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

[Luna20]

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.

He hung himself with that statement. He most likely hoped that the jurors would think he was distraught about the child and would understand the relief he experienced after he killed her mother for the protection of the child.

He is a disturbed person. I would love to see a brain scan on him.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

He hung himself with that statement. He most likely hoped that the jurors would think he was distraught about the child and would understand the relief he experienced after he killed her mother for the protection of the child.

He is a disturbed person. I would love to see a brain scan on him.

Maybe he genuinely has a 'hero complex' - according to prevailing psychological theory, this can be a part of a highly narcissistic personality.

It's possible ZH felt internally compelled to do what he did and is blinded to the fact that other people don't see it that way, due to being highly narcissistic and lacking in regular levels of empathy.

If so, he's probably confused as to why he's been punished and isn't celebrated as someone who went the extra mile to restore justice in the world. It's a terrible shame that someone so bright and talented could have such a thinking / perception distortion unchecked. Also that he met a third party who rightly identified this personality trait and manipulated / exploited it for his own ends. Ultimately it seems ZH was just the puppet, weaponized by Mello.

JMO MOO

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson


Before and after - Zachary Hughes new mugshot following his conviction.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1895138508261786010

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Does the state shave a person when admitting them to jail? Or is this his own style choice? He doesn't look well.

I wonder if he'll tell his story to interviewers and journalists or publish it since he pretty much openly confessed in court?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Court filings accuse Parcell and her fiancé, Bradley Post, of forcing her daughter to make sexual abuse material.

Parcell was never charged but Post was, and his case is still pending. A judge ruled that the jury in the Hughes trial would not be allowed to know about this information

Juilliard-trained piano player convicted of murder files notice of appeal

The Julliard-trained piano player convicted of murder has taken the first step toward trying to get an appeal.

www.foxcarolina.com

 

[Tricia]

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See you tonight at 8 PM Eastern on Websleuths first ever Ask Me Anything

 

[upset_airport]

Just watched the whole trial.

I don't understand why the court couldn't wait until Brad Posts case is decided before this trial.

Despite all the crazy smoke/mirrors/like/dislike of various witnesses...It *really* appears as if Mello/Hughes were correct about what was happening to <modsnip: Redacted name of minor child>.

I read that when Mello reported abuse to LE, the investigator "formed a personal relationship" with Christina and then filed harassment charges against Mello in 2018. Has anybody discovered any more info about this aspect of the case.

If these allegations against CP and BP were false -- I can't imagine that the prosecution wouldn't have called <modsnip: Redacted name of minor child> to the stand to refute them.

But they didn't.

Wish they would have let Zack testify to what information he'd been privy to prior to the murder.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Juilliard-trained piano player convicted of murder files notice of appeal

The Julliard-trained piano player convicted of murder has taken the first step toward trying to get an appeal.

www.foxcarolina.com

How do you appeal a murder conviction of a man who confessed to the murder?
The defense is basically arguing that ZH should be allowed to decide who lives and who dies. Judge, jury, executioner. It doesn’t work that way.

 

[upset_airport]

Juilliard-trained piano player convicted of murder files notice of appeal

The Julliard-trained piano player convicted of murder has taken the first step toward trying to get an appeal.

www.foxcarolina.com

How do you appeal a murder conviction of a man who confessed to the murder?
The defense is basically arguing that ZH should be allowed to decide who lives and who dies. Judge, jury, executioner. It doesn’t work that way.

I believe the argument is about the specific charge of murder (with malice). The defense will appeal partially based on the idea that evidence was improperly excluded from trial (evidence that the child was being abused by the mother & Brad Post -- of which, apparently, there is tons.)

If this evidence had been admitted, a reasonable jury might have concluded that he didn't act with malice, but instead acted in the defense of others (the defense argument).

The argument will be that a jury should have been able to consider all the evidence, and that excluding this evidence from trial didn't allow Zachary Hughes to properly defend himself.

I don't believe this wouldn't have been an issue if the state had charged him with a lesser crime like Voluntary Manslaughter. (But I'm no lawyer).

The evidence that the child was, in fact, a victim of horrible abuse seems rather overwhelming. The investigator who wrote the warrant for Brad Post's arrest wrote about one image: "<modsnip - unnecessarily graphic>

This photo was taken inside Brad Post's house.

MOO

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

They should have tried these cases the other way around IMO.

It is possible that the intensity and desperation ZH could have felt whilst knowing such flagrant abuse of a child was going on and that the only recourse to law enforcement appeared to have been corrupted could explain two things - firstly, the correct channels really weren't seemingly available and secondly, his state of mind was exceptional and frantic, ie mentally unwell. Surely comprising what could be described as abnormal and unusual circumstances far over and above anything an average person would ever encounter. I would imagine the jury could feel deceived. JMO MOO

 

[upset_airport]

They should have tried these cases the other way around IMO.

It is possible that the intensity and desperation ZH could have felt whilst knowing such flagrant abuse of a child was going on and that the only recourse to law enforcement appeared to have been corrupted could explain two things - firstly, the correct channels really weren't seemingly available and secondly, his state of mind was exceptional and frantic, ie mentally unwell. Surely comprising what could be described as abnormal and unusual circumstances far over and above anything an average person would ever encounter. I would imagine the jury could feel deceived. JMO MOO

Agreed - I find it baffling that they didn't do Brad's trial first.

Personally, this seems intentional so that the defense team couldn't use it.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Brad Post is going to get his day in court and by all indications it’s not going to go well for him. If CP was involved, she will be vilified and appropriately so. I will applaud that.
This was not that trial. It was a trial of a man who took the law into his own hands because he thought somebody was bad. His information about how bad she was came from someone who was in a custody battle with CP.
ZH was judge, jury, and executioner and that is against the law. It protects us all from vigilante justice.
All the lurid details will come out then, but they will not excuse the fact that ZH admittedly made the decision to, and carried out her cold bloodied murder.

Opinion

 

[momsof3]

Agreed - I find it baffling that they didn't do Brad's trial first.

Personally, this seems intentional so that the defense team couldn't use it.

His defense did a very thorough job setting this issue up on appeal! Honestly I think it could have been a very viable appeal BUT for his testimony. He did not come across as sympathetic or even cogent. I do suspect (did a deep dive of the filings in the civil suits a while back - specifically the daughter’s friend’s suit) that CP will be found implicated in the video material. All I could think was “does this child not have one single adult in her corner.” Hopefully the silver lining in all of this is she is safe and loved.

 

[upset_airport]

His defense did a very thorough job setting this issue up on appeal! Honestly I think it could have been a very viable appeal BUT for his testimony. He did not come across as sympathetic or even cogent. I do suspect (did a deep dive of the filings in the civil suits a while back - specifically the daughter’s friend’s suit) that CP will be found implicated in the video material. All I could think was “does this child not have one single adult in her corner.” Hopefully the silver lining in all of this is she is safe and loved.

In my opinion, the most damning court filings I've seen are the friend's lawsuit & the daughter's lawsuit against BP and the estate of CP -- as well as the defense response to the State's motion to limit Zachary's testimony. If you look on page 19 & 20, the specific details are pretty incontrovertible that CP participated. The Rose Petal Murder - FITSNews

I would be very curious to learn what Zachary Hughes *knew* (or believed) at the time of the murder. I'm not convinced he was aware that this specific abuse was happening (but we weren't allowed to hear exactly what he knew).

To me the entire "Grace Story" seemed like a deliberate work-around to explain how he "knew" that Mello was telling the truth. That whole line of reasoning didn't resonate with me at all (from any legal standpoint).

Besides that - Zack had seen the deposition that Christina had given at a custody hearing in 2016 (apparently, she admitted to trading money/sex as well as acting in & seeking out "sugar daddies" online). He saw the Alex Fields affidavit claiming that CP had been working as an escort in 2018.

While this info may have given Zack a poor opinion of CP -- none of this indicates direct abuse against the daughter.

At the time of the murder, if he was aware of only this + Mello's suspicions. I do *not* believe he has a valid defense case. It's almost like... he was correct, but only accidentally?

If, however, he had proof -- I think this would change the math in a jury's mind.

Very interesting legal case. Novel use of "in defense of others" that I would be very curious to see played out with all the evidence available.

 

[Luna20]

In my opinion, the most damning court filings I've seen are the friend's lawsuit & the daughter's lawsuit against BP and the estate of CP -- as well as the defense response to the State's motion to limit Zachary's testimony. If you look on page 19 & 20, the specific details are pretty incontrovertible that CP participated. The Rose Petal Murder - FITSNews

I would be very curious to learn what Zachary Hughes *knew* (or believed) at the time of the murder. I'm not convinced he was aware that this specific abuse was happening (but we weren't allowed to hear exactly what he knew).

To me the entire "Grace Story" seemed like a deliberate work-around to explain how he "knew" that Mello was telling the truth. That whole line of reasoning didn't resonate with me at all (from any legal standpoint).

Besides that - Zack had seen the deposition that Christina had given at a custody hearing in 2016 (apparently, she admitted to trading money/sex as well as acting in *advertiser censored* & seeking out "sugar daddies" online). He saw the Alex Fields affidavit claiming that CP had been working as an escort in 2018.

While this info may have given Zack a poor opinion of CP -- none of this indicates direct abuse against the daughter.

At the time of the murder, if he was aware of only this + Mello's suspicions. I do *not* believe he has a valid defense case. It's almost like... he was correct, but only accidentally?

If, however, he had proof -- I think this would change the math in a jury's mind.

Very interesting legal case. Novel use of "in defense of others" that I would be very curious to see played out with all the evidence available.

“I do not believe that ‘he’ has a solid defense case”

Who is ‘he’?

 

[upset_airport]

“I do not believe that ‘he’ has a solid defense case”

Who is ‘he’?

Zachary Hughes

 

[Luna20]

Zachary Hughes

His case is over. Are you referring to an appeal?

 

[upset_airport]

His case is over. Are you referring to an appeal?

Yes - speaking hypothetically about if a jury was able to hear all the evidence.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Has a mistrial been ruled out?

Altho it would be hard to claim mistrial when ZH admitted the details, he could possibly still argue for 'defending the life of a child' if there's such a thing in law.

Pure speculation on my part but if this child was being severely abused and / or introduced to abusers in real life not just online material, her life was at immediate threat, perhaps ZH believed she was inside the house being held against her wishes or some other idea? JMO MOO

 

[upset_airport]

Has a mistrial been ruled out?

Altho it would be hard to claim mistrial when ZH admitted the details, he could possibly still argue for 'defending the life of a child' if there's such a thing in law.

Pure speculation on my part but if this child was being severely abused and / or introduced to abusers in real life not just online material, her life was at immediate threat, perhaps ZH believed she was inside the house being held against her wishes or some other idea? JMO MOO

No Mistrial possibility - trial is already over. Possible he could get a new trial on appeal (but I highly doubt it, just because it's very rare).

Zack's defense at trial was, specifically, "In defense of others" but was being used in a novel way (basically trying to use the statue in the law in a way it's never been attempted to be used before in SC). The way I understand it, this defense stems from the "self defense" statutes -- but the Jury never really got to hear what he was defending the child from.

Re: your speculation. Zack explained on the stand that he specifically ensured that CP would be at home alone when he went to her house to murder her. He knew her schedule, and he knew that the daughter would be at school.

Whether or not the daughter was in "immediate" danger while at school, was specifically addressed by the State in one of the motions to suppress evidence. They argued that "immediate danger" was impossible because she wasn't near her mother at the time.

However - I think this would be interesting for a court to actually adjudicate. I forget which court filing it's in, but when Brad's Phone was discovered to have CSAM on it, officer's were dispatched to remove the child from the home, citing "immediate danger."

The question becomes at which *specific* point is the child in imminent & immediate danger (the requirement for self-defense / in defense of others). It could be argued that a child in her circumstances is *perpetually* in imminent danger (even if she's at school or outside the home). The abuse didn't only occur when the photos/videos were taken -- the abuse was *ongoing* because storing the images & sharing them also constitute abuse. Brad even stored a thumbdrive with the images in his locker at the cigar bar, that I believe was owned by Christina's father.

South Carolina's "in defense of others" statute allows a person to defend another person to the same extent that they would have had the right to defend themselves. This is known as the "alter ego" rule. Self Defense is allowed to prevent "serious bodily harm" (including rape).

I think it would be fascinating to see a court actually tackle this issue.