Christina Parcell's Sister
Appearances
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The Rose Petal Murder
I can only think of one person in the world that I would instantly think of would have interest in seeing my sister murdered.
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The Rose Petal Murder
In the aftermath of Christina Parcell's murder, it's her sister, Tina, who's left to tell her nine-year-old niece the tragic news. So you had to tell her that her mother was dead? Mm-hmm. She wailed.
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And she was inconsolable sobbing. I told her there had been an accident. Mommy had been hurt very, very badly and she died. She didn't make it. And her response was, who did it?
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He immediately brings up somebody he thinks should be a person of interest. So you asked him, do you know who would do this?
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John Mello says he's a music producer. He met Christina in 2004. He was a 43-year-old married father of two. She was 24. Both cameras have it? Yep. All good? So I guess let's start at the beginning. How did you come to meet Christina?
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Mello and Christina dated for the next six years. So you had a discussion, decided you were going to try to have a baby? Yes, yeah, planned it. That's a little surprising to me, because you were married.
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But while things were going well with the new baby, by then Christina had become estranged from her sister and the rest of her family.
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Between April and May of 2010, my sister cut off ties with our whole immediate family. She sent a letter to my parents, addressed it to all of us. She had been with John for a year when she sent this. She was being increasingly cut off from the world around her. So when you started to talk to her again, how did she explain that letter? It's what John wanted.
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When she came back to our family, I mean, we found out she had a daughter. My niece was more than two when I met her the first time.
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By the time the child was three years old, relations between Mello and Christina were breaking down. So at some point, you guys end up in kind of a tough custody battle.
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In 2016, Mello is granted sole custody. Christina, just visitation. In court documents, Mello describes what he calls her erratic behavior and lack of consistent visitation, while Christina says she's afraid of Mello and doesn't earn enough money to support her daughter.
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The Rose Petal Murder
We've come here to this quiet suburban street in South Carolina to cover one of the strangest crime stories we've ever come across. It's a story of love, betrayal, classical music, murder, a crime scene strewn with rose petals. And it all began at this house on an October morning in 2021 with a 911 call. Greifel County 911, what's the address of your emergency?
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In the years that follow, Mello repeatedly contacts law enforcement and the Department of Social Services about Christina, accusing her of prostitution, drug use, and even child sex abuse.
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In the course of their custody battle, Mello is arrested and charged with stalking and then harassment, accused of repeatedly making unfounded accusations against Christina. Both charges are ultimately dismissed.
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I got specifically a three bedroom apartment so she and my niece could stay with me and we could spend time together, go to the pool, go to the playground.
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But then, in October 2020, the custody fight takes another explosive, and for Christina, terrifying turn.
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It was time for her visit weekend, and John said, we won't be back in time. I'll call you when I know more.
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His message reads, we are out of the country, phone not working. Be advised, we won't be able to fly back for Friday exchange.
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My sister reached out to the elementary school and found out John had withdrawn her from Greenville County School System. She messages Mello, please tell me anything you can about where our daughter is. I'm scared.
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For Tina Parcell and John Mello, there's not much room for agreement except on one thing, the strangeness of those red roses found at the crime scene.
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Tina even keeps an eye out for a special delivery at her sister's funeral.
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I had the funeral home hold every flower delivery so I could inspect them to make sure no red roses were sent because I fully expected some to be sent. Why? because that would be a mean and cruel thing to do. And let's just be honest, mean and cruel kind of fits the whole bill for the situation.
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For her, the roses add to her suspicion of John Mello. She tells investigators what happened a year earlier. In 2020, the custody battle between Christina Parcell and John Mello had become an outright war after he took off with their eight-year-old daughter. Christina has no idea where she is and frantically searches social media for clues.
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She just pored over the internet, looking for everything, doing all kinds of searches. And then Mello emails Christina. Please do not bother people about us saying their daughter is doing great. She is happy and healthy. It's just a new setup. That's all new rules.
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She was inconsolable. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She called county police. She called the FBI. She called the State Department.
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Mello claims he took their daughter to Italy to protect her from her mother.
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So when you went to Italy with your daughter, did you think that you were breaking any laws? Absolutely not.
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She found out they scheduled a hearing at essentially the equivalent of family court in Italy. And I asked her, do you want me to go with you? And she said yes. So I instantly bought us two round trip tickets.
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This is video from their hotel room from the day before the hearing. Christina is on the bed.
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The court rules that Mello violated Christina's custody rights, even if limited, and acted against their daughter's interest. It's a victory for Christina, six months after Mello took their daughter out of the country.
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John Mello stays in Italy while Christina heads back to South Carolina with their daughter.
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But just three months after the joy of being reunited, Christina Purcell is blindsided again.
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It's not just her attorney who has received the mailing. The photos were sent to our house, Post's house, all of our neighbors, all of his neighbors, Christina's work, the guardian ad litem.
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John Mello says he didn't arrange for the mailings to be sent out. Did you have those images mailed?
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Two and a half months after the mailings were sent, Christina Purcell is murdered. But it turns out the man so many people seem to suspect could not have been the killer.
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And then, a huge turning point in the case, thanks to a neighbor's ring camera.
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Police are investigating Christina Parcell's murder. Her fiance, Bradley Post, tells them he's convinced John Mello, despite being in Italy, should be the prime suspect.
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Although authorities have their suspicions about Bradley Post himself, their investigation seems to be pointing away from him.
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Even though he expresses some nervousness, Post continues to work with police.
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But then investigators stumble upon what they claim is evidence of an entirely different crime.
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According to court documents, Post had a high volume of child pornography on his phone and electronic devices. He has not yet entered a formal plea to those charges.
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So although Bradley Post is now facing some serious charges, police still don't think he's the person who killed Christina Parcell. And they now have a critical clue in the hunt for who did. As you start to go looking for evidence, what's the first thing that you do outside of the home? Cameras. Cameras. So where were the first cameras that you found?
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The camera is from the house directly across the street from where Christina Purcell lived. And so you get that camera. What do you see on that camera?
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So if that vehicle hadn't driven by at that moment, you wouldn't have seen who walked in the house.
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The Ring camera offers another important development. While investigators don't know who the mysterious man is, they are now confident of who it isn't.
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Master Deputy Chris Robinson rushes to the scene. He's the first to arrive.
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Police zero in on somebody you'd never expect. Will this finally explain the crime and those odd rose petals?
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Either you had some part of this, or you were caught in the craziest murder case that any of us have ever heard of.
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After Christina Parcell is stabbed to death in the house she shares with her 9-year-old daughter and her sister Tina, investigators piece together camera footage from around their neighborhood that provides critical details about the person who did it.
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With Bradley Post and John Mello ruled out as the killer, investigators are working overtime to figure out who the man on the bike is.
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Given John Mello's solid alibi, investigators decide to dig a little deeper into his circle of friends and acquaintances.
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Like Bradley Post, Michael Manigault does not match the ring camera footage of the man recorded entering the Parcell house.
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But when investigators ask Manigault what he knows about Christina's death, he gives them a new name.
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The videos are from a virtual concert series Hughes did with a local museum and posted on his YouTube channel.
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Investigators discover a crucial clue not far from downtown Greenville. If you look up there, you'll see a camera. That's called a flock camera. It's an automated license plate reader that alerts law enforcement if a wanted vehicle is detected.
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Investigators don't have enough yet to make an arrest, so they let Zach Hughes go, but not before obtaining a sample of his DNA.
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While they wait for the DNA results, authorities are trying to determine just how close Zach Hughes and John Mello really are. How did you come to know Zach?
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Mello says that once he takes his daughter to Italy, he loses touch with Hughes for a few months. But after Christina Parcell wins her case to bring their daughter back to the United States, he says the two men reconnect.
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Even while investigators are zeroing in on Hughes, prosecutor Walt Wilkins has the same question.
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This was a slaughter. Make no mistake about it. And what did you find when you got inside?
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You know, a lot of people don't know who he is and kind of what his background is. How did he end up in Greenville?
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As seen here in a video posted on YouTube, Zach Hughes graduates from Juilliard in 2015. He spends a season with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra before eventually settling in Greenville, South Carolina amid its thriving local arts and music scene.
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Zach Hughes posted videos of the Beethoven Odyssey on his YouTube channel.
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During the COVID pandemic Zachary Hughes could often be found here in downtown Greenville with his keyboard sharing his Juilliard training and his love of Beethoven with the community.
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That man, of course, is John Mello. And this chance encounter is the start of their friendship.
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It was in May of 2021. Zach actually goes to Italy to visit John Mello. What's that trip about?
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Cemented by the time in Italy, their connection continues when Zach Hughes returns home to South Carolina.
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But investigators are starting to believe that Zach Hughes did, in fact, meet Christina Parcell on at least one occasion. And they say they've now got the evidence to prove it.
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And at a bond hearing for Zach Hughes, the courtroom is packed with supporters insisting that he's not capable of murder.
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Ultimately, the judge denies Hugh's bond, and now it's up to the state of South Carolina to prove to a jury that this 29-year-old piano virtuoso is also a cold-blooded killer.
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And prosecutors now think they have evidence implicating Mello in the murder. There was a text exchange between you and Zach where you ask him, how's the music research going?
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So were the men discussing music or murder? Three years after Christina Parcell's murder, Zachary Hughes' trial begins. Family and friends pile in here to the Greenville County Courthouse to see if this accomplished musician might also be a killer.
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One of the first witnesses to take the stand clad in an orange jail jumpsuit is Christina Parcell's fiancee, Bradley Post. Prosecutors want to ask him about that morning he found her dead.
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Prior to the start of the trial, the judge ruled that jurors would not be allowed to hear that investigators had allegedly found a high volume of child pornography on Post's electronic devices, or that he was facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
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The medical examiner testifies to just how violent the attack appeared to be.
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Next, a court-appointed attorney for the child in the custody dispute takes the stand to address the conflict that prosecutors say is at the heart of this case.
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At the time of the murder, remember, John Mello was still in Italy. And that, prosecutors say, is why Mello needed Zach Hughes.
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But because Zach Hughes had deleted those encrypted WhatsApp messages before authorities got his phone, when they were able to retrieve them, they came back scrambled.
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When I spoke to John Mello prior to Zach Hughes's trial, he told me about sending this message.
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But prosecutors argue at trial this is when John Mello convinced Zach Hughes to help him in that alleged campaign of harassment against Christina, sending those explicit photos from a supposed escort website.
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The most significant communication between the two men, prosecutors say, was their last WhatsApp message sent just hours after Christina Parcell was killed.
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There was a text exchange between you and Zach where you ask him, how's the music research going?
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But prosecutors have one more damning piece of evidence against Hughes to put before the jury.
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With the state's case laid out, it's now the defense's turn. And in a twist, they announce Zach Hughes will be taking the stand.
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And what he tells the jury catches prosecutors and just about everyone else in the courtroom off guard.
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Why did you feel like it was important for you to be there? Part of me feels like by being there every day, every minute of this trial, maybe she got to be there too. Courtroom 8 got fuller and fuller as days went on. So we're standing outside the courtroom right now. It has been quite a sight, to say the least.
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Zach Hughes' defense team opens with a bombshell, announcing not only will Hughes take the stand, but he's prepared to confess to killing Christina Parcell.
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Hughes first describes how he met John Mello and learned the details of the contentious custody battle that Mello was in with Christina. He says Mello told him that he was worried for his daughter's safety. And in an attempt to help, Hughes admits he was the one who mailed those envelopes with the explicit pictures of Christina.
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I'm curious why the concern for this child, a child that he doesn't really know that well.
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According to Hughes, those roses found at the scene that caused so much speculation were nothing more than a ruse. And along with the flowers, he also had a gun.
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Zach Hughes says that he knew he didn't have time to clean up all of the now scattered rose petals.
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The paint thinner Hughes brought with him explains that odd smell the responding officer noticed. That's true. But even after his detailed testimony, Zach Hughes' defense attorneys insist that he is not guilty of murder.
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He planned this. He had a gun and a knife. He basically lied to get into the home, and then he stabbed this woman. How is that not murder?
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And the defense had argued that there were serious abuse allegations against Christina Parcell herself and that jurors should hear them. The judge ruled those accusations were irrelevant and inadmissible, but that didn't stop Zach Hughes from repeatedly making them during his testimony.
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Investigators say it's also important to note that nobody knew of the allegations against Bradley Post until his arrest after Christina Parcell's murder.
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But Zach Hughes' testimony isn't over yet. And there's one more bombshell to come.
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Christina Parcell, a single mother of one who police quickly discover has not been shot, but has been stabbed 35 times.
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In this Greenville County courthouse, classical pianist Zach Hughes has a rapt audience as he takes jurors step by step through how he says he killed Christina Parcell.
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And if a confession from the witness stand wasn't shocking enough, Hughes drops another bombshell, testifying that his friend and Christina Parcell's ex, John Mello, offered to pay him on two separate occasions to kill her.
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We reached out to John Mello about these allegations right after Zach Hughes's testimony. And he told us, quote, it never happened.
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Before he made the decision to do this, did he have any physical proof that this child was in harm's way.
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Zach Hughes says he also had the chance to see Christina's daughter while he was visiting John Mello in Italy, and Mello spoke to her over Zoom.
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Now, after a full day of testimony, it's the prosecutor's turn to question Zach Hughes.
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The case is now in the hands of the jurors, one of whom was this man, David Collins.
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After less than three hours of deliberations, the jury returns with a verdict.
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Lead investigator Jared Sparkman arrives to the scene shortly after Deputy Robinson. When you pull up to the scene, what do you see?
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The question now, will John Mello be the next person charged in this case? Are you worried they're going to arrest you in connection with this murder?
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Zach Hughes's unexpected courtroom testimony has now put the spotlight back on John Mello, prompting investigators to take action.
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When I sat down with John Mello before Zach Hughes' trial, I asked him about the allegations swirling around him that he was somehow involved in this murder. Are you worried they're going to arrest you in connection with this murder?
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Now, the stunning court case making big headlines. When's the last time you talked to your sister? She was gone.
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But either you had some part of this, or you were caught in the craziest murder case that any of us have ever heard of.
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We reached out to John Mello's attorney, but he declined to answer our questions and says he looks forward to his day in court. Mello has not yet entered a formal plea to these charges. Do you think in some ways that Zach was manipulated by John Mello?
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There should be justice. People should be held accountable for their actions, for willfully, willingly, cruelly hurting people in this world, whether you know them or not, whether they're family or not, whether you love them or not.
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And at the center of this tragedy, an innocent little girl left without her mother. Christina's daughter has been temporarily placed with friends of John Mello upon his request, following a family court ruling. Her aunt Tina is currently fighting for custody of her.
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The same thing I've always wanted for her. My job is for her to be safe, healthy, and happy, specifically in that order. She deserves better than this.
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People think of stabbings as really intimate, right? Did this seem like a fight, like this was a crime of passion?
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What was he like? Pompous. Always wanted to be the smartest person in the room or the richest person in the room. Preferably both.
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This five-bedroom ranch house was home for veterinary technician Christina Parcell, her nine-year-old daughter, and her sister Tina, who says October 13, 2021, was a typical busy weekday morning. It was just so exceedingly normal. Not a day you would have thought anything of.
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Never. I remember every bit of it now. She had a job interview that morning. She was trying to find a job with more hours, better pay. Did you see her that morning as she was getting ready for it? I'm finishing my morning coffee sitting on the couch. We talk just normal people things. What have you got going on today other than your interview? I've got a hair appointment.
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Then I think they had gymnastics that afternoon. OK, have a great day. You too. Love you. When's the last time you talked to your sister?
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And she texted me, you know, she felt good, it went well. It was, talk me through your qualifications, et cetera, et cetera, very short.
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I was at work and my phone says, you have a voicemail. And it was Post telling me there was an emergency at the house and I needed to come home.
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So I call him back. And he says, you have to get here. I think she's dead. I'm like, what happened? He's like, I don't know. I can't tell. So you race home? Absolutely race home. I get there about 1130. They wouldn't tell me that she was actually dead for the first maybe an hour and a half.
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It's a tragic end to a sibling relationship that survived ups and downs, beginning with an incredibly close bond.
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She was younger, I was older. Two years apart. Two years and four days. Our birthdays were four days apart, so we would have birthday parties kind of around the same time. We were each other's best friends, basically, growing up. She was smart. She was quick-witted, and she was kind.
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Her sister says Christina loved running and gifting friends with her professional-looking homemade chocolates. And she had ambitions for a new career.
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She had gone back to school for nursing. She seemed exceptionally devoted to her daughter. I can't believe I find this word.
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Christina Parcell shared custody with her ex-boyfriend, John Mello. Five months before her death, she and her daughter had moved into Tina's home in Greer, a suburb 12 miles from the city of Greenville. Greenville, South Carolina, is a city nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's one of the fastest growing cities in the US.
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It's known for its southern charm, its tree-lined streets, and its vibrant art and music scene.
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But clearing the county's latest homicide could pose a challenge. Back at the house, police are scrubbing the crime scene for more details.
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This was a slaughter. Make no mistake about it. 19 slices to the neck and face. That's personal. Do you think she fought? I hope like hell she fought.
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Any idea where that came from? No. I mean, it had to have been brought by the person that was in my home.
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leading to the question, who was that person in the home? Police first want to talk to Parcell's fiance, Bradley Post.
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Post is a retired engineer and business owner. He and Christina Parcell had been dating for six years.
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What was he like? Pompous. Always wanted to be the smartest person in the room or the richest person in the room, preferably both. You didn't like him? No, not, no. He's very particular. He likes things the way he likes them. Did she seem happy? Sometimes. She was becoming less and less happy with Post and less and less enamored with the thought of marrying him.
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Two days after the murder, once the crime scene was released, Tina and Bradley Post do a walkthrough with police. What did you think of him and his demeanor that day?
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No, because he was a fastidious, persnickety man. didn't surprise me at all that he didn't want to touch anything icky.
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While Tina may have found Post off-putting, it's another man she thinks police need to investigate.