Nude photos lead to new charges after Greer woman’s stabbing death

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Three months before an Upstate woman was killed, the father of her child worked with her suspected killer to spread nude photos of her, according to investigators.

John Joey Mello was arrested on Thursday morning on Blake Street. He is charged with first-degree harassment and criminal conspiracy.

According to arrest warrants, Mello and Zachary Hughes conspired to mail pornographic pictures of Christina Parcell to several people and businesses in June and July 2021.

Parcell was found stabbed to death in her home on Canebrake Drive in October 2021. Hughes, a Juilliard-trained pianist and close friend of Mello, was charged with murder. He is now also being charged with harassment and criminal conspiracy.

“The defendant’s actions demonstrated a pattern of intentional, substantial, and unreasonable intrusion into the victim’s private life that served no legitimate purpose and caused the victim.... to suffer mental or emotional distress,” the warrants state.

Mello and Hughes appeared together in bond court on Thursday afternoon. During the hearing, the assistant solicitor said the explicit pictures were sent to neighbors and Parcell’s father’s work. Parcell’s sister spoke at the hearing and said the neighbors who received the pictures have young children.

“This ‘loving father’ sent pornographic images to people where any child could have gotten them,” she said. “With utter disregard for any harm he was causing to the mother of the child. His own child could have found them, her friends could have found them. And he did it anyways. Utterly callous and, based on a lack of eye contact, I would assume no regret.”

Mello said he did not have an attorney and started to speak at the hearing about the allegations but was stopped by the judge who said that information would be appropriate for later proceedings in his case.

Parcell’s sister also addressed Hughes during the hearing, showing him a photo that Mello allegedly cut him out of before posting it on Instagram in 2022.

“He cut you out,” she told Hughes. “I’m going to give this to your attorney in case you’d like to see it a little more closely. Just because I feel like it’s important for you to know that that’s happening. I don’t know that anyone’s actually brought that to your attention.”

Hughes’ bond was set at $10,000 for the two charges, however, he is still being held without bond at the Greenville County Detention Center on the murder charge he faces.

Mello’s bond was set at $15,000 and he has to surrender his passport since prosecutors believe he is a serious flight risk.

Prosecutors said Hughes was very involved in a custody battle between Parcell and Mello before he stabbed the victim more than 30 times. His iPhone was seized as part of the investigation and detectives said they were able to determine more than 1,760 WhatsApp messages were exchanged between Hughes and Mello.

In one conversation in April 2021, prosecutors say Mello told Hughes he obtained Parcell’s private number and asked Hughes to “harass the [expletive] out of her.” Hughes’ phone was switched into airplane mode twice on the day before Parcell’s homicide and twice on the day of the homicide, according to court records.

Investigators were able to crack Hughes’ iPhone passcode, which they said he would not voluntarily provide. Hughes’ defense said he wasn’t trying to withhold information but was forgetful. State prosecutors planned to review all emails, text messages, social media messages, photographs, videos, geo-location information, internet search history and financial payment history on the phone.

When asked if the new charges stemmed from information recovered when Hughes’ phone was cracked, the solicitor’s office said they could not comment.

Mello did an exclusive interview with FOX Carolina after Hughes’ arrest.

“I can’t help the perception,” he said when asked about his friendship with Hughes. “I can only pray and move forward for my child.”

Mello said he was in Italy where he has dual citizenship at the time of Parcell’s homicide. He has a pending charge for custodial interference after he reportedly took their child out of the country in violation of his custody order.

You can find a closer look at the timeline of the case down below.

Stay with FOX Carolina for updates on this developing story.

MORE COVERAGE: Canebrake Murder Investigation

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