The Case of Gary Farris

Gary Farris was a prominent Atlanta attorney who was murdered at his Cherokee County, Georgia, home in July 2018. His burned remains were discovered on a family burn pile days later, with a bullet lodged in a rib. His wife, Melody Farris, was convicted of malice murder after prosecutors argued that she shot Gary and attempted to conceal the killing by burning his body.

Gary Wayne Farris was a 58-year-old commercial real estate attorney and the founder of the Atlanta office of law firm Burr & Forman. He had been married to Melody Walker Farris for 38 years, and the couple had four adult children. The family lived on a large property in Cherokee County, Georgia, near Alpharetta. Although Gary and Melody remained married, testimony at trial described a strained relationship in which the couple increasingly lived separate lives. Melody had also maintained extramarital relationships, including a relationship with Roy "Rusty" Barton, a man who lived in Tennessee. On July 3, 2018, Gary was killed at the family property.

Gary's remains were discovered on July 5, 2018, when his son Scott noticed human remains in a smoldering burn pile on the property. The remains had been extensively burned, initially making identification difficult. Investigators eventually determined that the remains belonged to Gary. A bullet was recovered from one of his ribs, transforming what had initially appeared to be a possible accidental or natural death into a homicide investigation. Investigators also found Gary's blood and another spent bullet inside the family home, including evidence in the basement. The burn pile was approximately 50 yards from the house.

The investigation initially focused on determining how Gary had died and how his body had been transported from the house to the burn pile. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation ultimately determined that Gary had been killed by a gunshot. Investigators examined the family's movements, phone records and digital evidence. Prosecutors later argued that Gary's cellphone had been moved from the house to the burn pile and then back toward the house after investigators believed his body had already been placed outside. Melody was the only person believed to have been at home during that period. The investigation also uncovered Melody's affairs. Her relationship with Roy Barton became particularly significant because investigators obtained recorded conversations between the pair. Barton had reportedly expected to marry Melody after Gary was no longer in the picture. Melody was arrested in June 2019, nearly a year after Gary's death, and charged with his murder. At trial, the defense argued that Scott Farris was the more likely killer. Defense attorneys pointed to his possession of firearms, a missing gun and his physical ability to move Gary's much larger body. Scott denied killing his father. The prosecution instead argued that Melody had the motive and opportunity to kill Gary and subsequently conceal the crime.

On November 4, 2024, a Cherokee County jury found Melody Farris guilty of all charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another and making a false statement. On December 5, 2024, Melody was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years, plus five years for concealing Gary's death and making a false statement. At sentencing, Melody continued to deny killing Gary and publicly accused their son Scott of being responsible.

The case attracted significant attention because of the unusual discovery of Gary's burned remains on the family's property, the absence of a recovered murder weapon and the bitter accusations between Melody and her son during the investigation and trial. The case was later featured on 48 Hours and other major true-crime programmes.