When the charred remains of prominent commercial real estate attorney Gary Farris were discovered on a burn pile with a bullet lodged in a rib bone, detectives knew they were facing a homicide investigation. The crime scene was on a sprawling 10-acre property in Cherokee County, Georgia, where Gary Farris lived with his wife Melody and their son Scott.
It was July 2018 when detectives found Gary Farris’ blood and a second bullet in the basement of the home and questioned how his body could have ended up on the burn pile, about 50 yards away. Soon after their arrival on scene, investigators found themselves entangled in a family drama with mother and son pointing the finger at each other.
“This is a mother’s worst nightmare … it has been called the Farris wheel, and it was, but it was our Farris wheel,” Melody Farris tells “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant in an exclusive interview.
Van Sant and “48 Hours” investigate the murder of Gary Farris in “The Farris Wheel” now streaming on Paramount+.
Court TV/Pool
Investigators learned Scott Farris was responsible for the day-to-day operations on the farm and that his work and personal expenses were covered by his father. According to Melody Farris, around the time of Gary Farris’ death there was tension between him and Scott Farris, mainly about Scott needing to get another job. Scott Farris, however, says that is not true and tension in the home was caused by Melody Farris disappearing for weeks at a time and spending Gary Farris’ money.
Gary Farris was the sole bread winner and allowed Melody and Scott Farris access to accounts in his name. Scott Farris said his mother was away for extended periods of time because she was having an affair with her lover who lived in Tennessee.
In June 2019, after an almost 12-month investigation, Melody Farris was arrested for the murder of Gary Farris.
When her trial began in October 2024, her defense team said she was innocent and pointed the finger at Scott Farris. They said at his size, about 6 feet 8 inches, 280 pounds, he was more capable of moving Gary’s 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound body than his much smaller mother.
But police and prosecutors believed Melody Farris was the murderer. Prosecutors argued, among other things, that Melody Farris was the only one home at the time they believe Gary Farris was killed. And at trial they called a witness from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Division who analyzed phone records and discovered that Gary Farris’ cellphone moved from the house to the burn pile and back to the house after investigators believe his body was already on the burn pile. Melody Farris was the only one home at that time as well.
On Nov. 4, 2024, Melody Farris was found guilty of murdering her husband. She had not spoken publicly until her sentencing hearing a month later when she shocked the courtroom, saying, “Not only did I not do this, I know who did. I know Scott killed his father.”
Immediately after Melody Farris was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years, she walked into an exclusive interview with Van Sant, where she continued to profess her innocence.
CBS News
Melody Farris told Van Sant she saw Scott Farris near the burn pile the morning before Gary Farris’ body was discovered. She said she believes Scott Farris used his pickup truck to get Gary Farris’ body to the burn pile. And she went as far as saying Scott Farris planted the bullet that was found in the basement to frame her. Melody Farris says she believes Scott Farris killed his father because he wanted the farm to be his and would refer to it as his property in conversation.
Melody Farris told Van Sant, “… it’s the perfect murder. You kill your daddy. You set your mother up. She goes to prison. You get everything.”
Scott Farris also sat down with Van Sant and told him, “I absolutely had nothing to do with my father’s death. And it was 100% Melody Farris who murdered my father. That is the truth.”
Scott Farris says Melody Farris is the only one who wanted Gary Farris dead, and he never drove his truck near the burn pile. As for the bullet being planted, Scott Farris said, “I didn’t even know there was a bullet found in the basement until after she was arrested.”
Scott Farris says he was an easy target because he lived on the property with his parents and was former military. Investigators were able to rule him out as a suspect and he was not charged with anything relating to the death of his father.
When asked if she was willing to sacrifice one of her children’s lives to save herself, Melody Farris said, “absolutely not.” But Scott Farris says Melody Farris needs to stop with the lies and just come clean: “she knows she did it.”
More from CBS News
The post A Georgia woman is convicted of murdering her husband. Why did she try to incriminate her son? appeared first on World Online.
