CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Jan. 11, 2024, Cheyenne law enforcement arrested Russell Perry and Gizelle Kellum in connection with the death of Stacey “Jason” Mullen, who was found unresponsive at Curt Gowdy State Park last August.
On Aug. 20, 2023, emergency services were dispatched to the park, where Mullen was found in a critical state, suffering from severe brain injuries. Doctors at Swedish Medical Center later determined that Mullen’s injuries resulted from blunt force trauma, consistent with a physical assault.
On Aug. 28, 2023, Detective Sgt. Martinez was notified by staff at Swedish Medical Center that Mullen was removed from life support and had died, according to police affidavits.
Kellum, Mullen’s emergency contact, initially claimed Mullen was a transient and mainly kept to himself. However, further investigation revealed that Kellum and her husband, Perry, had a deeper connection with Mullen, often drinking together.
Cellphone tower data and Walmart surveillance footage contradicted Kellum and Perry’s initial account of their last interaction with Mullen. The data placed their phone near the park around the time Mullen was likely assaulted, according to police reports.
Kellum and Perry’s Involvement
In October, Detective Delcamp talked again with Kellum, where the detective states that Kellum discussed an altercation between Perry and Mullen that led to Mullen being knocked unconscious.
Kellum said she and Perry put Mullen into the back of the truck, after which they drove to the area of the Crystal Lake Reservoir by the dam. Kellum said Mullen got out of the truck “on his own accord”; however, Kellum did not know where Mullen got out of the truck, according to the report.
Perry gave an account similar to Kellum’s, with the addition that Perry and Kellum drove the road around the dam for about an hour and a half trying to find Mullen, but could not. Furthermore, Perry stated he was “pissed” and upset at Mullen that evening and “roughed him up,” police reports state.
An amended autopsy report from the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office classified Mullen’s death as a homicide caused by blunt force injuries from an assault.
Perry and Kellum both had initial appearances in court on Jan. 12. Perry is charged with felony manslaughter with a $50,000 cash bond. Kellum is charged with accessory after the fact and has a bond of $10,000 cash. Both will have preliminary hearings in circuit court later this week.
