On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, KSCB News reported that Tad Cullum filed a motion to recuse and disqualify Judge Jon K. Parsley from presiding over his murder case in Texas County, Oklahoma. Cullum faces serious charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder related to the deaths of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley.
In the motion submitted by Cullum and his legal team, concerns are raised regarding Judge Parsley’s impartiality. The basis for the recusal request stems from Parsley’s prior representation of co-defendant Tifany Adams in a civil case in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, back in 2010. The document argues that this previous involvement creates a reasonable question about the judge’s ability to remain unbiased in the current proceedings.
The motion states, “The court’s actions raise an appearance of impropriety and partiality against the defendant,” despite the assertion that the judge does not harbor any actual bias against Cullum.
Cullum is scheduled to appear in court for further proceedings on April 16, 2025. Prosecutors have indicated that the death penalty may be a possibility in this case, highlighting the severity of the charges facing Cullum.
Source: KSCB News
