chris was 40 miles away during the murder.
  • Scott:
    • Army veteran, lived above the barn, managed the property.
    • Reliant on Gary for finances, but his military and firearms experience raises suspicion.
    • "I work for you 24/7… I don’t ask for much, just go out every once in a while." (Scott Farris, 20:31)
    • Deletes trail camera images after Gary’s disappearance (investigators recovered some, found no evidence).
    • Notes missing.38 revolver matching the bullet's caliber, found in his own drawer (different bullet version—no match).
    • Scott adamantly denies involvement when questioned.
      • "No. There’s no reason—why would…there's not an absolute reason why I would want to murder my father. He was the backbone of our family. Why would I kill the man that I'm trying to be?" (Scott Farris, 24:13)
  • Melody:
    • Some family members (including Scott) suggest Melody as a suspect, citing infidelity and lavish spending.
      • "The only person who hated him was Melody. The only person who was having affairs and, you know, spending all his money, was Melody." (Scott Farris, 24:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Family Turmoil
  "This is horrible—to have to put all the secrets out on the table." — Melody Ferris (00:30)
• On the Investigation’s Complexity
  "This was the first case I’ve been involved with with so much electronic forensic data." — Detective Hayes (05:22)
• On Gary’s Value to Family
  "That’s what someone would stand to inherit." — Detective Hayes (08:32)
• On Bickering and Financial Disputes
  "A lot of bickering, a lot of fights over money, a lot of jealousy." — Detective Hayes (08:26)
• On Outside Suspects
  “We couldn’t find a single person that hated your dad.” — Scott Farris (11:41)
• On Chris’s Anger
  "He’s standing in my driveway, you know, I will beat you beyond recognition. And the next time I see you whistle they put you in the grave in a box." — Melody Ferris (14:47)
• On Scott’s Dependency
  "He’s an adult, right? He’s a war veteran… he’s talking to his dad like he's getting his allowance all the time." — Peter Van Sant (21:05)
• On Motive and Denial
  "No. There’s no reason—why would… why would I want to murder my father." — Scott Farris (24:13)
• On Melody as a Suspect
  "The only person who hated him was Melody." — Scott Farris (24:46)

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Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30–02:34: Melody’s initial reaction, suspicion towards her children, especially Chris.
• 03:10–06:44: Walkthrough of the crime scene, forensics, and CPAP data discovery.
• 07:13–09:07: How body was moved, financial motives, family infighting over money.
• 11:27–12:50: Elimination of outside suspects, focus narrows to family, Emily and Amanda alibis.
• 13:40–16:01: Scrutiny on Chris—money conflicts, temper, alibi clears him.
• 17:38–19:29: Scott’s background, life on the property, financial dependence outlined.
• 21:05–21:39: Scott’s account of spending and his relationship with Gary.
• 22:11–23:32: Suspicion raised by Scott deleting trail camera images and missing revolver.
• 24:02–24:46: Scott’s denial of guilt and suspicion shifting to Melody.

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Conclusion

This episode painstakingly examines every angle, from forensic puzzles to fraught family dynamics. Listeners are drawn into the "Ferris wheel" of suspicion as each family member is scrutinized and eliminated—or implicated—one by one. With key questions about motive, means, and opportunity still swirling, the episode concludes with the uncomfortable realization that in the Farris family, love and loyalty were as complicated as any murder mystery.

Transcript

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[Melody Ferris]

this is horrible to have to put out all the secrets out on the table.

[Peter Van Sant]

Melody Ferris was upset that her family's private lives were now public record. She was talking to detectives Daniel Hayes and Trent Kuykendall in Cherokee County, Georgia.

[Scott Farris]

And just so you know, I am sincerely sorry for you and your family's loss.

[Melody Ferris]

I didn't know what to think.

[Peter Van Sant]

It was on the morning of July 6, 2018, the day after Gary Farris remains were found. Melody was at the local sheriff's office. Unlike her earlier conversations with the detectives, this one would go on for nearly eight hours as Melody spun stories of intrigue and suspicion.

[Melody Ferris]

I had nothing, nothing to gain by him dying. I had everything to lose. Everything to lose.

[Peter Van Sant]

Almost as soon as they started recording, Melody didn't hesitate to point fingers.

[Melody Ferris]

The only thing I found odd was that he wanted to leave immediately.

[Peter Van Sant]

Melody was talking about her oldest son, Chris. He had left the farm not long after investigators arrived. Melody said she didn't trust him.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

And he left and came back.

[Melody Ferris]

He came back after Emily got there. I forbid him for being in my house without me being there.

[Peter Van Sant]

The two had been feuding for at least a year. Melody would go on to share disparaging details about more of her children that day.

[Melody Ferris]

The worst part of it is I raised him.

[Peter Van Sant]

Tensions were high. Midway through her marathon interview with detectives, Melody casually alluded to a parent's worst fear.

[Melody Ferris]

I'm sitting there thinking last night, you know, could one of them. I told her to have done it. Which is the worst nightmare is to thinking that one of them could have done it. That's my worst nightmare.

[Peter Van Sant]

I'm Peter van Sant from 48 Hours. This is Blood is Thicker. The Ferris Wheel Episode two Relative Danger.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Okay, Peter, we're pulling up now. This is the Ferris property here on the right.

[Peter Van Sant]

Right here it is. That big house off in the distance. Yes. This is beautiful. When I pulled up to the Ferris property with Detective Daniel Hayes, it was hard to believe it had been a crime scene just a few years earlier.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

We believe Gary was shot and killed based on the evidence, and we know he was burned. What we don't know is exactly when those two things occurred.

[Peter Van Sant]

Based on a few drops of blood in the house, this is what Detective Hayes believed happened to Gary Farris. First, he was shot in the kitchen, wounded. Hayes said Gary then ran downstairs, where he was likely shot a second time. He believed Gary didn't try to fight with his attacker.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

He was trying to take the path of least resistance to get out of that house, which at the time was down the stairs and out those side doors that led to the backyard.

[Peter Van Sant]

Investigators found blood both upstairs and downstairs, and they discovered Gary's DNA on a bullet they found in the basement. Which told you what then about what may have happened in that room.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

That told me that that bullet went through some portion of Gary Farris body.

[Peter Van Sant]

And if he was shot in both that kitchen area and also in the basement, there would have been, I would think, an enormous amount of blood loss. That's part of the mystery to me. Is it to you?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Yes. Again, we get a lot of our. A lot of people get their information from Hollywood, you know, watching the movies. And of course, you want a lot of blood coming out. But on the same token as the bullet being in the floor, not being lodged in something, not every scene that you expect to be that way is that way. Gary was a large guy. We know at least one bullet didn't come out of him because we found it in his ribs.

[Peter Van Sant]

So investigators believed they knew where Gary was shot. But what about the when? Sorting out all the evidence was a daunting task for Detective Hayes.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

We don't have a lot of homicides and murders in Cherokee county, so this was my second one being named lead detective.

[Peter Van Sant]

This is your case, just your second murder investigation.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Second one ever. And this is the first case I've been involved with, with so much electronic forensic data. You know, the cell phones, the computers, cell phone tower dumps, all these, you know, big words that I've had to research to figure out even what they were and how to utilize this data that we got to our analyst.

[Peter Van Sant]

Interestingly, one of the most critical bits of information came from the breathing device Gary kept on his bedside.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Another detective with different experience than me overheard us talking about Gary sleeping with a CPAP every night. He actually brought up. He's like, you know those record data, right. I actually wrote another search warrant and went back to the house, took the cpap, learned, you know, technology's updated. It's just got an SD card in there. So we were able to take the SD card and get the data off of it that we were looking for.

[Peter Van Sant]

Hayes was interested in the data from the evening of July 3rd, the last day anyone saw Gary alive.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

That's when we determined that Gary always went to bed around midnight. And he hadn't gone to bed that night. He had never put on the cpap. We know he was killed that night,

[Peter Van Sant]

but who pulled the trigger? And where was the gun? Was a murder weapon found?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

No.

[Peter Van Sant]

And you guys looked, right?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

We did.

[Peter Van Sant]

What do you think happened to that gun?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

That's the million dollar question.

[Peter Van Sant]

Another million dollar question. How did Gary's body get from the house where he was presumably shot onto the burn pile more than 50 yards away?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

We don't have any evidence directly stating when he was put on that fire, so it's possible he laid in the backyard or wherever he expired for quite some time while someone made the decision to put him on the fire and dispose of the body.

[Peter Van Sant]

Gary weighed nearly 300 pounds and was 6 foot 4. How exactly can someone move a man of that size such a distance? Is there any blood that was discovered going from the house to the burn pile? Not that we found any drag marks,

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

none that we saw.

[Peter Van Sant]

Any vehicle tracks whatsoever?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

There were tracks in the area. You could tell they were well traveled paths. Usually that people often would drive the RTV or the tractor or something, but nothing that was definitive. It went from that area of the basement straight to the burn pile.

[Peter Van Sant]

Detective Hayes figured there was a chance one of the vehicles was used.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

This family has utilize both of those machines to move dead horses, pull stumps out of the ground. So anyone who's been on the property that saw knew the capabilities of these machines.

[Peter Van Sant]

Investigators found drops of Gary's blood on both the family's tractor and rtv, the rough terrain vehicle. But who had a motive to kill him? And in the weeks and months leading up to Gary's death, is it, is it accurate to say that there was a lot of bickering, a lot of fights over money in that family?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

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

[Peter Van Sant]

Do you have any idea what he was totally worth?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

I believe at some point we added it up to around four and a half, $5 million is what someone would stand to inherit.

[Peter Van Sant]

That would be Gary's personal investments, including life insurance and the value of the property. Melody claimed ignorance when it came to the family's finances. But she asserted that her children, Chris, Scott and Emily relied heavily on their father's money.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Evidence shows it made Melody turn against her children because the children were spending money.

[Peter Van Sant]

Melody strongly felt her children needed to grow up and be financially independent. She told investigators that Gary was about to make a big change in their lives that would largely turn off the money Spigot.

[Melody Ferris]

I mean, my world is literally falling apart in the last 24 hours. Literally. I mean, I've got four kids. Yeah. Kristen's got have their demons. They do. Emily's got hers.

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[Peter Van Sant]

hey, it's Howie Mandel and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my How We do it gaming team take on Gilly The King and Wallow. 2. $6 million gaming in an epic Global Gaming League video game showdown. Four rounds, multiple games, one winner, plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist Travy McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match against Neo right [e-mail] that's globalgamingleague.com everybody games. We've spent a lot of time talking about suspicions within the Ferris family, but what about outside? It's something I asked Detective Hayes about. Are you wondering, did someone come in from the outside? Perhaps someone he competes with in business or a financial problem that he's had that he may have an enemy who came onto property and killed him? Sure.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

You know, when you get to a homicide, it starts, everyone in the world's a suspect. And you narrow that down, Right. You had to keep an open mind.

[Peter Van Sant]

But according to Gary's family, he didn't have any enemies. Here's Scott.

[Scott Farris]

He had no enemies. I mean, I'm sure the detectives will say, probably say, we couldn't find a single person that hated your dad.

[Peter Van Sant]

And Scott's right. The data investigators collected backed that up. So Detective Hayes focused on each family member, not just what they were telling him in interviews, but the actual evidence. What were they all doing on July 3rd? Let's start with eldest daughter, Emily.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

From what I knew about her, she had moved away from Georgia. She lived in Franklin, Tennessee, which is up near Nashville in a home with her husband.

[Peter Van Sant]

Emily was 30 then.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Gary gave her money, helped fund part of her lifestyle in Tennessee, helped them get the house.

[Peter Van Sant]

Hayes said around the time of Gary's murder and on the day when the remains were discovered, Emily had an alibi.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

She arrived after I did. I recall her arriving and trying to speak to her and she just basically said, I don't know anything. I live in Tennessee. I'm here because my family called me and told me what was going on.

[Peter Van Sant]

No way she could have been involved.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

No way she could have been involved.

[Peter Van Sant]

As for the youngest 29 year old Amanda, detectives were certain she wasn't at the farm that day. The people who were at the farm on the third were her mother, Scott and Chris. As we know, Chris stopped by the farm with one of his daughters late that afternoon and talked to Gary as he was preparing the burn pile. In 2018, Chris was 38 and had moved back to Georgia after living in Maine with his first wife. They had two daughters before getting a divorce. When his mother Melody, was talking to detectives on the second day of the investigation, she alleged that Chris wasn't showing very much emotion for someone whose father's remains had just been discovered.

[Melody Ferris]

You know, and Amanda said, you know, I found it very odd that he did not seem upset. It was just like, you know, nothing had really happened.

[Peter Van Sant]

Detective Hayes also noticed that Chris kept his distance.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

He was kind of hands off in the beginning of the investigation. He didn't know much. Some people had some suspicions about him early in the investigation because he didn't want to stick around, he didn't want to be involved with it.

[Peter Van Sant]

Melody told detectives that Chris struggled with both his temper and his alcohol. Could that dangerous combination have led to Gary's death?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

I believe there are some threats made by Chris when he was intoxicated.

[Peter Van Sant]

Detective Hayes was talking about a time back in the summer of 2017 when Chris, who had been drinking, was ready to drive his daughters home. Melody said she confronted Chris about being drunk, telling him he wasn't going to drive off the property with the girls. That's when Melody said Chris flew off the handle.

[Melody Ferris]

He's standing in my driveway, you know, I will beat you beyond recognition. And the next time I see you whistle they put you in the grave in a box.

[Peter Van Sant]

Chris later testified that there was indeed a confrontation because Melody wasn't giving his children back to him. But he said that he didn't know why Melody would say it was over his drinking. During the confrontation, Melody said that she threatened to call the police. Instead, she called Gary.

[Melody Ferris]

I know that Chris absolutely despises me because I'm the one who preaches to him all the time.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

At Hicket B, his mother believed that he was stealing money from his father. His father believed that, you know, Chris was using him for the money, but he wasn't stopping it, and he was allowing him to do so.

[Peter Van Sant]

Chris had his own painting company.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

There were some indications that he was not as successful as I'm sure any businessman would want to be.

[Peter Van Sant]

Investigators discovered that Chris did have money troubles.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Chris was having to borrow money and float checks is what I would call it. Write people checks and tell them not to cash it until later or whatever.

[Peter Van Sant]

In a text message on June 12, 2018, three weeks before the murder in, Gary wrote to Chris, your stealing money is out of control. I will change my accounts tomorrow. But while there was evidence Gary was upset about Chris spending, there was no evidence detectives concluded that Chris killed his father. According to digital records, the night that Gary was shot, Chris was 40 miles away at his Atlanta home. This meant there were likely only two family members left. And to investigate Melody and her son Scott, law enforcement had thoroughly searched the property's main house that Melody shared with her husband. They'd also searched the barn, including Scott's apartment on the top floor. That's where investigators made an intriguing discovery.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

For years, Gone south has been a podcast about crime in the American South. But for our new season, we're widening the lens through deeply reported, narrative driven stories. We're digging into the myths, scandals, and power structures that still shape the south and in a lot of ways, the country itself. Follow and listen to gone South Season 5, an Odyssey podcast, available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.

[Scott Farris]

I wake up and work, feed all the animals, start doing, you know, my daily chores around the farm.

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott Farris had been working on the family farm for nearly five years before his dad was killed. But his own mother saw Scott as a failure. I talked to Scott in 2024. You've been characterized as a mooch, as a leech, as somebody who could never hold down a job, and that your father was incredibly disappointed in you.

[Scott Farris]

No.

[Peter Van Sant]

Is that true?

[Scott Farris]

No, it's not true. Because I served in the military. I served in the army. I got released back in 2012, 2013 time frame, and it was a reduction in force. So that's why I got released from the military.

[Peter Van Sant]

This gunfire is from a Facebook post Scott made in 2009. In the video, he's got on his army combat uniform and sunglasses standing and shooting at targets. The post reads, having Fun with my M249. Saw his original plan once he was out of the military was to enter law enforcement, but that didn't quite work out.

[Scott Farris]

I came back into an economy that nobody was really hiring at the time. So, yeah, I went back into selling cars, and at the time, nobody had money, and I wasn't making a lot of money doing that. And whatever jobs I was able to find were, you know, eight to ten dollars an hour. And, you know, when you're in your 30s, it's kind of hard to, you know, live on your own.

[Peter Van Sant]

Off of that, Gary threw his son a financial lifeline.

[Scott Farris]

We had a. We sat down and talked, and we arranged for me to manage the property and take care of the farm.

[Peter Van Sant]

Part of the arrangement was free room and board in that apartment above the barn.

[Scott Farris]

He didn't cut me a paycheck. He basically. He gave me a credit card or he gave me a debit card. So I used the card to buy horse feed and goat feed and, you know, the hay and fertilizer for the pastures. And then, you know, I would use the same card to, you know, go get lunch and go to go get dinner.

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott told Detective Hayes that his father kept a close eye on his spending.

[Scott Farris]

He kept control of all the banking. I mean, he watched everything.

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott said sometimes he'd be out with friends, look down at his phone, and there would be a text from his dad.

[Scott Farris]

I could get a text message from him saying, okay, you spent enough money at this, you know, for the night, or something like that. I'm like, really? It's like, I work for you 24 7. You know, I don't take a day off. I don't ask for much. Just go out every once in a while.

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott relied on his father for just about everything. Here, again is Detective Hayes.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

When he needed something or wanted something or wanted to go out, he had to go to Gary and ask, hey, can I have some cash to spend? Or can I. Can you put some money on this card? Or can you unlock the credit card, whatever it was?

[Peter Van Sant]

And he's an adult, right? He's a war veteran. He'd served in the Middle east, and he's talking to his dad, like he's getting his allowance all the time, like

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

he's 12 years old.

[Peter Van Sant]

That must have been humiliating for him at the time.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

He didn't seem humiliated. He very much seemed like he enjoyed the lifestyle of being there and taking care of the farm.

[Peter Van Sant]

But Melody told me that Scott's leisurely lifestyle was about to end.

[Melody Ferris]

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

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott knew the end was coming.

[Scott Farris]

He was just letting me know, hey, things are gonna change around here. You need to probably pursue another job.

[Peter Van Sant]

Could this sudden change have been a motive for murder? There were certain things that happened the day Gary Farris remains were found that raised suspicion. When family members first began their search for Gary. The Melody asked Scott, an avid hunter, to go check his trail camera. It's used for tracking deer.

[Scott Farris]

I was looking at that trail camera to see if there was any clues to where my dad could have gone. But just out of habit that I've done hundreds and thousands of times before, I checked it and just hit clear. All because I didn't see my dad on there.

[Peter Van Sant]

He just hit clear, claims there's nothing

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

on it, and deletes the memory card.

[Peter Van Sant]

It seemed fishy. But then the sheriff's office was eventually able to recover some of the images from that memory card. There was no picture of Gary. Then there was the question of the gun. Scott Farris had flagged that there was a.38 snub nose revolver that had gone missing in the basement. And detectives had found a bullet of the same caliber on the basement floor, as well as the bullet pulled from Gary's rib.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Some people thought, wow, Scott found a gun and now there's one missing. And other people think immediately, why is he telling us this? He may be responsible.

[Peter Van Sant]

Investigators then checked Scott's apartment above the barn, where they opened his dresser drawer.

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

Scott had some.38 caliber rounds in his in one of his dresser drawers.

[Peter Van Sant]

Which member of the Ferris family at the farm is most familiar with firearms?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

That would be Scott.

[Peter Van Sant]

That would be Scott. Which family member has been trained by the United States army to kill Scott? Which family member at the farm has the physical strength to lift a 300 pound man into that fire pile?

[Detective Daniel Hayes]

It would be Scott. Would be the most likely. I'm not sure if he's strong enough to do that or not.

[Peter Van Sant]

Scott defended himself when we spoke. In 2024, did you murder your father? Did you shoot him and put his body on a burn pile?

[Scott Farris]

No. There's no reason why would there's no, there's not an absolute reason why I would want to murder my father. He was the backbone of our family. Why would I kill the man that I'm trying to be?

[Peter Van Sant]

Detectives determined that while the bullets found in Scott's drawer were.38s, they were a different version than the recovered bullets that had Gary's DNA on them. Technically, they were not a match. That left only one other person for investigators.

[Scott Farris]

The only person who hated him was Melody. The only person who was having affairs and, you know, spending all his money was Melody.

[Peter Van Sant]

From 48 hours. This is blood is Thicker, the Ferris wheel produced by Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host Peter Van Sant. Judy Tygard is the executive producer of 48 Hours. Original reporting by 48 Hours producers Betsy Schuller, Ryan Smith and Hannah Vehr. Jamie Benson is the senior producer for CBS News podcasts and Mara Waltz is the senior story editor. Recording assistance from Alan Peng and Alana Myers. Special thanks to CBS News Podcast Vice president Megan Marcus. Blood is Thicker was written and produced by Alex Schuman. Stephanie Serrano is our editor. Our executive producer is is Shira Morris. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Theme and original music composed by Hans Dale Shee. Cedric Wilson is our sound designer and mix the episodes. We also use music from Epidemic Sounds. Fendal Fulton is our fact checker. Our production manager is Tamika Balance Kolasny. If you're enjoying the show, be sure to rate and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting. Thanks for listening.

[Commercial Narrator]

This year on NPR's Throughline. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. For centuries of America's pursuit has changed the world. Now, 250 years later, who are we? Where are we headed? Join us every Tuesday for a brand new series, America in Pursuit on Throughline. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Van Sant]

CBS Monday. It's the final season of the Neighborhood with an all new episode. Then you may not love going to the dmv, but you'll love a new episode of the hilarious copy comedy dmv. And the laughs turn into a night of justice. The hit drama FBI is new followed by CIA, a high stakes new series from the team behind FBI, starring Nick Gelfus and Tom Ellis. All new all night CBS Monday starting at 87 Central and streaming on Paramount. Plus.