Prominent Attorney’s Wife Sentenced to Life in Prison After Being Found Guilty of Murdering Him, Burning His Body

The wife of a prominent Georgia attorney has been convicted of killing her husband and burning his body.

On Thursday, Dec. 5, Georgia Superior Court Judge David L. Cannon Jr. sentenced Farris, 64, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years for killing her husband Gary Farris, an Atlanta-area attorney, in 2018, WSB-TV, FOX 5 and 11Alive reported.

She also received five years for concealing her husband’s death by trying to burn his remains and five years for making a false statement to police, with both sentences to run concurrently, per FOX 5.

During the sentencing, Farris reaffirmed an accusation she made at trial that her son, Scott Farris, was the one who killed his father, and called for the judge to act as the “13th juror” and throw out her conviction.

“I’ve had six plus years of being told not to talk, don’t say that, take legal advice,” Melody said, expressing regret for not testifying during the trial last month, per FOX. “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.”

Cannon directed her to stay on topic and only discuss her sentencing, according to the outlets.

“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,” she continued. “I did not do this. If I had done this, I would take this charge gladly.”

Farris did not express emotion as the judge read the sentence aloud, courtroom video showed.

A Cherokee County jury found Melody guilty of killing her husband on Nov. 4. She was convicted on all charges, including murder with malice, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another and making a false statement, FOX 5 and WSB-TV reported at the time.

In July 2018, Scott discovered Gary’s remains on the family’s 10-acre farm in Alpharetta, Ga., in a pile of ashes and called police, according to the Tribune Ledger News. Investigators originally believed that Gary, who was 58, suffered a medical emergency and fell into the fire himself. However, after police found a bullet lodged in one of Gary’s rib bones, his death was declared a homicide.

“In July 2018, a horrific murder occurred in Cherokee County. A man was shot, then left on a burn pile, where his remains were later discovered,” District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said after the verdict was announced, per WSB-TV. “The victim, Gary Farris, was killed by his wife on his own property. The shocking facts of this crime will forever remain with all who were involved in this case, including first responders, prosecutors, jurors, and witnesses.”

During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the Farrises had been arguing about money, and Melody’s two previous affairs that were revealed during the investigation had strained their relationship. Melody was also the beneficiary of Gary’s $2 million life insurance policy, the Tribune Ledger previously reported, and police testified that they found a trail of blood in the couple’s home.

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Melody’s defense attorney alleged during the proceedings that Scott had reason to kill his father and that he often borrowed money from Gary, a point of contention in the family, per the Ledger. The defense also argued that Scott was the only suspect who owned .38 caliber ammunition, which was the type of bullet found in Gary’s remains.

Scott denied his mother’s allegations during the trial, testifying that he did not kill his father and did not help dispose of his body.

Defense attorney Michael Ray previously argued during the trial’s opening statements last month that police had “confirmation bias” throughout the investigation and that “everything that was done in this case was tailored specifically to attempt to convict Melody in the death of Gary Farris,” per the Ledger.