Hugoton, Kansas – Two bodies were discovered in rural Texas County, Oklahoma, following a search for two missing Kansas mothers who vanished over two weeks ago. The bodies were located by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) on Sunday evening. The deceased individuals will be taken to a medical examiner’s office for identification and to determine the cause and manner of death, according to authorities.
Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, from Hugoton, Kansas, disappeared on March 30, leaving behind only an abandoned car found along a dirt path. Both women are mothers; Kelley has four children, and Butler has two. Law enforcement agencies, including the OSBI, the FBI, and the Texas County Sheriff’s Department, located the bodies. A press conference is scheduled for Monday at 10 am CT to provide further details on the investigation.
Members of the Hugoton First Christian Church gathered to mourn outside Kelley’s family home after Sunday service, with prayers and hymns. The community had held out hope for the safe return of the missing women, but now they are faced with the grim reality of their loss. Four individuals have been arrested in Texas and Cimarron Counties in Oklahoma, according to the OSBI, on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Law enforcement officers conducted a coordinated operation to serve the arrest warrants, with NewsNation providing exclusive coverage as more than 20 SWAT and police vehicles were deployed to various locations. The suspects, Tad Bert Cullum, Tifany Machel Adams, Cole Earl Twombly, and Cora Twombly, were taken into custody.
Adams, identified as the paternal grandmother of Butler’s children, and Cullum, who is Adams’ boyfriend, were among those arrested. The custody battle between Butler and the father of her children had escalated prior to the women’s disappearance, with Butler seeking more visitation and full custody of her children. The upcoming court hearing, where Butler intended to seek full custody, may have been a potential catalyst for the tragic events that unfolded.
Kelley, one of the approved supervisors for Butler’s visitations, never made it to the rendezvous point for the children’s pick-up. The journey to Eva, Oklahoma, to collect Butler’s children ended in tragedy, leaving six children without their mothers. The motive behind the crime remains under investigation, with the custody dispute likely playing a significant role.
As the community grapples with the loss of two beloved mothers, the full extent of the tragedy continues to unfold. The impact of the arrests and the grim discovery of the bodies in Oklahoma reverberates throughout the close-knit town of Hugoton. The search for answers and closure intensifies as authorities work to unravel the complexities of this heartbreaking case.