Liberal, Kansas – Newly released court documents shed light on the chilling details surrounding the disappearance and murder of two Kansas women. Prosecutors revealed the motive and evidence linking the alleged murder-kidnapping to four suspects in custody.
The affidavit of probable cause, released on Monday, provides insight into the arrests of Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44, in connection with the deaths of Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39. All four suspects remain in custody.
According to investigators, Butler was engaged in a contentious custody battle with Tifany Adams’ son over the custody of her two children. Adams, who is the grandmother of Butler’s children, and the mother of their father, Wrangler Rickman, had legal custody. The custody battle began in February 2019, with previous recordings revealing concerns about death threats made by Adams’ boyfriend, Tad Cullum.
On the day of the disappearance, Kelley was scheduled to oversea a custody exchange between Butler and Adams. However, Adams claimed Butler canceled the exchange that day. The children’s father was reportedly in a rehabilitation facility at the time, while investigators found evidence of foul play near their abandoned vehicle in rural Oklahoma, close to the Kansas border.
Authorities discovered severe injuries and blood near the vehicle, along with Butler’s glasses and a pistol magazine in Kelley’s purse, despite no gun being found. The investigation also revealed that married couple, Cora and Cole Twombly, along with Adams and Cullum, allegedly belonged to an anti-government group. An unnamed teen reported their potential involvement in the crime to authorities.
After the discovery of two bodies in rural Texas, the FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Texas County Sheriff’s Office are working to identify them. The suspects are set to appear in court soon as the investigation into the murders unfolds.