Pianist charged in slaying of SC mom sent out nude photos of her before she died, cops say
Christina Parcell was found stabbed to death in her Greer, South Carolina, home on Oct, 31, 2021 and a Juilliard-trained pianist was charged.
Now, Greenville County sheriff investigators say that man, Zachary David Hughes, sent nude photos of her about three months before she was murdered to numerous people and businesses. He, along with John Mello, the father of Parcell’s child, were charged Thursday with harassment and emotional distress.
Lt. Ryan Flood said Thursday Mello was arrested at his Greenville home and Hughes was served in jail, where he has remained in custody since he was arrested in November 2021.
“As you may know, a substantial amount of evidence was obtained during the murder investigation of Christina Parcell, and upon their investigation, it was revealed that Mello and Hughes conspired to send explicit and pornographic images of the victim to numerous individuals and businesses back in June 2021,” Flood said.
Mello has not been charged in Parcell’s death. Officers say he and Hughes were friends. Mello was charged in October 2021 with custodial interference in a dispute with Parcell over their young daughter.
Prosecutors in the murder case obtained access to Hughes’ cell phone which showed messages between Hughes and Mello, including one from April 2021 in which Mello gave Hughes Parcell’s private number and said “harass the (expletive) out of her.”
Parcell, who worked in a veterinarian’s office, was found dead in her home in a Greer subdivision, in a killing Sheriff Hobart Lewis called brutal and violent. Parcell was stabbed multiple times.
Video surveillance shows a man going in and out of Parcell’s home on that day when neighbors said they saw a vehicle they had not seen before, a gold Ford Ranger.
Hughes drives a gold Ford Ranger, officials said.
Lewis said when Hughes was arrested he was not from Greenville but travels as a concert pianist. On his website, Hughes says he is a graduate of Juilliard. He is originally from California but has been in Greenville for a few years.
Lewis said Hughes had been renting a room in downtown Greenville. Warrants say forensic evidence and video surveillance tie Hughes to the murder. He has no previous criminal record.
