Greenville Jury Selected for High-Profile Murder Trial of Zachary Hughes
GREENVILLE, S.C. - On Monday, a Greenville County circuit court selected a jury for the complex murder trial in the case known as the Killing on Canebrake.
Zachary Hughes, a Juilliard-trained pianist, faces charges for the murder of Christina Parcell, 41, who was found stabbed over 30 times in her Greer home in October 2021.
Although Hughes' trial was originally scheduled to begin in January, difficulties arose in qualifying jurors. Clerk of Court Jay Gresham noted that of the 161 jury summons sent out, 93 individuals did not appear.
On the new trial date, the court again experienced low jury turnout. Of the 311 people summoned, only 106 appeared for duty. Nonetheless, the prosecution and defense managed to agree on a jury composed of 12 jurors and 4 alternates from the available pool.
During pre-trial motions, the prosecution requested that evidence related to criminal charges against Parcell's fiancé, Bradly Post, be excluded from the trial. Investigations revealed child pornography on Post's devices, and allegations have surfaced suggesting he was creating child sexual abuse material. Although Parcell was implicated, she was never charged or convicted.
While prosecutors maintain these allegations do not influence Post's testimony, the defense counters that the charges are "highly substantiated" and include 16,000 files of illicit material. The judge is currently deliberating on this motion, with pretrial motions set to continue on Tuesday morning.
Initially, there appeared to be no connection between Hughes and Parcell. However, a court filing obtained by FOX Carolina revealed a friendship between Hughes and John Mello, Parcell's child's father, who allegedly collaborated with Hughes to harass Parcell prior to her death.
Hughes has consistently professed his innocence, claiming he had no part in her murder. Evidence suggests Hughes and Mello exchanged over 1,000 text messages, including correspondence on the day of Parcell's death. Mello has not been charged in this case, but law enforcement points to strong physical evidence indicating Hughes' involvement.
According to the solicitor, Hughes' DNA was discovered under Parcell's fingernails. Additionally, recordings from a nearby ring doorbell camera captured Hughes entering and leaving Parcell's home on the day of the crime. Investigators also utilized FLOCK cameras to identify Hughes, which tracked his truck carrying a bike later found at his residence.
