Identified! GA - Cherokee Co, Remains in Woods Behind Home on Purcell Ln, July 2018 - Gary Farris *wife arrested

[ch_13]

Oh, man, Amanda on the cross.... The prosecutor is FAB. He managed to list all the stuff the jury should consider as evidence, by asking Amanda if she thinks all those items should be considered.... I didn't watch her direct.

Oh, man...when there was a whiff that Melody had a thing for Amanda's husband!

The defense attorneys are now sitting about a mile from their client. Methinks this happened after MJ put a nail in her coffin.

I haven't been watching this trial, but I did see a bit of Amanda's cross-examination. Several times she said that unlike her siblings, she believed her mother was innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

That struck me as quite an odd statement. I mean "beyond a reasonable doubt" is a legal standard. Something for a jury to decide. But as a family member, that's not what matters. How many cases are out there where the guilty party is known, but there's insufficient evidence to bring it to trial? A family member should care about who actually killed their loved one, not whether the legal standard is met.

The way she kept repeating that, almost like a mantra, it seems to me that at some level she knows her mother killed her father, but she doesn't want to admit it to herself and she's grasping at straws to avoid having to face some harsh reality.

 

[nodamselindistress]

(Snipped)
There was evidently no will, since the estate went to probate. But I believe Melody has been living with Amanda. And, for a while, Amanda was paying for everything. It sounded like Melody thinks she's destitute.
But IMO all that insurance would have been released to Melody because she was not arrested for a year or so.

Note: Melody has been wearing expensive clothes to trial and has 2 expensive attorneys.

I do not believe that an estate going to probate means there is no will. In fact, many jobs ago the father of my boss died with a will and his estate was definitely probated, I know because I had to deal with it. Perhaps you are saying this is a GA thing? I am not sure. If you have a link about the no will thing, that would be helpful!

I do find it a bit absurd that an attorney would die intestate, especially a man with 4 children. I know he was a commercial RE atty, but he was still an atty and knew what a mess it would be to die w/o a will. Just do not see that happening. JMO

 

[RickshawFan]

The judge got emotional and cried today! I haven’t seen a judge cry in reference to the court personnel.

I don’t think the state did enough to assign her guilty. No gun or DNA and not a lot of talk about the financial scenarios so what’s the strategy?

Today the Pathological expert witness said that he can’t pin down the cause of death?? Weird. The unusual things that have popped up everyday have made this case so beyond interesting.

I didn’t know that Rusty said that he still talks to her everyday. I missed that part.

For me, I think State has given waaaaay more than enough to find Melody guilty. Think of the phone calls to Rusty, e.g. from the jail…. But even before we got there, she was toast.

Everyone else has an alibi. Scott has no motive and an airtight alibi. IMO the three older kids for real loved their father, and he gave to them willingly. Amanda? She pretended to love her father in order to protect her mother. IMO she resented her father: consider her resentment over how much money her siblings were getting, when she got two brand new cars. Half the tears were fake, IMO. She was just seething on the stand. You could see her lips tighten and curl. She would tilt her head and pout. She claimed she felt oppressed by parental conflict (note lack of tears here), but seems to have been twisting a knife into it. I wonder how she treated her father when alive? Everything seemed to be me me me with her.

Did anyone else catch the moment where pros insinuated Chad and Melody had a flirting spell going on?

 

[RickshawFan]

Questions I still hope to be answered soon but who started the fire? I’m realizing that I was so engrossed in the trial that I have missed some things.

Gary assembled bonfires as the seasons went on. Brush and stuff from the farm. He made a huge pile, accumulated over months. Every once in a while, they’d have a big bonfire. It was well into summer at the time of the murder. Maybe Gary was planning to light it on July 4. Most of it would have been extremely dry.. All Melody had to do was dump his body on it with the Kubota to light it. She coulda used the Kubota to keep scooping hot stuff over the body.

Gary’s blood was on the Kubota.

 

[RickshawFan]

I do not believe that an estate going to probate means there is no will. In fact, many jobs ago the father of my boss died with a will and his estate was definitely probated, I know because I had to deal with it. Perhaps you are saying this is a GA thing? I am not sure. If you have a link about the no will thing, that would be helpful!

I do find it a bit absurd that an attorney would die intestate, especially a man with 4 children. I know he was a commercial RE atty, but he was still an atty and knew what a mess it would be to die w/o a will. Just do not see that happening. JMO

The pros may have mentioned the no will thing, but we definitely know it was probated. It came up earlier in the trial, but it also came up with Amanda. She wanted to claim that there were a lot of shenanigans in the disbursement of the estate, when in fact, it was handled by the court. Pros caught her in that little twist of the truth.

IIRC the house was foreclosed on within a year of the murder. At that point, all the stuff was removed. Melody was in jail, and told Amanda what she should grab for her. FWIW this included a gun.

If there’s no will, an estate gets probated.

Yes, it does seem nuts that an attorney wouldn’t have a will. It also means he had no living trust to protect Melody.

 

[nodamselindistress]

Thanks @RckshawFan. I will pay full attention to closing arguments to see what is said. To me, the motive is in question at this point. She had been in an affair with Rusty for years with no repercussions and was still able to access GF's money, so why kill him? That would put an end to her future income. Just curious to me as I always want to know "why".

 

[arielilane]

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS​

DAY 17 – 10/29/24​

• Forensic pathologist Dr. Jonathan Arden testified that he could not confidently say that the bullet found caused Gary Farris’ death, or even say that the bullet entered his body.
• The defense concludes their presentation of evidence on Tuesday and rested its case.
• WATCH: Melody Farris Decides Not To Testify in Her Murder Trial

GA v. Melody Walker Farris: Burn Pile Murder Trial

Melody Walker Farris accused her son of murdering his father at her sentencing after a jury found she killed her husband, Gary Farris.

www.courttv.com

Posted at 8:17 AM, October 30, 2024 and last updated 9:10 AM, October 30, 2024

 

[RickshawFan]

I haven't been watching this trial, but I did see a bit of Amanda's cross-examination. Several times she said that unlike her siblings, she believed her mother was innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

That struck me as quite an odd statement. I mean "beyond a reasonable doubt" is a legal standard. Something for a jury to decide. But as a family member, that's not what matters. How many cases are out there where the guilty party is known, but there's insufficient evidence to bring it to trial? A family member should care about who actually killed their loved one, not whether the legal standard is met.

The way she kept repeating that, almost like a mantra, it seems to me that at some level she knows her mother killed her father, but she doesn't want to admit it to herself and she's grasping at straws to avoid having to face some harsh reality.

Totally agree. IMO it’s worth watching the pros case. The testimony of the other 3 siblings pretty much situates Amanda in the land of blind denial, not-so-smartism, and outlandish protection of mom. The other sister has the same kind of look, but not the princess-y thing going on: she’s super smart IMO. No pouting. Very definite.

I felt very sorry for the 3 older siblings. I think the boys, in particular, got dealt a very bad hand, and it’s made them un-rooted, drifting, trying to get it together. Emily is more of an anchor IMO. I found these 3 very likeable.

Amanda also ignores the “reasonable” in reasonable doubt. She construes it as “no doubt’, but that’s not the standard.

 

[SluethinAway]

Totally agree. IMO it’s worth watching the pros case. The testimony of the other 3 siblings pretty much situates Amanda in the land of blind denial, not-so-smartism, and outlandish protection of mom. The other sister has the same kind of look, but not the princess-y thing going on: she’s super smart IMO. No pouting. Very definite.

I felt very sorry for the 3 older siblings. I think the boys, in particular, got dealt a very bad hand, and it’s made them un-rooted, drifting, trying to get it together. Emily is more of an anchor IMO. I found these 3 very likeable.

Amanda also ignores the “reasonable” in reasonable doubt. She construes it as “no doubt’, but that’s not the standard.

What stuck out to me was she had the attitude of "Not gonna get involved" when it came to the affair, when it came to their fighting.
When it came to her brother, however, she became involved in the drama.
He was drinking too much so she called Mom and Dad to intervene.
She conveniently took herself out of the situations of Mom's culpability every time!
She remembered who all was there the week before, she remembers conversations but when it came to that day and the things she said that implicated her Mom, she was in shock, she doesn't remember all of that!
She actually turned into a great witness for the State. IMO

 

[rescuemom]

I have been wondering about Motive in this case, i.e., money. I did not recall hearing any mention as to who GF left his assets to? Was it all left to MF or was it equally to the 4 children and MF was cut out completely?

I may have missed it since I took a week off to watch Boone trial. Anyone know?

IMO, she just wanted out! Has it been mentioned what the amount of estate was after everything was settled??

 

[SluethinAway]

Closing Statements now. They have decided to split it up. Prosecution, then Defense and Prosecution with rebuttal afterwards.
Melody did not testify in her own defense.

 

[nodamselindistress]

IMO, she just wanted out! Has it been mentioned what the amount of estate was after everything was settled??

No amount that I have heard, which I find strange since supposedly money was her motive. I did hear the lady prosecutor say in her closing that MF "inherited it all". So far, that is all I heard.

 

[fred&edna]

I wish the other prosecutor had handled closing today. jmo

 

[Luna20]

I wish the other prosecutor had handled closing today. jmo

Same. I feel like I’m in South Carolina. Maybe he will do the rebuttal?

 

[Luna20]

For me, I think State has given waaaaay more than enough to find Melody guilty. Think of the phone calls to Rusty, e.g. from the jail…. But even before we got there, she was toast.

Everyone else has an alibi. Scott has no motive and an airtight alibi. IMO the three older kids for real loved their father, and he gave to them willingly. Amanda? She pretended to love her father in order to protect her mother. IMO she resented her father: consider her resentment over how much money her siblings were getting, when she got two brand new cars. Half the tears were fake, IMO. She was just seething on the stand. You could see her lips tighten and curl. She would tilt her head and pout. She claimed she felt oppressed by parental conflict (note lack of tears here), but seems to have been twisting a knife into it. I wonder how she treated her father when alive? Everything seemed to be me me me with her.

Did anyone else catch the moment where pros insinuated Chad and Melody had a flirting spell going on?

The Chad insinuation is stupid in my opinion. There wasn’t any evidence of that. I’m surprised there wasn’t an objection to that.

I do understand that with the dysfunction of this family anything is possible though.

Add to or correct the points below:


The affairs of Gary and Melody

Living in the same house separately

Scott deleting the camera surveillance

Melody dating the stepson of her second cousin who she was helping

Rusty dating Melody and secretly dating another person

At one point Rusty had a debit card from Melody. She was using her husband’s money to give to her boyfriend.

Adult children with their own divorces

The divisive animosity between the adult children

The missing gun from Martha’s house

Melody telling Rusty over the phone that Gary was in the burn pile before Gary was reported missing (I have to verify this)

Someone has posted a steep bond on Melodys behalf

Melodys demeanor throughout the trial

Pathologist unable to determine cause of death. He claimed that the bullet could have already been there. Weird.

 

[nodamselindistress]

Defense brought up GF's insurance policies which listed MF as beneficiary. Also, as I had been wondering, did she even know about those insurance policies? Think the prosecutor needs to address this if money was the motive.

 

[RickshawFan]

The Chad insinuation is stupid in my opinion. There wasn’t any evidence of that. I’m surprised there wasn’t an objection to that.

I do understand that with the dysfunction of this family anything is possible though.

Add to or correct the points below:


The affairs of Gary and Melody

Living in the same house separately

Scott deleting the camera surveillance

Melody dating the stepson of her second cousin who she was helping

Rusty dating Melody and secretly dating another person

At one point Rusty had a debit card from Melody. She was using her husband’s money to give to her boyfriend.

Adult children with their own divorces

The divisive animosity between the adult children

The missing gun from Martha’s house

Melody telling Rusty over the phone that Gary was in the burn pile before Gary was reported missing (I have to verify this)

Someone has posted a steep bond on Melodys behalf

Melodys demeanor throughout the trial

Pathologist unable to determine cause of death. He claimed that the bullet could have already been there. Weird.

There might have been other evidence on the Chad thing. I concluded Melody just flirts with everyone with the kinds of parts she likes, and who flatters her, young or old.

And the thing is...The jury doesn't see this, but Chad walks Melody in and out of the court room for the trial. And he's clearly her confidant.

Note, too... Chad wasn't called to the stand, yes? There has to be a reason...

 

[RickshawFan]

This case became the story of 1 debit card with 5 copies, 4 (?) phones and 2 diaphragms. Who, in the intelligent universe, would claim they were keeping a diaphragm in their purse for a friend? Even after the detective reminded her they'd test it for DNA, and have their answer in a moment. Several times! She kept right on with her lie. No, she wasn't having an affair. This was, like, the craziest lie I've ever heard in an interrogation. And she had another diaphragm in the glove box of her car? That's where I keep my first aid kit. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Call me ageist, but old enough to know that Melody might have been too advanced in years to need a diaphragm? Maybe she used one as a vanity thing? A souvenir? That would be a new one on me, but you never know with some of these criminal cases.

 

[Mony Mony]

Why is the defense throwing the bags of evidence on the ground?

•••oh he just said he is piling them up to demonstrate the heavy weight of GF. Theatrics…..

 

[nodamselindistress]

Why is the defense throwing the bags of evidence on the ground?

•••oh he just said he is piling them up to demonstrate the heavy weight of GF. Theatrics…..

They were bags of fertilizer, not bags of evidence. Just trying to prove GF was too heavy for her to carry/drag him to the burn pile.