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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, EP71 "The First Police Interview"
What exactly did Melody Farris tell police in the beginning of their homicide investigation? Jurors was learning just that in the audio recording of her initial police interview. This was months before she was the prime suspect in the death of her husband, Gary. Prosecutors wanted to use the defendant's words against her. They played back the entire interview she intiially gave to police. During their months-long investigation, detectives were asking tough questions to the entire Farris family.
S1, EP72 "Extending Her Interview"
The candid yet unedited police interview Melody Farris initially gave was played nack in full. According to Lead Detective Daniel Hayes, the defendant kept talking. This was after he wrapped up his initial police interview with her. The jury would decide later in their deliberations whether Melody was divulging more truth on what happened to her husband or whether she was coming up with her side of the story to shift any potential blame away from her and to her adult children.
S1, EP73 "Blaming The Sons"
In her police Interview, Melody Farris was heard raising suspicion to her two sons, Chris and Scott, in their alleged role in her husband's death. Jurors listened to her account in the days and hours leading up to her Gary's murder. Melody recalled that several family members were on the property when Gary went missng and the search was on to look for him. The State wanted to use Melody's recorded interview with police as their elaborate attempt to get her to testify in her murder trial.
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.
S1, EP70 "Lead Detective Explains"
The theme of candid, recorded phone calls continued to play out the courtroom. The jury listened to the all the calls her lover made to Melody Farris on his burner phone--all while police were investigating the death of her husband, Gary. Lead Detective Daniel Hayes explained to jurors how he and his team began their investigation. After they processed the crime scene, police scoured the large 10-acre family property to search for the murder weapon. Ultimately, they never found it.
S1, EP69 "Tapped Phone Calls"
With the lead detective on the stand, more recorded conversations between Melody Farris and Her Lover was played out in Court. This time it was from a burner phone the two lovers were using to communicate during police's investigation into Gary's death. The questionable role of Rusty Barton kept coming up in this trial. He continued his communication with her even after Melody was arrested on allegations of killing her husband. All their recorded calls were played back for the jury.
S1, EP68 "Statements From Jail"
I love you was heard in jail phone recordings between Melody Farris and her lover, Rusty Barton. This was after she was arrested for the murder of Gary, her husband. The two remained loyal during the police's investigation. Nearly a year after Gary Farris' remains were found in a burn pile, his wife, Melody, was arrested for his murder. But before she was out on bond leading up to her murder trial she made several phone calls as jail inmate. Next, the lead detective in this case testified.
S1, EP67 "This Was A Set Up"
The family turmoil following the arrest of Melody Farris was heard in jailhouse phone calls. The jury listened to the back and forth between her and her lover, Rusty Barton, who remained loyal to her after her husband was killed and she came out as the prime suspect. Rusty was heard saying: This was a set up. Early on, Melody pointed the finger of her husband, Gary's, fatal shooting at Her two sons-Chris and Scott.
