Pianist, 29, charged with murder of veterinary hospital worker

A Juilliard-trained concert pianist from South Carolina has been charged with brutally murdering a veterinary hospital worker, who was engaged to a man now suspected of producing child pornography and was dealing with custody issues.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday announced the arrest of 29-year-old Zachary Hughes.

Hughes, who attended the prestigious NYC theater school, has been charged with counts of murder and weapons possession during a violent stemming from the October 13 killing of 41-year-old Christina Parcell.

Parcell, a mother-of-one working as a veterinary technician, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds in her Greer home. Her fiancé Bradly Post was arrested for child sexual exploitation and child porn offenses on October 20, but cops say they do not believe that case is linked to Parcell’s killing. 

Sheriff Hobart Lewis told reporters during a press conference that investigators have yet to determine a motive behind what he described as a ‘very violent’ attack, reported

‘It was a very brutal crime scene, for sure,’ the sheriff added.

Hughes is a graduate of the world-famous Julliard School in New York City who has been working as a concert pianist.

According to Lewis, surveillance video from Parcell’s neighbors and physical evidence found at the scene tied Hughes to the murder.

The 29-year-old suspect turned himself in to the authorities on Wednesday night and was booked into the county jail.

The sheriff said investigators do not know whether Hughes and Parcell knew each other prior to the incident, but he said the victim was ‘targeted.’ .

Parcell is survived by her eight-year-old daughter. The girl’s biological father was arrested on October 25 and charged with violating a custody order, transporting a child under age 16 and not returning her within 72 hours.

Last year, Parcell launched a GoFundMe campaign, seeking donations to help pay her lawyer during a custody battle with her daughter’s father, who she claimed had traveled with the child out of the country.   

Less than a week after her killing, Parcell’s current fiancé, Bradly Post, was

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