According to the information obtained from an arrest affidavit, one of the individuals arrested in connection with the disappearance of two Kansas moms, Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley, was involved in a custody battle with one of the victims. Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, went missing on May 30 while on their way to pick up Butler’s children from their paternal grandmother for a birthday party. Butler never arrived, and her abandoned car was later found in Oklahoma, triggering a police investigation. The bodies of the two women were found on Sunday, leading to the arrests of Tifany Machel Adams, 54, her boyfriend Tad Bert Cullum, 43, and married couple Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, on suspicion of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy.
The arrests were made in connection with the disappearance of Butler and Kelley, who were found to be members of a religious anti-government group called God’s Misfits, according to Cora Twombly’s daughter. Investigators discovered evidence of a serious injury inside and near Butler’s car, including blood on the road and a broken hammer near her glasses behind the vehicle. Although a pistol magazine was found in Butler’s purse, the gun itself was not located. The investigation revealed that Butler had court-ordered supervised visitation with her children, and Kelley was scheduled to supervise the visit on the day they went missing.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation disclosed that burner phones linked to the suspects were traced to a private property where evidence of a dug hole, refilled and covered with hay, was found. Additionally, searches on Adams’ cellphone included information related to prepaid phones, tasers, and gun shops. Adams had reportedly purchased five stun guns at a local gun shop shortly before the disappearance of Butler and Kelley. The Twomblys’ teenage daughter indicated during an interview with the OSBI that her parents, Adams, Cullum, and another individual not yet arrested, were involved in the deaths of the two mothers.
The bodies of Butler and Kelley were found in rural Texas County, Oklahoma, but the identities of the deceased and the cause of death were withheld pending a report from the medical examiner. Both women hailed from Hugoton, Kansas, and Kelley’s husband, who shared four children with her, is a local church pastor. It was not clarified whether the defendants had legal representation, and they are currently being held without bond at the Texas County Jail in Guymon, Oklahoma. Law enforcement representatives offered condolences to the families of the deceased during a news conference held on Monday morning.
The tragic case of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley highlights the devastating consequences of a custody battle turned deadly. The bond between the victims, who shared a connection through Butler’s children, was shattered as they embarked on what was supposed to be a routine visit to pick up the kids for a birthday celebration. The involvement of a religious group and the discovery of burner phones and stun guns add a chilling element to the investigation, raising questions about the motives behind the heinous crime. The legal proceedings surrounding the arrests of Adams, Cullum, and the Twomblys will shed further light on the events leading to the deaths of two beloved members of the Hugoton community.
