A Juliard-trained pianist has been found guilty of killing a South Carolina mother.

Following brief deliberations, jurors found Zachary Hughes guilty of murdering Christina Parcell in October 2021, FOX Carolina reports.

Police found Parcell stabbed to death in her home on Canebrake Drive in Greer. Investigators discovered more than 30 stab wounds on her body, including injuries to her throat and carotid arteries. She also had rose petals scattered around her.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, in September 2022, a court filing revealed that Hughes was close friends with John Mello, the father of Parcell’s child. In the months before her death, Hughes and Mello worked together to harass Parcell.

They exchanged over 1,000 text messages, including some on the day of Parcell’s murder. Investigators also found Hughes’ DNA under Parcell’s fingernails, despite his efforts to remove it with paint thinner.

Hughes took the stand during the trial and confessed to killing Parcell. However, he claimed that his actions did not amount to murder, as he believed he acted for “a just cause.”

Hughes said he felt he was protecting the victim’s daughter from alleged sexual abuse. The judge previously ruled that the defense was inadmissible, since the child was away at school when the killing occurred.

Hughes also recounted meeting the child and her father in August 2020 while playing piano on the street during COVID. He said he was impressed by the child and met with them several times before taking her to Italy in October 2020.

“I was convinced she was a happy, healthy kid and he was a great father,” Hughes said.

Jurors took around three hours to find Hughes guilty of:

• Murder
• Posession of a weapon during violent crime
• Burglary
• Harassment
• Conspiracy to commit harassment

The judge imposed a life sentence on Hughes for murder and burglary. He also sentenced him to five years for possessing a weapon during a violent crime.

Feature Photo via Foothills Veterinary Hospital