GUILTY SC - Christine Parcell 41, fatally stabbed by concert pianist, Greenville, 13 Oct 2021 *Arrest*

[MTW2011]

Some of the documents shared by journalists covering this case, some from the case against the mother’s Estate, are really difficult to read. All the allegations about what the mother was doing to her daughter and the evidence authorities found proving so were difficult to get through even just in plain text on some of the court filings. Not sure if they can all be shared here as they’re only tangentially related cases, and even if all the allegations are true (and IMOO it’s a high burden to get over tons of video and photographic evidence) that obviously - as this jury decided - doesn’t absolve someone from taking the law into their own hands.

A very sad case for everyone involved. JMOO.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I beg to differ. Little Caylee, and Pinellas, FL, Juries come to mind

I’ll re-word it.

They got it right!
Juries almost always see through the fluff.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Does life in prison mean without parole in South Carolina?

No.
SC has a sentence of LWOP.
With a “regular” life sentence like this one, there is a chance of parole after 30 years.

 

[Luna20]

Was anything said about why he decorated his crime scene with rose petals?

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Was anything said about why he decorated his crime scene with rose petals?

ZH brought roses with him as a ruse to gain entry into the house, saying he was delivering flowers and a gift.
The petals were from the roses he brought that got scattered around during the struggle. He did not place them in a specific way or decorate with them.

 

[Skigirl]

My opinion: the jury saw through the fog that Hughes tried to create, which is more than I can say for some journalists. The case wasn't complicated -- Hughes was paid to go to her house and kill her, and that's what he did.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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[kaen]

Was anything said about why he decorated his crime scene with rose petals?

Not much was said about it. IMHO, I don't think it was for the ruse. I think it was one more indignity suggested by the ex saying 2 things: congrats on being engaged to a pedophile AND let me be the first to put flowers on your dead body. At the same time, the flowers and drugs might have been use to point to the alleged pedophile fiance. Both of these (one confirmed murder and the other alleged conspirator) planned out the details and were both into the symbolism of degrading and dehumanizing their victim.
The murderer went with ruse but also never addressed the planted cocaine.

 

[arielilane]

My opinion: the jury saw through the fog that Hughes tried to create, which is more than I can say for some journalists. The case wasn't complicated -- Hughes was paid to go to her house and kill her, and that's what he did.

Agree. There were some dramatics in play with some of the reporting. moo

Also, thank you for opening the original thread back in Nov. 2021.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

ZH’s DNA under her fingernails was the nail in the coffin.
The thing that broke the case was Mello’s helper Manigault mentioning ZH as someone who also helped Mello with things. Instead of brushing it aside the investigator looked into him and saw the bike in his truck..
I wonder if ZH is feeling used by Mello now. Like he was manipulated.

 

[joe jones]

ZH’s DNA under her fingernails was the nail in the coffin.
The thing that broke the case was Mello’s helper Manigault mentioning ZH as someone who also helped Mello with things. Instead of brushing it aside the investigator looked into him and saw the bike in his truck..
I wonder if ZH is feeling used by Mello now. Like he was manipulated.

I think he has an inflated sense of his own abilities and importance, listening to him testify he was the best marine ever but for his stress fractures (bone spurs anyone), could have been the next Lang Lang but for COVID, so was reduced to busking, IMO he felt he was far superior than mere mortals.
The way he spoke about his sister and Christina was as if he was speaking about himself. I wonder what grace would say in her defence, she was obviously a very damaged child and considering they consider themselves a Christian family was easily sent away.
I think he thought with his superior intellect (in his opinion) he could either get away with murder or get away with murder by saying he was saving the child, and only he could save the child.
To me he is just one more murderer who thought he could get away with murder, he could be the hero of the hour and everybody would applaud him, then he woke up to reality.
The saddest part of all this is he has revictimised the surviving victim of this crime, and added to her trauma, but he can't see that as the only person he ever cares about is himself.

 

[LNL]

Seems like he got is inflated sense of self from his father.

 

[carolmaria]

Seems like he got is inflated sense of self from his father.

Yes, I was sickened by his repeated references to Z’s “moral compass.” Couldn’t believe it. Well, maybe i could.

Undoubtedly there were areas in which Z personified virtue. *This was NOT the place or time to harp on them.*

More re-victimizing the victim(s). During the time for victim impact statements?! Such a tangle of perps in this twisted case.

MOO

 

[Luna20]

Yes, I was sickened by his repeated references to Z’s “moral compass.” Couldn’t believe it. Well, maybe i could.

Undoubtedly there were areas in which Z personified virtue. *This was NOT the place or time to harp on them.*

More re-victimizing the victim(s). During the time for victim impact statements?! Such a tangle of perps in this twisted case.

MOO

Right. It was the inappropriate time to shower praise on the murderer because he was the murderer. No getting around that.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I think he has an inflated sense of his own abilities and importance, listening to him testify he was the best marine ever but for his stress fractures (bone spurs anyone), could have been the next Lang Lang but for COVID, so was reduced to busking, IMO he felt he was far superior than mere mortals.
The way he spoke about his sister and Christina was as if he was speaking about himself. I wonder what grace would say in her defence, she was obviously a very damaged child and considering they consider themselves a Christian family was easily sent away.
I think he thought with his superior intellect (in his opinion) he could either get away with murder or get away with murder by saying he was saving the child, and only he could save the child.
To me he is just one more murderer who thought he could get away with murder, he could be the hero of the hour and everybody would applaud him, then he woke up to reality.
The saddest part of all this is he has revictimised the surviving victim of this crime, and added to her trauma, but he can't see that as the only person he ever cares about is himself.

I 100% agree with all of this.
You nailed it.

 

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[KMouse]

I think he has an inflated sense of his own abilities and importance, listening to him testify he was the best marine ever but for his stress fractures (bone spurs anyone), could have been the next Lang Lang but for COVID, so was reduced to busking, IMO he felt he was far superior than mere mortals.
The way he spoke about his sister and Christina was as if he was speaking about himself. I wonder what grace would say in her defence, she was obviously a very damaged child and considering they consider themselves a Christian family was easily sent away.
I think he thought with his superior intellect (in his opinion) he could either get away with murder or get away with murder by saying he was saving the child, and only he could save the child.
To me he is just one more murderer who thought he could get away with murder, he could be the hero of the hour and everybody would applaud him, then he woke up to reality.
The saddest part of all this is he has revictimised the surviving victim of this crime, and added to her trauma, but he can't see that as the only person he ever cares about is himself.

Agreed. ZH no doubt is a talented pianist. However there is something very off about him. His testimony was bizarre. He excelled in piano but that's where it ends. ZH struck me as socially awkward and lacking in introspect. He made himself out to be amazing at everything he did. ZH is better than his peers and his sister and he was judge, jury and executioner of Christine. His parents probably told him he was gifted and special his entire life and probably still do even after his conviction. Nothing is his fault. Mello, who is probably a sociopath saw this chink in the armor, exploited it and manipulated ZH.

 

[joe jones]

Agreed. ZH no doubt is a talented pianist. However there is something very off about him. His testimony was bizarre. He excelled in piano but that's where it ends. ZH struck me as socially awkward and lacking in introspect. He made himself out to be amazing at everything he did. ZH is better than his peers and his sister and he was judge, jury and executioner of Christine. His parents probably told him he was gifted and special his entire life and probably still do even after his conviction. Nothing is his fault. Mello, who is probably a sociopath saw this chink in the armor, exploited it and manipulated ZH.

I don't think he needed any manipulating, he had a gun with him he could have easily shot her if all his intention was to kill her to save the child, his statements as to why he didn't shoot her are that he was afraid the neighbours may hear and he didn't want anyone to get involved (not verbatim). I also thought the answer he gave to if others may have got involved implied he unfortunately would have to kill them, sarcasm by me. He states twice he was concerned others may have become involved and from the way he testified I read it as it wouldn't have gone well for them, one as previously mentioned was if they heard a gunshot and the other when he said he was concerned the neighbours may have heard the commotion when he was killing Christina and she was fighting for her life and he has to leave the crime scene in a hurry.
That small bit of testimony on direct from his own mouth revealed so much about him.
He could still have shot her, but he chose to slash, cut and stab her over and over again. Shooting someone is more likely to kill than stabbing, stabbing takes time, shooting is quick, so if he only wanted to kill her he would have chosen the most effective way IMO
The way he spoke about Grace and Christina revealed much more than he thought it did, amongst his many achievements he was testifying as if he was a psychiatrist and could diagnose them both with the exact same mental health conditions, only someone as special as he could know what deviants they were, despite him never having met Christina, and Grace being a damaged child, I think he seems to have held onto an extraordinary amount of hate and revulsion towards Grace and he was on some way killing Grace as well as Christina, which is why it was up close and personal, he had to make Grace/Christina suffer,

 

[Snoopster]

I don't think he needed any manipulating, he had a gun with him he could have easily shot her if all his intention was to kill her to save the child, his statements as to why he didn't shoot her are that he was afraid the neighbours may hear and he didn't want anyone to get involved (not verbatim). I also thought the answer he gave to if others may have got involved implied he unfortunately would have to kill them, sarcasm by me. He states twice he was concerned others may have become involved and from the way he testified I read it as it wouldn't have gone well for them, one as previously mentioned was if they heard a gunshot and the other when he said he was concerned the neighbours may have heard the commotion when he was killing Christina and she was fighting for her life and he has to leave the crime scene in a hurry.
That small bit of testimony on direct from his own mouth revealed so much about him.
He could still have shot her, but he chose to slash, cut and stab her over and over again. Shooting someone is more likely to kill than stabbing, stabbing takes time, shooting is quick, so if he only wanted to kill her he would have chosen the most effective way IMO
The way he spoke about Grace and Christina revealed much more than he thought it did, amongst his many achievements he was testifying as if he was a psychiatrist and could diagnose them both with the exact same mental health conditions, only someone as special as he could know what deviants they were, despite him never having met Christina, and Grace being a damaged child, I think he seems to have held onto an extraordinary amount of hate and revulsion towards Grace and he was on some way killing Grace as well as Christina, which is why it was up close and personal, he had to make Grace/Christina suffer,

Yup, this.

I was shocked to see Zach's testimony. He readily admitted, and was proud, that he killed Christine. There is not one iota of remorse there.

I've never seen a case where the murderer described in detail how he killed his victim and then was shocked that he wasn't found not guilty. His defense team said off the top, that they would file an appeal.

How could an appeal POSSIBLY work where the murderer confesses on stand?

This is one of the most shocking trials I have ever seen.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

As far as his testimony, one thing that stood out to me was how he said many times how he had such a hard time bringing himself to hit her because he’s been taught not to hit a girl, overwrought with emotion he kept saying this….then he stabbed her 31 times. Really?
The biggest thing though was when he said he felt an unbelievable amount of relief after he killed her…just like every other psychopathic serial killer who’s ever been interviewed.
He turned out to be exactly who I thought he was.