Shivangi Sinha
In October 2021, a man from South Carolina contacted the police to report that he had discovered his fiancée, Christina Parcell, stabbed to death in her home. The caller was identified as Bradley Post. Authorities quickly launched an investigation, which led them to a man named Zachary Hughes, even though there was no apparent connection between him and Christina at first. However, as investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a far more complex and unexpected web of events. ABC’s ‘20/20’ episode titled ‘The Rose Petal Murder’ explores the intricate details of the case and the evidence that ultimately pointed to Zachary.
Zachary Hughes Was Linked to Christina Parcell’s Murder by DNA Evidence
Originally from California, Zachary David Hughes had a deep passion for music from an early age. He eventually earned a place at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, where he trained as a classical concert pianist, focusing on sonatas and concertos by renowned composer Ludwig van Beethoven. In 2020, while performing on the streets of Greenville, South Carolina, he reportedly met John Joey Mello and the latter’s then 8-year-old daughter. The encounter led to a close friendship between the two men, and Zachary claimed he even visited Mello in Italy in May 2021.
Zachary became a suspect after Christina Parcell, a resident of Greer, South Carolina, was found brutally stabbed to death in her home. Investigators reviewed footage from a Ring doorbell camera at her residence, which showed him arriving on a bicycle carrying a box filled with rose petals and then leaving the scene moments later on the same bike. Initially, there appeared to be no clear link between Zachary and Christina. However, further investigation revealed that Christina was Mello’s ex-partner and the mother of Mello’s daughter. At the time, the two of them were embroiled in a contentious custody dispute. Police also discovered more than 1,000 WhatsApp messages exchanged between Mello and Zachary, including several in which Mello allegedly encouraged Zachary to “harass” Christina.
The investigation revealed that Zachary and Mello had sent inappropriate photos of Christina to her workplace and her neighbors. The most damning evidence, however, was the discovery of Zachary’s DNA under the victim’s nails, even though attempts had been made to clean the area with a paint thinner. On November 3, 2021, Zachary was arrested in connection with Christina’s murder and was charged with several offenses, including murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, first-degree burglary, two counts of harassment, and two counts of conspiracy to commit harassment.
Zachary Hughes Confessed to the Murder During His Testimony
Zachary Hughes’ trial for the charges related to Christina Parcell’s murder began on February 11, 2025. During the trial, the prosecution presented its evidence, but the most unexpected moment came when Zachary took the stand in his own defense. He shockingly admitted to killing Christina and said that he believed that John Mello’s daughter was in danger and being exploited by her mother and his new fiancée. Zachary claimed that after visiting Mello in Italy and witnessing his concern for the child’s well-being, he became convinced that the child was in grave danger. He stated that he had filed an affidavit and contacted the Department of Social Services, but his efforts had failed. He further testified that Mello initially offered him $5,000 to kill Christina, which he refused, but the offer was later increased to $10,000. However, he insisted that he had never accepted the money and had acted solely out of his concern for the child’s safety.
Zachary gave a detailed account of how he planned and carried out the murder. He testified that just two days before the incident, he had received a job offer to work on a cruise ship, which would require him to leave the country. Feeling that this was his final opportunity, he decided to act. Although he initially intended to use a gun, he ultimately purchased a knife from a gun show, believing it would be quieter. Mello had allegedly provided him with information about his former partner’s daily routine. This allowed him to plan the attack for a time when she would be alone.
On the day of the murder, Zachary said he drove near Christina’s home in Canebrake in a pickup truck. He took the back roads to avoid surveillance cameras, parked a street away from the house, and then approached on a bicycle. Carrying a gift-wrapped box of roses, he claimed he rang the doorbell and told Christina the flowers were from her sister, Lutina Parcell. He also brought gloves, a gun, a knife, and paint thinner with him. Once inside, he used the gun to intimidate her before launching the fatal attack.
Zachary Hughes is Serving a Life Sentence Today
Throughout his testimony, Zachary Hughes insisted that he was not motivated by anger but by what he perceived as a desperate attempt to save a child. The prosecution portrayed him as a calculated, cold-blooded killer who cloaked his actions in a warped sense of heroism to rationalize a brutal crime. The jury saw through his justification and found him guilty on counts of murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, first-degree burglary, second-degree harassment, and first-degree conspiracy to commit harassment. Although the judge had ruled that any sexual misconduct allegations against Christina Parcell were inadmissible in court, Zachary brought them up three separate times during his testimony.
As a result, he was found in contempt of court and sentenced to six months for violating the judge’s order. For the primary charges, the court sentenced him to life in prison for the murder and burglary, with an additional five years for the harassment-related offenses. His testimony led to charges being filed against Mello as well. Now 32 years old, Zachary Hughes is currently incarcerated at the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. As part of his sentencing, he has been declared ineligible for parole, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of release.
Read More: Christina Parcell Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
