Cullum seeks to dismiss murder case, cites district attorney comments
Cullum asked a Texas County judge to throw out his murder case with prejudice, a move that could block any refiling and derail the October jury trial.
Tad Cullum has asked a Texas County judge to dismiss the murder case against him with prejudice, a ruling that would bar prosecutors from bringing the same charges again. His attorneys say the case should be tossed because of both the evidence and what they describe as a gag-order violation by District Attorney George Leach III, and they are also asking for a public reprimand of the prosecutor.
The motion puts the focus on the legal stakes in one of Texas County’s most closely watched cases. Cullum is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of unlawful removal of a dead body, two counts of desecration of a human corpse and one count of conspiracy. Oklahoma court records show the case is set for a jury trial in October 2026, with a hearing on the dismissal motion scheduled for July 30.
If the judge grants the motion with prejudice, the state would lose the ability to refile the same charges against Cullum, a major blow to prosecutors seeking to move the case toward trial. If the motion is denied, the case stays on track for the October jury term, with the death penalty still part of the prosecution’s posture.
Leach filed paperwork in October 2025 showing that he planned to seek the death penalty against Cullum and Cole Twombly. In June 2026, a judge ruled on 40 motions in Cullum’s case and denied 24 of them, underscoring how heavily contested the case has been before a jury is seated.
The dismissal filing adds another layer to a case that already has multiple defendants and a long procedural history in Texas County District Court. OSCN filings identify the broader criminal case as involving Cullum, Twombly, Tifany Adams, Cora Twombly and Paul Grice. Separate court records say Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were traveling from Kansas to Texas County on March 30, 2024, to pick up Butler’s children for a supervised visit with their grandmother, Tifany Adams, when they were ambushed and killed on State Highway 95 in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
For families following the case in Guymon and across Texas County, the next date now carries unusual weight. The July 30 hearing could determine whether Cullum faces a jury in October or whether the case takes a sharp turn before trial ever begins.
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