Christina Parcell Murder Details and Investigation Timeline

When a South Carolina-based nurse named Christina Parcell was found brutally murdered in her Greer residence in October 2021, the entire community was rattled to its core. Meanwhile, grief and shock took over her loved ones, who demanded that the perpetrator/s be brought to justice. The episode titled ‘The Rose Petal Murder’ of ABC’s ’20/20′ chronicles the case in depth while also delving deep into the complicated investigation that led the police to the killer/s responsible for the crime.

Christina Parcell Was Found Dead by Her Fiancé on the Day of Her Interview

On March 9, 1980, Christina Larain Parcell was brought into the world and raised in a seemingly loving household, alongside her sister, Lutena ‘Tina’ Parcell. With a compassionate and amiable personality, she was described as a fun individual to be around. She had the ability to light up even the dullest of rooms with her mere presence and spirit. Christina was also academically smart, which brought her loads of success through the years. In December 2008, she got into a romantic relationship with John Joey Mello. Nearly four years later, in 2012, the couple gave birth to a daughter and embraced parenthood.

However, as their relationship strained over time, they decided to part ways and move on with their lives. By then, Christina had developed several hobbies to keep herself busy, including doing jigsaw puzzles, making candy, and riding her motorcycle. In 2016, she sparked a romantic connection with another man named Bradley Post. While being a devoted partner and a doting mother to her daughter, she also focused on her professional career. Given her love for animals, she landed a job at Foothills Veterinary Hospital in October 2018. On the side, she was also involved with the Carolina Loving Hound Rescue. Described as an intelligent and competent individual by her co-workers, Christina had so many things to look forward to.

In April 2021, Bradley proposed marriage to her, after which the couple started making plans for their future. Unfortunately, the 41-year-old woman found her fate before the engaged couple could exchange their vows in front of their loved ones. On the morning of October 13, 2021, when her fiancé, Bradley, stopped by Christina’s house at 122 Canebrake Drive in Greer, South Carolina, he was greeted by the horrific sight of her remains. He dialed 911 and informed the authorities about the same. When the police arrived at the scene of the crime, they found her with more than 30 stab wounds, which was the cause of her death, and surrounded by rose petals on the floor. As a homicide investigation was launched, the detectives gathered all the pieces of evidence they could find at the scene.

Christina Parcell’s Killer Hinted at the Involvement of Another Individual

With the investigation underway, the police focused on Christina Parcell’s loved ones, including Bradley, who had found her remains. When he was eliminated as a potential suspect in the case, they turned their attention to her former partner and daughter’s father, John Mello. As it turned out, he was in the middle of an intense custody battle with Christina over their daughter. While John had won the sole custody of their child, Christina was granted scheduled visitations. However, he tried to revoke her visitation rights by alleging inappropriate behavior by Christina and Bradley. Eventually, John moved to Italy with her daughter, leading him to face charges of custodial interference.

While John was incarcerated, he listed Zachary Hughes as his only contact for communication. This led to the launch of an extensive investigation into Zachary. Although the Juilliard-trained pianist had a clean rap sheet, the investigators came across several pieces of incriminating evidence against him. He was captured by a Ring doorbell camera entering Christina’s house right before the murder took place and leaving on a bicycle several minutes later. Within a month after the murder, on November 3, 2021, Zachary was arrested for being involved in the killing of Christina Parcell. While he was in custody, the investigators dug deeper into his link to the crime.

Upon going through his phone records, the detectives found over 1,000 WhatsApp messages between him and John, who had asked him to harass Christina by sending her nude photos to her co-workers and neighbors. Moreover, his DNA was also found under her fingernails. In his defense, Zachary claimed that John convinced him that she was hurting the child. According to Zachary, he even offered to pay him nearly $10,000 to kill his wife. The victim’s ex-partner also told him where and when she could be found alone, as per the accused. All in all, Zachary was charged with murder, harassment, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

One of the Alleged Killers Was Brought to Justice, While the Other is Awaiting Trial

On February 11, 2025, 33-year-old Zachary Hughes’s trial for the murder of Christina Parcell commenced. Right after he testified against John Mello on the stand, the authorities arrested and charged him with accessory before the fact to a felony and solicitation to commit a felony. The prosecution presented all the evidence they had gathered against the defendant, including 32 witnesses who spoke against him. Zachary also gave a shocking testimony during the trial, confessing to the crime and giving details about it.

Thus, after three hours of deliberations on February 20, 2025, the jury found him guilty of murder, possession of a weapon during violent crime, burglary in the first degree, harassment in the second degree, and conspiracy to commit harassment in the second degree. Subsequently, Zachary was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and burglary charges, in addition to five years for the weapon charge. While John Mello is awaiting his trial, Zachary and his defense counsel plan to appeal the conviction.