Melody Farris, who is accused of killing her husband and burning his body, sits in a Cherokee County courtroom on Oct. 14, 2024.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - The trial of Melody Farris, the Cherokee County woman accused of killing her husband and burning his body, entered its sixth day on Monday.
Emily Farris, the defendant's eldest daughter, took the stand to discuss her relationship with her parents.
Scott Farris, who found his father's body, took the stand last week.
Prosecutors claim Melody Farris was the only one with the motive and opportunity to kill her husband, Gary Farris, but the defense says there are too many unanswered questions to convict.
"I walk up and look, and I start seeing bones," said Scott Farris, the son of the victim and defendant.
Scott told a Cherokee County jury on Friday that he is the one who made the gruesome discovery in July 2018: his dad, Gary, was dead in a burn pile on the family property. He testified that his mom only showed emotion once the investigators told them it was human remains.
"I've seen my mother cry," Scott said. "Hundreds of times throughout my life, and it appeared to me to be fake."
Scott testified that he believed there were red flags before Gary died. Melody and Gary were married for more than three decades, but prosecutors say they had issues and had argued about finances at the time of the alleged murder.
"Her history of having affairs and doing all the shady stuff that she's done, and especially her making the comment, I can't wait for the day he's dead, and I don't have to live with him anymore," Scott said.
Melody's attorney seems to be trying to pin Gary's death on one of the sons. Earlier in the week, he said that Scott was the only one who owned .38 caliber ammunition. Scott told the jury he did not kill his dad.
"Like I said, I love my father, he was the backbone," Scott said through tears.
During cross-examination, the defense tried to paint Scott as someone who just lived off his parents. Scott disputes that and says he worked for them, taking care of their livestock.
"She thought you were a mooch," the defense attorney said.
"I guess in her eyes, yeah," Scott responded.
"Because you were a mooch," the defense attorney replied.
"No, I wasn’t," Scott fired back.
Scott's brother, Chris, also took the stand earlier. Their sister, Amanda, who has sided with her mother, is also expected to take the stand.
Melody faces several charges including malice murder.