A TWISTED family murder case took a shocking turn when a woman turned on her own son and accused him of killing her husband after she was already convicted of the brutal crime.
Melody Farris, 64, was sentenced to life behind bars after a jury found her guilty of murdering her husband, Gary Farris, whose charred body was found on a burn pile in 2018.
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The gruesome murder discovery was made on the family’s 10-acre property in Cherokee County, approximately an hour away from Atlanta.
Gary, a respected Atlanta-area attorney, had been shot and burned just 50 yards from the home he shared with Melody and their son, Scott.
The horrific case unraveled into a web of family drama, betrayal, and finger-pointing as cops arrested Melody for her husband’s murder a year after finding his bones.
Her trial began in October 2024, where prosecutors insisted Melody killed Gary over money and an affair.
Despite Melody’s lawyers accusing her son, Scott, of murdering his dad, Melody opted not to share a public statement – until she was found guilty of murdering her husband in November 2024.
In a jaw-dropping sentencing hearing, Melody claimed she had protected the real killer for six years, and was done staying silent.
“I want the world to know who did this. Not only did I not do this, I know who did,” she told the judge through tears.
“I know Scott killed his father.”
Scott was seen shocked, with an open jaw and gesturing for lawyers to stop her, in the courtroom as his mom threw the blame for the horrific crime on him.
She accused her son of taking “big daddy” from the family and called his actions unforgivable.
“This, I refuse to cover for you,” she said.
Melody said her mother once told her to take the blame, but that she couldn’t protect Scott any longer.
She claimed she saw him near the burn pile the morning Gary’s body was discovered and said he had cleaned areas of the property.
“This is a mother’s worst nightmare,” Melody said in an interview with 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant on CBS after her sentencing.
“It has been called the Farris wheel, and it was, but it was our Farris wheel,” Melody said.
She even alleged Scott planted a bullet in the basement to frame her.
“He wanted the farm,” she said.
“It’s the perfect murder. You kill your daddy. You set your mother up. She goes to prison. You get everything.”
How to watch 48 Hours episode The Farris Wheel
Peter Van Sant and 48 Hours are investigating Gary Farris’ murder in an episode of 48 Hours called The Farris Wheel.
The Farris Wheel airs Saturday, April 26, at 10/9c on CBS.
For streaming, catch it live or on-demand via Paramount+.
Subscribers can watch the full episode at the same time it airs on TV.
Additionally, the episode will be available on CBS News’ official website and YouTube TV for those with subscriptions.
However, her last-minute accusations made no impact on the case.
Melody was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
SICK BLAME GAME
Detectives learned Gary was the sole provider for the household and paid for both Melody and Scott’s expenses.
Melody claimed Gary had been pressuring Scott to find a job, while Scott accused his mom of disappearing for weeks to cheat on Gary and drain his bank accounts.
Prosecutors said Melody was the only one home at the time Gary was believed to be killed.
Phone records showed Gary’s cellphone moving between the house and the burn pile after he was already dead and back to the house, while Melody was alone.
She was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing a death, and lying to investigators.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SCOTT
But her lawyers painted a different picture, blaming Scott, a 6-foot-8, 280 pound former soldier, for the killing.
Melody’s defense attorney said Melody, who is much smaller, couldn’t have moved Gary’s 300-pound body without help.
They told the jury Scott was missing a gun and was the only one person who owned the same type of bullets found in Gary’s rib and bedroom floor.
Melody’s defense team said authorities botched the investigation by failing to search Scott’s room for invisible blood traces.
They said his room was filthy with dog feces but his bathroom was spotless and had cleaning supplies left out.
Amanda Farris, Melody’s daughter, testified during the trial that her brother had multiple guns, struggled with aggression, and was the only one armed.
She said Scott was also the one who spotted the human remains in the burn pile and immediately mentioned his missing gun before calling police.
SCOTT FIRES BACK
However, Scott denied everything and has never been charged with anything.
“I absolutely had nothing to do with my father’s death,” Scott told Van Sant.
“And it was 100% Melody Farris who murdered my father. That is the truth.”
He told Van Sant that Melody had access to Gary’s money and was seeing a man in Tennessee behind his father’s back.
MELODY’S MOTIVE
Jurors took three days to convict Melody, siding with prosecutors who said she was the only one with motive.
Gary, who worked at the firm Burr and Forman, had been married to Melody for 38 years but several witnesses said the two lived separate lives.
Two of her secret lovers even took the stand, after prosecutors used the affairs to portray her as dishonest and unremorseful.
Scott and his brother Chris said their mom showed little emotion after Gary’s death and never held a funeral.
Melody was also arrested for lying about ending her relationship with Roy “Rusty” Barton, who she was found with in Tennessee after Gary’s killing.
Gary’s murder will be investigated on 48 Hours on Saturday at 10 pm on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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