Guymon, Oklahoma — Two suspects charged in the murders of two women in the Oklahoma Panhandle have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, as one seeks to have his case dismissed. Tad Cullum, one of the five individuals implicated, filed a motion claiming there is insufficient evidence against him, alongside allegations that testimonies provided by his co-defendants are unreliable.
Cullum faces serious charges including two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy, two counts of removal of a dead body, and two counts of unlawful desecration of a human corpse in connection with the deaths of Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley. According to court documents, he is accused of stabbing Kelley and participating in the burial of both victims. At the time of the alleged crimes, Cullum was dating Tiffany Adams, who is identified as the lead organizer of the murder plot.
In his latest filing submitted on November 4, Cullum contended that he was coerced into helping dispose of the bodies, claiming he was threatened at gunpoint by another suspect, Paul Grice. The documents allege that Grice was responsible for Kelley’s murder and that he constructed a false narrative to evade accountability.
Two other suspects, Grice and Cora Twombly, have already accepted plea deals and agreed to testify for the prosecution. Cullum’s attorneys argue that their testimonies are self-serving and should not be considered credible. They emphasize the potential motive behind their cooperation, which they argue is driven by a desire to avoid the death penalty.
In their motion, Cullum’s legal team likened the situation to the high-profile case of Julius Jones, whose death sentence was commuted by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. They claim that the testimonies from Grice and Twombly lack the necessary evidential weight to move forward with the case against Cullum, describing the plea agreements as inherently coercive and therefore, tainting any subsequent testimony.
Cullum’s next court appearance is set for January 23, when a judge will review his motion to dismiss the charges. Following that, his jury trial is scheduled to begin on June 1. The unfolding legal proceedings are closely monitored as the community grapples with the tensions surrounding this complex case.