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New York Post
Bodies of missing Kansas moms ID’d as preacher’s wife and pal who were victims of ‘brutal crime’ after custody battle
By Jesse O’Neill,
2024-04-15
The bodies of two missing Kansas moms have been found, and both women were murdered in an “absolutely brutal crime ,” Oklahoma authorities said Monday.
The remains of Veronica Butler, 27, and Jillian Kelley, 39, both from Hugoton, were discovered Sunday in a “very rural area” near where their abandoned blood-soaked vehicle was found in Texas County, Okla., on March 30, according to information released at a press conference.
“I want to express our sincerest condolences to the famil[ies],” said FBI Special Agent Sanya Garcia, who added that she hoped the four arrests made in the case this past weekend would “provide a sense of closure” and that the bureau would be “an advocate for Jillian and Veronica.”
Kelley, the wife of a preacher , and her friend Butler had been traveling to Oklahoma to pick up Butler’s children for a birthday party in Kansas, according to News Nation .
Jillian Kelley, a preacher’s wife, was also killed. Facebook/Jillian Kelley Veronica Butler, here with her children, was allegedly killed by the kids’ paternal grandmother and three cohorts. Facebook/Amanda Dean Verner
The older woman had reportedly supervised Butler’s visits with her children, who are living with their paternal grandmother, Tifany Machel Adams, 54 in Eva, Okla., as the mom was fighting through a bitter custody battle with their father.
Adams was arrested Saturday along with Tad Bert Cullum, 43, Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44. The group was all charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree.
The double murder is believed to have occurred about 10 days after Butler petitioned for full custody of her children, according to the outlet, which also reported that Adams and Cullum are romantically involved and friends with the Twombly couple.
Officials on Monday did not confirm the relationship between the suspects or address the custody dispute other than saying the children involved were “safe,” as they spoke of the massive law enforcement effort involved in bringing the suspects to justice.
(Clockwise from top left) Tad Bert Cullum, Cora Twombly, Cole Earl Twombly and Tifany Machel Adams are charged in the women’s murders. AP
Butler’s children had been living with their paternal grandmother, Tifany Adams, pictured with Tad Cullum. Facebook/Tifany Adams Authorities say the children are “safe” after the violence, arrests. Facebook/Tifany Adams
The investigation was led by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and included the FBI, Texas County Sheriff’s Office, District One District Attorney’s Office, the Oklahoma Medical Examiners Office and the state’s Highway Patrol.
“Everybody came together — somewhere of the neighborhood of 100 law enforcement officers, truly no exaggeration — working night and day,” said District 1 District Attorney George Leach.
The investigation yielded “significant physical evidence,” said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Public Information Officer Hunter McKee, although he remained tight-lipped about most of the details about the pending case.
“Right now there are no suspects at large, the public is not in danger — that’s what’s important to us,” he said, adding law enforcement is “extremely grateful” that the arrests in the “absolutely brutal crime” were made “without incident.”
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