Pianist Convicted of Murdering Woman Believed Victim’s Daughter Was Being Abused
Zachary Hughes said he became convinced the daughter of Christina Parcell was being abused before stabbing the mother several times
A Juilliard-trained pianist was found guilty of murdering a woman after 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, the Greenville News reported. 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 to WSPA. 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 the Greenville News.
After three hours of deliberation on Thursday, Feb. 20, Hughes was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, according to the Greenville News, WYFF and WSPA.
