ABC’s 20/20 new episode titled The Rose Petal Murder explores the story of Christina Parcell, who was found dead at a South California apartment on October 13, 2021. She was residing at a suburban home, owned by her sister, in the town of Greer.
The 20/20 subject, Christina Parcell, had 36 stab wounds and was lying in a pool of blood in the living room. However, investigators found the murder unusual because the killer had spread rose petals throughout the house. Detectives initially started interrogating Christina’s family and close ones, but none of them provided any clues of a possible homicide.
However, when authorities checked the doorbell camera of the residence, they found a man on a bicycle entering the residence, which led them to the root of the crime.
The complete investigation behind Christina Parcell’s murder is documented in the 20/20 episode titled The Rose Petal Murder. The episode is scheduled to release on May 2, 2025, at 9 pm EST.
What happened to 20/20 subject Christina Parcell
As reported by WYFF, 20/20 subject Christina Parcell used to live in the Canebrake neighborhood of Greer. It was around 11:00 am when authorities from the Greenville County Sheriff’s office found her body.
As reported by ABC, Christina had 36 stab wounds on her body. As per the FITSFiles True Crime Podcast, her fiancé, Bradley Post, was the first person to discover her body. Bradly reported that he went to check on Christina after his multiple calls went unanswered.
The Greenville County coroner reported the case to be a homicide. The cause of 20/20 subject Christina’s death was revealed as multiple sharp force injuries. Investigators discovered that the body of Christina was dragged to the living room, where the killer allegedly sprinkled rose petals.
Reportedly, six days after the murder, Bradley Post was arrested for child po*nography and abuse. However, an unlikely suspect named Zachary David Hughes, a native of California and a trained pianist, came out and surrendered himself to the police.
Investigators found crucial details in the camera footage
As reported by the FITSFiles True Crime Podcast, authorities found that from the doorbell camera, a man in a black hoodie and backpack entered through the front door. The man had a bicycle, which the authorities detected was carried on a truck, when they reviewed the street cameras across the Rebo County.
Reportedly, investigators took a DNA test from the unknown sample found inside the victim’s fingernails, and both David Hughes and both of them matched. As reported by the FITSFiles True Crime Podcast, investigators discovered that David Hughes was connected to John Mello, who was the father of Christina’s daughter.
As reported by WYFF4, 20/20 subject Christina’s sister Tina revealed that her sister and John Mello, were in a relationship from December 2008, until their seperation in 2014. Reportedly, the two had a legal battle for several years for the custody of the child.
Hughes worked as a house cleaner for Mello, and the two had been connected since 2020. Reportedly, in October 2020, Mello took his daughter to Italy, breaking the court orders. When authorities found 20/20 episode culprit John Mello’s phone, they discovered text conversations between him and Hughes.
On April 17, 2021, Mello texted Hughes with the private number of 20/20 episode victim Christina Parcell and told him to harass her. According to Fox Carolina, David Hughes was later charged with multiple crimes, including murder and harassment. He was sentenced to life in prison on February 19, 2021.
As reported by WYFF 4, John Mello was arrested by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office on February 19, 2025, in connection with the murder of his former partner, Christina Parcell. He was charged with felony and accessory to murder. The legal trials of John Mello are still ongoing.
Check out our articles to learn more details about other cases on ABC’s 20/20.
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Edited by Divya Singh
