By Paige Stockton
Defendant Tad Cullum has filed a motion to recuse and disqualify Judge Jon K. Parsley from further proceedings.
Tad Cullum has been charged with two counts of murder in the first degree, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree in the case of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley.
In the motion, Cullum seeks the recusal of Judge Parsley on the ground that the judge’s impartiality might be questioned due to prior representation of co-defendant Tifany Adams.
In 2010, Parsley represented Adams in a civil case in Cimarron County, Oklahoma.
The document says, “The prior representation of co-defendant Tifany Adams by Judge Parsley in a civil case creates a situation in which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
The motion, filed by Cullum and his legal team, says, “The court’s actions raise an appearance of impropriety and partiality against the defendant, despite the fact the court believes it harbors no actual bias of prejudice against Cullum.”
Cullum is scheduled to appear in court on April 16, 2025 for further proceedings.
According to prosecutors, the death penalty is on the table in Cullum’s case.
