Cherokee County, Ga., Nov. 4 — A Cherokee County jury convicted Melody Farris, 59, on Monday for the 2018 murder of her husband, prominent Atlanta attorney Gary Farris, whose burned remains were found on the couple’s property.
Farris was found guilty of all charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, and making false statements to law enforcement.
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Gary’s remains were discovered on July 5, 2018, by his son Scott Farris on the family’s 10-acre farm in Alpharetta, Ga., a community in Cherokee County.
Initially, authorities speculated Gary may have died from a medical episode and fallen into the burn pile.
However, an autopsy revealed a bullet lodged in his rib cage, leading to a homicide ruling.
Scott, a U.S. Army veteran, testified that he was the one who reported the gruesome discovery to police, saying, “I walk up and look, and I start seeing bones.”
In the early days of the trial, he recalled his mother’s seemingly detached reaction to his father’s death, stating, “I’ve seen my mother cry hundreds of times throughout my life, and it appeared to me to be fake.”
Prosecution’s Case: Financial Motives and Marital Discord
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Geoffrey Fogus described the crime as a “heinous murder,” detailing that Gary, a 6-foot-4-inch man weighing around 300 pounds, was reduced to 33 pounds of remains due to extensive burning.
Prosecutors argued that the motive stemmed from financial issues and Melody’s alleged affair with Roy “Rusty” Barton.
Evidence introduced included a blood trail throughout the couple’s home, starting in the kitchen, extending down the stairs, and reaching the basement.
Investigators also found blood stains on a red shirt and shoes in Melody’s closet. Forensic tests confirmed that one shoe tested positive for “mammalian blood,” according to Cherokee County Sheriff’s Lt. Lee Stewart.
Meanwhile, prosecutors highlighted that Melody was the sole beneficiary of Gary’s $2 million life insurance policy.
During the investigation, police found a credit or debit card under Barton’s name in Melody’s purse. Barton, who admitted to an affair with Melody that had ended in 2017, originally told police Melody informed him of Gary’s fate while her husband was still reported missing.
He recanted this statement a year later but confirmed he was with Melody when she was arrested in Tullahoma, Tenn., in 2019.
Another of the couple’s children, Emily Farris, testified that her mother had another extramarital affair in 2009, adding that the family had long endured tension and discord.
Prosecutors maintained that these strains, combined with financial stress and Melody’s alleged motives surrounding her husband’s life insurance policy, culminated in Gary’s murder.
Defense Claims “Confirmation Bias” and Points to Son’s Possible Involvement
Defense attorney Michael Ray argued that Scott Farris, the couple’s second eldest son, had both motive and opportunity to kill his father.
Ray asserted that Scott frequently borrowed money from Gary, a point of contention within the family, and noted that Scott was the only family member who owned .38 caliber ammunition, the type used in the fatal shooting.
Although Scott denied involvement in his father’s death, Ray contended that the investigation was marred by “confirmation bias,” alleging that police targeted Melody from the start.
According to the defense, Scott had access to the property and was the first to alert authorities to Gary’s remains.
During his 911 call, Scott claimed to have “found something” on the property.
Just 13 minutes after law enforcement arrived, Scott reportedly pointed the finger at his mother and indicated that a gun appeared to be missing from the residence.
In an attempt to support the defense’s theory, Ray referenced the account of Scott’s ex-sister-in-law, Jenna Farris, who testified that she once saw Scott with a gun in the basement.
However, the gun she described did not match the .38 caliber weapon used in Gary’s killing, and authorities never found a matching pistol on the property.
The defense additionally alleged that Scott’s military background influenced his reaction to the remains.
A paramedic who responded to the 911 call testified that Scott, panicked, approached her and asserted that he “knew what a burned body looked like” from his time in Iraq.
Forensic Evidence and Disputed Testimonies
In the investigation, forensic evidence played a critical role. Officers discovered what they initially thought was a “pencil eraser” within Gary’s chest cavity, which was later identified as a .38 caliber bullet.
In the upstairs apartment of the family’s horse barn, where Scott reportedly lived, officers located matching ammunition but no weapon to go with it.
Cherokee County’s crime scene technicians reported finding several blood spatters across the basement and main floor, along with an all-terrain vehicle near the barn, where traces of blood were also discovered.
However, despite the evidence of blood in the house and on certain personal items, authorities found no trace of blood at the actual burn pile.
An officer in the sheriff’s office’s Violent Crime Unit documented additional environmental observations, including tire marks and a faint scent of citronella near the smoldering burn pile.
Closing Arguments and Verdict
Prosecutors concluded their case by underscoring Melody’s alleged malice and “abandoned, malignant heart.”
After closing arguments, jurors deliberated for two days before returning a guilty verdict on all counts.
Melody Farris showed no visible reaction as the decision was announced.
Melody’s defense maintained that the investigation remained biased and flawed, pointing out alleged gaps in the search for alternative suspects and what they argued was a lack of evidence tying her directly to the killing.
In his opening remarks, Ray claimed that police and investigators from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tailored their findings specifically to implicate Melody.
Though the jury has rendered its decision, Melody is scheduled for sentencing in December, concluding a prolonged and contentious case that has captivated the local community.
