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Leon Phillip Jacob is shown with his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick McDaniel, who killed herself on Monday, are accused of trying to hire hit men to kill their exes. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown with his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick
Photo: Melissa Phillip
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Staff
Leon Phillip Jacob is accused of telling bail bondsman and Houston City Councilman Michael Kubosh that he paid a man to find a hitman to get rid of his ex-girlfriend.
Leon Phillip Jacob is accused of telling bail bondsman and Houston City Councilman Michael Kubosh that he paid a man to find a hitman to get rid of his ex-girlfriend.
Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick McDaniel, who killed herself on Monday, are accused of trying to hire hit men to kill their exes. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick
Photo: Melissa Phillip
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick McDaniel, who killed herself on Monday, are accused of trying to hire hit men to kill their exes. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick McDaniel, who killed herself on
Photo: Melissa Phillip
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick McDaniel, who killed herself on Monday, are accused of trying to hire hit men to kill their exes. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick
Photo: Melissa Phillip
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick McDaniel, who killed herself on Monday, are accused of trying to hire hit men to kill their exes. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
Leon Phillip Jacob is shown his attorney George Parnham in the Harris County 263rd Criminal Court during a bond hearing Wednesday, March 29, 2017. He and his girlfriend, veterinarian Dr. Valerie Busick
Photo: Melissa Phillip/The Houston Chroncile
Photo: Brian Rogers
Veterinarian Valerie Busick McDaniel and Leon Phillip Jacob are charged with solicitation of murder.
Veterinarian Valerie Busick McDaniel and Leon Phillip Jacob are charged with solicitation of murder.
Photo: Brian Rogers
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris County Jail without bail. The couple made their first appearance in court Monday, March 13, 2017. A judge denied bond for the pair.
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris
Photo: Brian Rogers/Houston Chronicle
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris County Jail without bail. The couple made their first appearance in court Monday, March 13, 2017. A judge denied bond for the pair.
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris
Photo: Brian Rogers/Houston Chronicle
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris County Jail without bail. The couple made their first appearance in court Monday, March 13, 2017. A judge denied bond for the pair.
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris
Photo: Brian Rogers/Houston Chronicle
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris County Jail without bail
A Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend are charged with trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes. Valerie McDaniel, who runs the Montrose Veterinary Clinic, and Leon Jacob, are being held in the Harris
Photo: Montrose Veterinary Clinic
Authorities investigate the scene where Valerie Busick McDaniel died after apparently jumping from the seventh floor of a 15-story condominium complex.
Authorities investigate the scene where Valerie Busick McDaniel died after apparently jumping from the seventh floor of a 15-story condominium complex.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Staff
Forensic investigators load the body of Valerie Busick McDaniel, who jumped from the seventh floor of the condominium complex at 2200 Willowick Road, into a van Monday, March 27, 2017, in Houston.
Forensic investigators load the body of Valerie Busick McDaniel, who jumped from the seventh floor of the condominium complex at 2200 Willowick Road, into a van Monday, March 27, 2017, in Houston.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle
Authorities investigate the scene where Valerie Busick McDaniel died after jumping from the seventh floor of the 15-story condominium complex at 2200 Willowick Road Monday, March 27, 2017, in Houston.
Authorities investigate the scene where Valerie Busick McDaniel died after jumping from the seventh floor of the 15-story condominium complex at 2200 Willowick Road Monday, March 27, 2017, in Houston.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle
Carole Busick, left, talks to authorities after they retrieved the her daughter’s, Valerie Busick McDaniel, body who jumped from the seventh floor of the 15-story condominium complex at 2200 Willowick Road Monday, March 27, 2017, in Houston.
Carole Busick, left, talks to authorities after they retrieved the her daughter’s, Valerie Busick McDaniel, body who jumped from the seventh floor of the 15-story condominium complex at 2200 Willowick Road
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle
The Montrose Veterinary Clinic is run by Valerie Busick McDaniel, who is charged with solicitation of capital murder. McDaniel purchased the business in 2000.
The Montrose Veterinary Clinic is run by Valerie Busick McDaniel, who is charged with solicitation of capital murder. McDaniel purchased the business in 2000.
Photo: J. Patric Schneider, Freelance
George Parnham, a legendary Houston defense attorney, withdrew on Thursday from a murder-for-hire case in which a popular Montrose veterinarian and her boyfriend were accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes earlier this month.
Parnham filed a motion to withdraw from representing Leon P. Jacob, walking away from an apparent rift caused when Jacob’s family hired him, but Jacob hired attorney Paul Morgan.
THE TIP: Houston councilman Kubosh alerted police to murder-for-hire plot
Jacob, 39, was arrested with Valerie Busick McDaniel, 48, on a charge of solicitation of capital murder. The couple were accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill their exes, but the supposed hitman was an undercover officer. McDaniel killed herself Monday by leaping from her seventh-floor River Oaks area condominium.
Parnham represented Jacob on Wednesday in an unsuccessful bid to have a judge grant him bail. State District Judge Jim Wallace denied the request after hearing that Jacob was free on bail when he allegedly tried to hire a hitman to kill his ex-girlfriend, who had filed charges on him for alleged stalking and domestic violence.
THINGS TO KNOW: Case of late-Houston vet charged with murder for hire grips Houston
After that hearing, the judge was told of the rift between the lawyers and asked Jacob who he wanted to lead the defense team. Jacob said he wanted them to work together.
On Thursday, Parnham said little about the situation he was exiting.
LAST WORDS: Veterinarian accused in murder-for-hire left notes before jumping to her death
“I don’t want to say anything that negatively impacts the desired representation of the defendant,” he said. “Best of luck to both of them.”
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