Episode Details

When we last left you, police had two men in handcuffs, Christina Parcel's fiancé and her ex, and neither one turned out to be her killer. This week, that person finally speaks, and it's someone none of us saw coming: 31-year-old Zachary Hughes, a Juilliard-trained concert pianist who had never so much as met Christina Parcel before the day he killed her.

We spend most of this episode inside Zach's own words, pulled straight from two and a half hours of trial testimony, tracing how a chance meeting outside a Greenville coffee shop turned into a friendship with Christina's ex, John Mello, and how that friendship slowly convinced Zach that a little girl was in danger. What follows is Zach's account of everything he says he tried before October 13th, 2021, and exactly what happened once he decided he'd run out of options.

Fair warning, campers: this one does not wrap up clean. There are more bombshells still coming, and we're saving them for part three.

"That's Genevieve. And that's Kaitlyn."

Sisters-in-law, best friends, former CNAs, and the sharp-witted duo behind Camping Is Canceled. Known for their mix of research-driven storytelling and unfiltered commentary, Gen and Kait tackle true crime cases (and paranormal rabbit holes) with empathy, curiosity, and a healthy dose of dark humor.

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Sources

ABC News 20/20, interviews related to the murder of Christina Parcel.

Greenville County, SC family court records, custody proceedings (2016–2021).

Trial testimony of Zachary Hughes, Greenville County murder trial (February 2025).