Melody Farris receives life sentence for killing husband, claims son did it instead
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Melody Farris, convicted of killing her husband and burning his body on their Cherokee County property, was sentenced on Thursday.
Farris was found guilty in early November on five counts: malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, and making a false statement. It took a jury four days to convict her on all charges.
Her husband, Gary Wayne Farris, was a prominent lawyer. During the trial, it was revealed that Melody Farris had an affair in 2009, which reportedly caused a breakdown in the marriage that was never fully repaired. Around the time of the 2018 murder, the couple was reportedly arguing about finances.
The couple's three children — Emily, Chris, and Scott — testified during the trial.
During the sentencing, Farris told the court that she had waited over six years to tell the truth. She claimed she wanted the world to know who killed her husband, asserting that not only did she not kill him, but that the perpetrator was her son, Scott.
"I've had six plus years of being told not to talk, don't say that, take legal advice. I could walk out of this courtroom today and drop over dead. I want to make sure that my children, my grandchildren, and Gary's family, and to be honest, at this point in time, the entire world who has viewed this … I have waited for years to make this statement to everyone," Farris explained.
Farris accused Scott of taking "Big Daddy" from his siblings and their family, calling his actions "unforgivable." Addressing Scott, who was in the courtroom, she said that despite having spent her life loving and protecting him, she would no longer do so. Farris also claimed her mother had told her to take the blame for what happened.
She alleged that she saw Scott coming from the burn pile and that he reportedly told her that he was checking to make sure that the fire had not spread to the woods. Weeks later, when she asked him again, he allegedly said his father had asked him to clean up some extra wood that was by the barn. Farris went on to describe actions Scott reportedly took after the murder to cover up the truth and frame her, including putting antifreeze under her kitchen sink.
Farris also described Scott's alleged anger issues and said he failed a polygraph test.
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At one point, the judge interrupted Farris, instructing her to focus on why the court should show her leniency and not to bring up matters that were not entered into evidence during the trial.
Farris asked the judge to act as the "13th juror" and throw out the verdict. She pleaded for help, claiming that if she were guilty, she would "gladly" accept the charge.
"I know that in my heart, body, and soul, who did this. And I am begging for help. I'm begging you, Judge Cannon. Please do not send me to prison for something I didn't do. I did not do this. If I had done this, I would take this charge gladly," Farris said.
Farris also expressed regret for not testifying during the trial, despite her legal counsel’s advice.
Farris also mentioned the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County that took the lives of two students and two teachers, expressing sympathy for the mother of the accused killer.
"My heart broke for her. This is a mother's worst nightmare," Farris told the court.
Ultimately, Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. sentenced Farris, 64, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years, though he noted it was unlikely she would live long enough to be paroled.
Additionally, Farris received five years for concealing her husband's death and five years for making a false statement. These sentences will run concurrently.