Where is Zachary Hughes now? Details explored ahead of 20/20 on ABC

The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover the murder of Christina Parcell at the hands of Zachary Hughes, a Juilliard-trained pianist who did not even know her and had a clean track record. Yet, he killed Parcell by stabbing her 35 times in her own home, shaking the entire community of Greenville in 2021.

This murder will be covered in detail on the upcoming episode of 20/20 on ABC, which airs on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 9 pm EST on ABC. The synopsis for the case reads:

"A young mom is found stabbed to death with rose petals scattered around her body, and evidence caught on camera leads police to an unlikely killer."

While untangling this complex web was not an easy task, the authorities did manage to ultimately reach Zachary Hughes, who confessed to the crime and even linked Christina Parcell's ex-husband, John Mello, to it. Hughes remains incarcerated in Columbia.

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Who is Zachary Hughes and why did he murder Christina Parcell?

Christina was separated from her ex-husband, John Mello, and the latter got custody of their daughter. However, John wanted more than this and was trying to stop her from visiting their daughter, citing inappropriate behavior by Christina and her boyfriend, Bradley Post. Ultimately, a court allowed Christina visiting rights.

In 2020, John Mello and his daughter met Zachary David Hughes, who was performing a show. John even requested a song from Zachary Hughes for his daughter, and he obliged. The two men became friends after this, and their communication grew rapidly, as per reports.

John Mello reportedly started confiding in Zachary Hughes about his worries for his daughter and claimed that he wanted Christina to stay away from her. He even revealed his plans of taking her away to Italy with him. With the growing intensity of the custody battle, Zachary soon found himself in the middle of it all.

Then, in October 2021, Christina Parcell was brutally murdered in her home. Investigators found DNA evidence and surveillance footage from the opposite house that caught someone entering Christina's house during the time of her murder, and leaving on a bike.

The same black bike was found on a truck bed that belonged to Hughes when the authorities used a state motor vehicle database to single it out. Hughes was also a good friend of Mello's, which further put him in the circle of suspicion. Finally, DNA sample from the crime scene confirmed that he was behind the murder.

Zachary Hughes initially pleaded not guilty. However, when he took the stand, he spoke about how he murdered Christina because she was an escort and drug addict, which made her a danger to her child. He was convinced that he was saving the child by killing Christina.

During his testimony, he also claimed that Christina's daughter was being abused by her and her boyfriend, Bradley Post. He also testified that he was offered money by Mello for the murder, which he turned down, indirectly implicating Mello in the murder as well.

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Where is Zachary Hughes now?

Zachary Hughes' trial ended with the jury finding him guilty of the crimes. The day before the verdict, Mello was also arrested for the murder with a charge of accessory before the fact to a felony and solicitation to commit a felony.

Hughes was sentenced to life in prison. He is reportedly incarcerated in Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, where he remains today.

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The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover this case in further detail.