CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On July 1, Gizelle Kellum pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact as a relative. This misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in prison and a $750 fine. Judge Steven Sharp sentenced Kellum to 180 days, giving her credit for 175 days of time served.
The prosecution cited her differing stories during the investigation as the reason for the charge when they established a factual basis for the plea.
On August 20, 2023, Stacey “Jason” Mullen was found unresponsive at Curt Gowdy State Park. This discovery launched an investigation. Wyoming State Parks requested assistance from the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office due to the severity of Mullen’s injuries and the potential of death, according to police reports.
Mullen was taken to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, then airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado. He suffered from what Dr. Jason Greer described as “one of the worst brain bleeds he had ever seen.”
On August 28, 2023, Detective Sgt. Martinez was notified by Swedish Medical Center staff that Mullen was removed from life support and had died, according to police affidavits.
Initial Accounts by Kellum and Perry
Initially, Gizelle Kellum, identified as Mullen’s emergency contact, described Mullen as a transient who mainly kept to himself. She and her husband, Russell Perry, admitted to having previously taken Mullen to the hospital for alcoholism-related issues. Further investigation revealed a deeper connection. Kellum and Perry often drank with Mullen.
Kellum and Perry initially claimed they last saw Mullen around 7 p.m. on August 19, 2023, after dropping him off near the Ames underpass in downtown Cheyenne. However, Walmart surveillance footage and cellphone tower data contradicted their account, placing their phone near the park around the time Mullen was likely assaulted, according to the affidavit.
A Change in Narrative
Kellum’s narrative shifted during subsequent interrogations. On October 19, Kellum revealed that on the night of August 19, after consuming alcohol, Perry and Mullen got into a physical altercation. Perry fought off Mullen, and when Mullen was knocked unconscious, Perry, Kellum, and an unidentified man placed him in the back of their truck. Kellum and Perry then drove to the Crystal Lake Reservoir by the dam.
Perry told police he “roughed him up” that night but sustained no injuries himself. The 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.
On January 11, 2024, Cheyenne law enforcement arrested Perry and Kellum in connection with Mullen’s death. Perry is currently awaiting trial on a manslaughter charge.
