LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley (supervised visits supervisor) were traveling together to Eva, Oklahoma, to pick up Butler’s two children aged 6 and 8, for supervised visitation when they went missing on March 31, 2024
Veronica Butler, 27, 5 feet, 4 inches tall, with red hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts, and HEYDUDE shoes. Police said Butler has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm.
Jilian Kelley, 39, has brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt, white-washed blue jeans and either tan or beige shoes. Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Kelley has several tattoos, including a Chinese symbol on her left forearm and a sunflower on her left shoulder.

LOREM IPSUM DOLOR
THIS ENDANGERED MISSING ALERT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED BY THE OKLAHOMA a HIGHWAY PATROL ON BEHALF OF THE TEXAS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
Veronica and Jilian were traveling together to pick up children. They never made it to the pick up location. Their car was located abandoned on the side of the road. Veronica has several tattoos, a Chinese symbol on her left forearm, a sunflower on her left shoulder. Jilian has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm.
ANY PERSON WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO THE ENDANGERED MISSING ALERT SHOULD CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TRIBAL AUTHORITIES BY DIALING 911.

Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley Case Files
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
Timeline Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
February 13, 2024
- Adams purchased three pre-paid cellular phones from the Wal-Mart in Guymon, Oklahoma, according to the OSBI.
March 18 and March 20
- Motions were filed in the child custody case requesting extended visitation for Butler. A hearing was set for April 17.
March 23, 2024
- Adams purchased five stun guns from the Big R store in Guymon, Oklahoma, according to the OSBI.
March 25, 2024
- Butler had petitioned for custody of her two children last month as their father, Adams’ son, Wrangler Cole Rickman, had been ordered to complete six months of inpatient drug and alcohol rehab after being released from jail
for possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.
Court Records
March 30, 2024
- 9 a.m. Butler and Kelley leave Hugoton, Kansas Saturday morning to pick up Butler’s children for her weekly supervised visit. Butler planned to bring her daughter to a family birthday party. Kelley was one of Butler’s court-approved visit supervisors.
- 9:40 a.m. Butler and Kelley arrived at Highway 95 and Road L, about five miles north of the expected meeting place at Highway 95 and U.S. 64.
- 9:42 a.m. Butler and Kelley’s cell phones stop transmitting signals.
- Three pre-paid cellular phones purchased by Adams were at the location of Butler’s car at the time of Butler and Kelley’s disappearance.
- 10:05 – 10:16 a.m. Two of the pre-paid cellular phones were at Cullum’s residence.
- 10:16 – 10:35 a.m. Two of the pre-paid cellular phones were at a property rented by Cullum for cattle grazing about 8.5 miles away from where Butler’s car was found.
- Investigators later found fresh dirt work done by a skid steer owned by Cullum on the property where the two phones had transmitted signals.
- All three of the pre-paid cellular phones stopped transmitting March 30.
- 12:09 p.m. Butler’s family members contacted police after finding her car abandoned on the side of Highway 95. When Butler didn’t arrive at the birthday party, her family became worried and went to look for her.
- The Texas County Sheriff’s Office “found evidence of a severe injury” after examining the vehicle and the area surrounding it. They found blood on the roadway, Butler’s glasses in the road near a broken hammer, and a pistol magazine was found inside Kelley’s purse but no pistol was found.
- 7:25 p.m. An Endangered Missing Persons Alert went out via the Texas County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page
March 31, 2024
- The OSBI requested via social media that anyone with relevant information contact their tip line.
April 1, 2024
- OSBI obtained a search warrant for Adams phone. Investigators found web searches for taser pain level, gun shops, pre-paid cellular phones and how to get someone out of their house.
April 3, 2024
- OSBI interviewed the 16-year-old daughter of Cora Twombly. The daughter told investigators she had been told Adams, Cullum, Cora Twombly and Cole Twombly were involved in killing Butler and Kelley. She named one other person who has not been arrested or charged in relation to the case.
- She also told OSBI that Adams and the other suspects had “burner phones” to communicate with each other, and that they were part of an anti-government religious group they called God’s Misfits.
- She was told by Cora and Cole Twombly they would be gone when she woke up on March 30, that they were going “on a mission.” She told investigators Cora and Cole returned home around noon March 30 in two pickup trucks, and she was told they wouldn’t have to worry about Butler anymore.
- The daughter asked if the bodies were put in a well and Cora responded “something like that.” She also told investigators there was an earlier attempt on Butler’s life in Hugoton, Kansas, but that Butler would not leave her house. She said the group had planned to throw an anvil into Butler’s windshield.
April 4, 2024
- OSBI requested assistance in the investigation from the FBI.
April 12, 2024
- Tad Bert Cullum, 43, Tifany Machel Adams, 54, Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, were charged in Texas County District Court with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
- The charges and arrest affidavit were filed under seal to protect the children and arresting officers.
April 13, 2024
- Cullum, Adams, Cole Twombly and Cora Twombly were arrested without incident.
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley Case Files
Five Arrested and Charged with Murder
Timeline Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
Five individuals, Tifany Adams, Tad Cullam, Cole Twombly, Cora Twombly, and Paul Grice, have been arrested and charged with murder.
Tifany Adams, who is the grandmother of Butler’s children, had custody of the children and was involved in a contentious dispute with Butler over their custody. The bodies of Butler and Kelley were found buried on a farm leased by Tad Cullum.

Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley Case Files
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
Timeline Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
April 14, 2024
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, Oklahoma.
Medical Examiner Report
- Kelley has 16 sharp force injuries, with nine of those being deep stab wounds and seven shallower stab wounds and also had defensive wounds to her hands and possible stun gun marks to the back of the neck and shoulder. After her attack, Kelley, along with Veronica butler, was concealed inside a freezer that was then buried.
- Inside the freezer were clothing, a stun gun, a roll of tape and a knife.
- Veronica Butler’s full medical examiners report has not yet been released
April 15, 2024
- OSBI held a press conference along with the FBI, Texas County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas County District Attorney, where each agency offered their condolences to the victims’ families.
- During the press conference, the OSBI confirmed the women are dead, despite not having the bodies officially identified.
April 16, 2024
- OSBI confirmed the bodies were positively identified as Butler and Kelley.
April 24, 2024
- A fifth suspect, Paul Grice, is arrested and charged with murder, conspiracy, and kidnapping.
May 16, 2024
- A Texas County judge issues a gag order in the case due to widespread media coverage.
October 3, 2024
- Prosecutors file additional charges against three suspects: Adams, Cullum, and Cole Twombly. New charges include the unlawful desecration of human remains. Adams also faces additional child neglect charges.
October 7, 2024
- Autopsy findings reveal Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley were brutally killed before being placed in the freezer. Kelley’s injuries include multiple stab wounds and signs of defensive wounds.
November 5, 2924
- Full medical examiner report for Julian Kelley. The report revealed Kelley has 16 sharp force injuries, with nine of those being deep stab wounds and seven shallower stab wounds. Kelley also had defensive wounds to her hands and possible stun gun marks to the back of the neck and shoulder. After her attack, Kelley, along with Veronica butler, was concealed inside a freezer that was then buried. Inside the freezer were clothing, a stun gun, a roll of tape and a knife.
November 28, 2924
- Full medical examiner report for Veronica Butler. The report reveals Butler died of multiple sharp force injuries, with a total of 30 sharp for injuries. 10 of the wounds were consistent with Veronica Butler having attempting to defend herself. Additionally, she sustained a blunt force cut to the back of the head.
December 17, 2024: A preliminary hearing for all five suspects is scheduled at 9 a.m. in Texas County District Court.
- Adams, Cora Twombly and Paul Grice waived their right to a preliminary hearing and a speedy trial.
- Tad Cullum and Cole Twombly as the only two remaining defendants going through preliminary trials.
- Cora Twombly has entered a plea agreement with the state. She plead guilty to counts one and two of first-degree murder. The agreement dismissed cases three and four for kidnapping. Cora Twombly also entered a guilty plea for conspiracy.
Adams is due back in court in April 2025
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley Case Files
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
Case Files: Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley Case Files
Testimony and cross-examination
Authorities believe Tifany Adams’ hatred toward Veronica Butler drove the murders, with all five suspects reportedly members of a religiously affiliated, anti-government group called “God’s Misfits,” which held regular meetings at the Twomblys’ residence.
Cora Twombly
- Cora spoke of the group God’s Misfits, the political and religious ideology group that all five defendants were involved in.
- The weeks and days leading up to the murder, the day of the murders and the days after and each individual’s role in the plan.
- Cora said that Adams was in the midst of a legal battle with Butler for custody of Butler’s children but had run out of money and fired her lawyer.
- Adams then confided in Cora in August of 2023, saying she needed to “get rid of Veronica” and that Adams said they “needed to do what we needed to do to keep the kids safe,” referring to allegations that Butler’s children were being abused by Butler’s brother.
- Cora said the plan to kill Butler began in August of 2023 and the first attempt to kill Butler was in February of this year, when Adams instructed Cora and Cullum to throw a vice through Butler’s car, killing her and making it look accidental.
- The plan fell through, so Grice, Cora, Cullum and Adams came up with a new plan to kill Butler in March.
- The new plan included luring Butler and whoever was with her into a horse trailer and attacking them.
- The plan also included placing the bodies into a freezer to avoid anything digging them up.
- At the time of the plan, it was not known who would be accompanying Butler. Cora said when someone asked about the supervisor, Adams said if it was one of Butler’s, “they hadn’t done anything to keep the kids safe and they were collateral damage.”
“I think we all had a problem with it, but that was the plan,” Cora said in court today regarding the plan to kill a second person.
- Tad’s lawyer told Cora, “Tifany Adams keeps coming up with the plans and having you do the dirty work.” “Seems that way,” Cora replied.
Paul Grice Testimony
- Paul Grice also took the stand and explained the day of the murder in gruesome detail.
- Grice also took a plea deal with the state so that the death penalty would no longer be an option.
- Gasps and sobs were heard throughout the courtroom as Grice discussed details from the day Butler and Kelley died.
- Grice said he felt that he had been set up and was the only one with blood on his hands.
- Grice also said that Adams asked him if he would kill Butler, using bible verses to manipulate him into deciding to kill Butler.
- “I think she knew I had the hate in my heart to do it,” Grice said.
- Grice agreed to kill Butler, but said he didn’t want to help kill anyone else.
- Adams told him “It’s a nobody,” when referring to killing Kelley.
- Grice explained the events of the murder, detailing how the group was involved in the deaths and how the bodies were transported to the burial site.
After the murders Paul recalled Adams laughing. “it’s the most evil laugh I ever heard,” he said.
- Paul also lied to Cole, Cullum and Adams, saying that Kelley woke up and tried to attack him while the bodies were being transported to the burial site.