Kriti Mehrotra
It was October 13, 2021, when Christina Parcell was stabbed 35 times in her Canebrake Drive home in South Carolina, leaving her loved ones behind in a way no one could have ever imagined. As indicated in ABC’s ’20/20: The Rose Petal Murder,’ her perpetrator, Zachary Hughes, believed she was a danger to her then 9-year-old daughter, which is why he wrongly did what he did. Her body was found by her then-fiancé, Bradley Post, but she actually shared the apartment with her sister, Lutina “Tina” Parcell, and the daughter she shared with her ex-boyfriend, Aida Mello.
Tina and Christina Parcell Were Rebuilding Their Relationship When She Was Killed
Although not much is known about the Parcell family or their background, we do know that it comprised two women who always called Greer, South Carolina, their home. According to reports, sisters Lutina “Tina” Parcell and Christina Parcell were quite close growing up, yet things began changing after the latter began a relationship with John Mello. The duo had reportedly begun dating back in December 2008, shortly following which the veterinary technician ended up cutting all ties with her loved ones for at least 4 years – they reconnected in 2014.
As per Tina’s own accounts, her sister was still with John when she reached out again, resulting in them trying to reconnect despite there being a lot of hurt and grief over the time lost between them. After all, by this point, Christina was a proud mother – she and John had welcomed their first and only child into this world, a daughter named Aida Mello, in 2012. However, what no one could have ever imagined is that their relationship would soon begin dwindling, resulting in them separating in 2015 and then getting involved in a tumultuous custody battle.
Tina herself soon began facing trouble in her personal life as her marriage with her then-partner began shattering apart, and it culminated in them getting a divorce by early 2020. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, she stayed at her marital home for a few months before deciding it was time for her to get an apartment of her own. This was around the same time when Chriustine’s lease was coming to a close, so they decided to get a place together so as to finally be a family and make amends, especially following their mother’s January 2020 cancer diagnosis.
Tina Parcell Helped Her Sister in Any Way She Could
Although Tina and Christina were resolved to spend as much quality time together as a family as possible, things changed in the fall of 2020 as John took his and Christina’s daughter to Italy. Yet, they didn’t go on a vacation; they relocated there for good, leaving the sisters to figure things out on their own until they saw a photo of the father-daughter duo on Facebook. That’s when Christina contacted the police and flew to Italy to have the matter resolved there, and Tine came along too. She wanted to be there to support her sister through everything.
Unfortunately, the matter wasn’t easily resolved, so Christina had to go there again a few weeks down the line, even though she had an option for a virtual hearing. She wanted to be there for their daughter, and she was right to do so, as the court reconnected them. Tina, though, was getting updates of it all in real-time as she and her sister had managed to get close over the past few months, owing to not only their shared fear of losing their mother but also living together. They resided in the 3-bedroom apartment on Canebrake Drive near Greer, South Carolina, where Christina was eventually found dead, shattering the family apart.
While Aida is Seemingly Under State Care, Tina is Still Fighting For Justice
Tina lost her sister and closest confidant on October 13, 2021, in the home they shared, so it’s no surprise that she still carries a lot of pain and grief over her loss. However, instead of letting it tear her down, she has transformed it into motivation to earn her justice and ensure that all her perpetrators are punished. So, of course, she was right there during her killer Zachary Hughes’ trial for murder in February 2025, and even testified to her sister’s character and her custody dispute with John during the proceedings.
Zachary testified that he killed Christina over concerns about her daughter’s safety since he had heard allegations from John that she was being sexually abused by her mother and her then-fiance. John was subsequently arrested for accessory before the fact to a felony and solicitation to commit a felony on February 19, 2025. A day later, Zachary was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to life in prison, so she made two victim impact statements in quick succession. She first attended John’s hearing with her sister’s ashes in an urn, and she was also there during Zachary’s sentencing hearing, urging the judge to give him life.
Tina stated that Zachary just “wanted to kill someone” after he was offered her sister as “a target on a silver platter,” before adding that Christina was essentially terrorized by all the men involved in the case. Since then, though Tina has clearly preferred to lead a quiet life well away from the limelight, we do know she is still based in Greer, South Carolina, and fighting to attain justice for her sister. In other words, she wants John to have his day in court soon, too, and it is clear she will be there. As for Aida, with John’s sudden arrest, she was placed in emergency protective services, and it appears as if that’s where she remains to this day, even if her aunt does likely want to care for her moving forward.
Read More: Where is Zachary Hughes Now? Update on Christina Parcell’s Killer
