Special to the Leader & Times
WICHITA — One of the suspects charged in the deaths of Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler of Hugoton has lost his bid to get a new judge assigned to the case.
Tad Cullum’s attorney filed a motion for Judge Jon Parsley to recuse himself because Parsley represented fellow defendant Tifany Adams in an unrelated case. The attorney claims that raises questions about the judge’s ability to be impartial.
Wednesday, Parsley denied the motion. He said that the representation of Adams in a marriage dissolution case was wrapped up in 2011, and Cullum was not involved in that case.
“The bare fact of the representation of a co-defendant for a brief period almost 15 years ago does not establish even the appearance of impropriety,” Parsley wrote. “This court does not know Tad Bert Cullum, does not have any bias or prejudice against him, and will treat said defendant with the same dignity and respect as any other defendant, and will decide all issues in a way that follows the law of the State of Oklahoma.”
Cullum’s next court date is May 14.
Oklahoma court records show the other two suspects, Cole and Cora Twombly, will also be in court in May.
The victims, Butler and Kelley, disappeared in March 2024 while they were going to pick up Butler’s children in Oklahoma. Their bodies were found buried in a freezer last April. An autopsy revealed that both women had been stabbed to death.
