Christina Parcell, left, and Zachary Hughes.Photo:Foothills Veterinary Clinic/Facebook; Greenville County Sheriff’s Office
Foothills Veterinary Clinic/Facebook; Greenville County Sheriff’s Office
A Juilliard-trained pianist was found guilty ofmurdering a womanafter he claimed he killed her in order to protect her daughter from abuse.
Zachary Hughes admitted to fatally stabbing 41-year-old veterinary tech Christina Parcell in South Carolina in 2021, theGreenville Newsreported. But he and his attorneys reportedly claimed that he did so for a"just cause."
During his testimony, Hughes reportedly claimed that his friend, the father of Parcell’s daughter, had become “distressed about the safety of his daughter,” the paper reported.
Eventually, Hughes said that he had become “absolutely convinced” Parcell’s daughter was being abused, according toWSPA. The outlet reported that prosecutors had said Hughes and Parcell had never met each other.
“I told him the only way I would ever consider taking action like this is if I was absolutely convinced that his daughter was not only in danger but that the only way to rescue her from that danger would be to take Christina Parcell’s life," Hughes testified, according to theGreenville News.
After three hours of deliberation on Thursday, Feb. 20, Hughes was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, according to theGreenville News,WYFFandWSPA.
Prior to the trial, a judge denied a defense motion to argue that Hughes was trying to save Parcell’s daughter from sexual abuse, WYFF reported. In his ruling, Judge Patrick Fant noted that the girl was at school at the time and not in any imminent danger, according to the outlet.
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As a result of Hughes' trial testimony, John Mello, the girl’s father, was arrested and charged with accessory before the fact to a felony and solicitation to commit a felony, WYFF, theNewsandFox Carolinareported.
TheGreenville Newsreported that following the verdict, prosecutor Walter Wilkins told reporters there were other ways to report alleged child abuse.
“I know one way that you’re not supposed to do it,” he reportedly said, “and that’s to break into a person’s house and stab them 35 times.”
source: people.com
