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According to prosecutors in their opening statements, money was the motive for this murder. Next, Melody Farris' defense delivered their opening remarks to the jury. They claimed police acted on confirmation bias when they allegedly narrowed erroneously on the defendant for the death of her husband, Gary. A complicated family coupled with a complicated police investigation all led to fingers pointing at Melody Farris for first-degree murder.
S1, EP78 "Defendant's Initial, Inconsistent Story"
Prosecutors could not call Melody Farris to the stand. So, for jurors to hear her side of the story on what happened to her husband they played back both Interviews detectives recorded of her early in their murder investigation. In the unedited second recorded police interview topics ranged from Melody's extramarital affairs, access to the family's finances, and even her blood found in different parts of the crime scene where Gary's remains were discovered.
S1, EP79 "Asssumptions Based On Evidence"
The second recorded police interview of Melody Farris was not over yet in playback for jurors. In the long conversation, she went into details in the hours leading up to her husband, Gary's, murder. The whole time she sounded as if she didn't know what could've happened to him. The detective questioning her pushed back on her for inconsistent and erroneous claims she was making. Lead Detective Daniel Hayes was heard saying: Our assumptions are based on evidence.
S1, EP80 "Lies, Denials And Distortions"
The jury heard detectives raising doubt in her role in Melody Farris' claims. These doubts were heard on audio recording of her second extended police interview. Investigators were not letting her off the hook. They were catching her on lies, denials and even distortions about her alleged role in Gary's murder and why his corpse was found burning up in a pile of debris on the family farm. Toward the end of this interview, the defendant sounded frustrated at the two detectives questioning her.
S1, EP81 "Burn Pile Murder Trial"
Melody Farris was accused of killing her husband, Gary Farris, and then burning his remains on their property. Prosecutors contended the couple's 38-year marriage had turned rocky over money and Melody had begun extramarital affairs. Detectives initially believed Gary died of an accident.
S1, EP77 "Detectives Push Back On Melody"
In Melody Farris' second police Interview, she finally came clean about her extramarital affair with her longtime lover, Rusty Barton. The jury was hearing her side of the story in a recorded conversation the day after her husband, Gary's, remains were found. Both detectives sounded more stern and more accusatory in this second interview. What began as a fact-finding mission early on in their murder investigation, gradually turned into police zeroing in on their prime suspect.
S1, EP76 "Defendant Gives Police Clues"
The second police interview law enforcement conducted of Melody Farris was played back. Jurors heard her playing detective giving investigators clues as to what happened and who may have been responsible for Gary Farris' demise. These jurors had to be asking themselves a key question. Was Melody helping their case or helping her case? The defendant was heard giving the two detectives clues pointing the guilt of her two sons, Chris and Scott, for the murder of her husband, Gary.
S1, EP75 "The Second Police Interveiew"
Just days after Gary Farris' remains were found in a burn pile, investigators interviewed all his family members. It was all recorded and played back for all to hear in the courtroom. The second Interview police conducted of the defendant came the very next day after the first interview. She insisted, telling the lead detective that she had more to say about her thoughts on her husband's shooting death.
S1, EP74 "Melody Farris, The Victim"
Melody Farris was heard divulging more details in her extended police-recorded Interview. She sat down with detectives just after Gary's remains were discovered in a burn pile on his family's estate. Melody sounded like she was the victim in this story. As police was interviewing the teal victim, Gary, and his death, Melody was heard telling the lead detective how her husband wouldn't let her work outside the home and how she was cut off from the family finances over time.
