The concert pianist who “stabbed the mother of his friend’s child 31 times during a bitter custody battle” could be forced to hand over the iPhone password as prosecutors claim a text between the two friends was code for murder
- A new request has been made to gain access to Zachary Hughes’ phone after officials believe it may contain new information
- Hughes, 29, is charged with the October 2021 murder of Christine Parcell
- Parcell, 41, a veterinary technician and mother of one child, was found stabbed to death at her home in Greer, South Carolina
- New court documents revealed Hughes was close friends with the father of Parcell’s child – John Mello – and exchanged 2,000 WhatsApp messages
- Parcell was embroiled in a custody battle with Mello, who was arrested last year for violating a custody order
- Less than a week after her death, Parcell’s fiancé, Bradley Post, was charged with manufacturing child pornography. The charges are unrelated to her murder
- Officials said surveillance video and evidence linked Hughes to the crime scene
- Hughes is a Julliard School graduate and works as a concert pianist
Zachary David Hughes, 29, is accused of stabbing 41-year-old Christina Larain Parcell 31 times at her South Carolina home last year, was close friends with her child’s father: docs
A Juilliard-trained concert pianist accused of brutally murdering his friend’s child’s mother may be forced to reveal his iPhone password after prosecutors claim a text between the two friends was code for murder.
Zachary David Hughes, 29, is accused of stabbing 41-year-old Christina Larain Parcell 31 times at her South Carolina home last year in what authorities described as a “very violent attack” and a “very brutal crime scene.”
On the same day of the murder, John Mello, friend of Hughes and father of Parcell’s child, reportedly sent Hughes a text that read “How’s music research going?”.
Hughes reportedly replied, “Fine, I’ll tell you on the phone.”
A lawyer has since made a request for access to Hughes’ phone after officials believe it may contain information to incriminate Hughes or identify other suspects.
The filing, filed this week, alleges Mello was in a “contentious” custody battle with the victim and allegedly exchanged thousands of WhatsApp messages with Hughes, revealing that Mello had asked his friend Hughes to harass Parcell, reported WHNS.
Parcell, a mother of one child who works as a veterinary technician, was found stabbed to death at her home in Greer, South Carolina. October 13, 2021
Less than a week after her murder, Parcell’s fiancé Bradly Post was arrested and charged with allegedly manufacturing child pornography in five counts of sexually exploiting a minor, WYFF reported.
However, police say the charges are unrelated to Parcell’s murder.
On the day of Parcell’s murder, her child’s father, John Mello, reportedly texted Hughes that said, “How was music research going?”
Parcell was found dead from multiple stab wounds at her South Carolina home in October 2021
Hughes pleaded not guilty when he appeared at a court hearing earlier this year. He is currently being held at the Greenville County Detention Center.
Hughes, who graduated from the world-renowned Julliard School in New York City and worked as a concert pianist, is now charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Sheriff Hobart Lewis described the murder as a “very violent” attack, Greenville Online reported. “It was definitely a very violent crime scene,” the sheriff added.
Court documents revealed that the suspect was caught on the doorbell camera of a neighbor entering Parcell’s home on the day she was killed. The same suspect was also seen exiting the home on a bicycle.
According to WHNS, investigators used FLOCK cameras that could read license plates to link Hughes to Parcell’s home. Images from the cameras show Hughes’ truck with a bicycle in the back. The same bike was later found at Hughes’ house.
Parcell’s fiance Bradly Post, pictured, was arrested on October 20 on child molestation charges, but police say the charges are unrelated to Parcell’s murder
The court documents also revealed more details about the relationship between Hughes and the father of Parcell’s child – who allege John Mello was in a very “contentious” custody battle with Parcell at the time of her murder.
It was claimed Hughes and Mello were close friends and exchanged over 2,000 WhatsApp messages.
Last year, Parcell also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to pay her attorney during a custody battle with Mello, who she claimed traveled out of the country with the child.
Mello was arrested on October 25 and charged with violating a custody order, transporting a child under the age of 16 and failing to return him within 72 hours.