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The harrowing discovery of the charred remains of Gary Farris, a prominent commercial real estate attorney, marked the beginning of a complex homicide investigation. Found on a burn pile with a bullet embedded in a rib bone, the scene was located on a vast 10-acre property in Cherokee County, Georgia, where Gary lived with his wife, Melody, and their son, Scott.
In July 2018, detectives unearthed blood and a second bullet in the family home’s basement, raising urgent questions about how Gary’s body ended up 50 yards away on the burn pile. As investigators delved deeper, they found themselves amidst a family dispute, with Melody and Scott Farris blaming one another.
In an emotional interview with “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant, Melody described the ordeal as “a mother’s worst nightmare,” alluding to the tragic events as a “Farris wheel” turned upside-down.
As the investigation unfolded, it became evident that Scott managed the farm’s daily operations and that his father financed both his work and personal expenses. Melody claimed that tensions had flared over Scott’s resistance to finding additional employment, while Scott countered that the strife stemmed from his mother’s prolonged absences, allegedly due to an affair with a man in Tennessee.
Gary was the primary provider for the family, granting access to his accounts. Scott suggested that his mother’s extended periods away were linked to her infidelity.
In June 2019, nearly a year after Gary’s murder, Melody Farris was arrested. During her trial in October 2024, her legal team maintained her innocence and implicated Scott instead. They emphasized that, at 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 280 pounds, Scott would have had the physical capability to move Gary’s sizable body, making it unlikely that his smaller mother could have done so alone.
Nevertheless, police and prosecutors focused on Melody as the prime suspect, citing that she was alone at home when they believed Gary was murdered. A witness from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Gary’s cellphone had moved back and forth between the house and the burn pile during the timeframe of his murder, further complicating the narrative.
On November 4, 2024, Melody Farris was convicted of her husband’s murder. She remained silent until her sentencing hearing a month later, where she claimed, “Not only did I not do this, I know who did. I know Scott killed his father.”
After receiving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years, Melody immediately participated in an interview with Van Sant, reiterating her claims of innocence.
In her conversation with Van Sant, she insisted she observed Scott near the burn pile before Gary’s body was found. Moreover, she alleged that he used his truck to transport Gary’s body and speculated that he had planted the bullet in the basement to frame her. According to Melody, Scott desired ownership of the farm, often referring to it as “his property.”
Conversely, Scott, in his interview with Van Sant, vehemently denied any involvement in his father’s death, asserting that it was solely Melody who wanted Gary dead. He claimed he had no knowledge of the bullet until after his mother’s arrest and suggested that investigators ruled him out early due to his military background.
When questioned whether she would endanger one of her children to save herself, Melody replied, “absolutely not.” In contrast, Scott urged her to be truthful, asserting, “she knows she did it.”
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