Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – A harrowing update has emerged in the case of two Kansas mothers, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelly, 39, who met tragic ends earlier this year on a trip intended to reunite them with their children. According to the latest findings released by the Oklahoma medical examiner, both women died from multiple sharp force injuries, and their deaths are being investigated as homicides.
The grim discovery of Butler and Kelly’s bodies in a cow pasture, concealed inside a chest freezer near the Oklahoma-Kansas border, shocked their communities and led to an intense law enforcement investigation. Initially, the pair were reported missing after they failed to return from their journey to collect Kelly’s children.
The investigation took a dark turn as evidence mounted, including findings from the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner’s office, which confirmed the identities of the deceased as Butler and Kelly. With the full medical report slated for release on November 15, authorities hope to gain more clarity into the brutal circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Details from court documents reveal a complex plot involving several individuals connected to the case. Paul Grice and Tad Cullum are alleged to have committed the murders. Noteworthy in the account is Grice’s severe hand injury, reported to have occurred during the commission of the crime. His and Butler’s DNA were found on clothing associated with the incident, as were Cullum’s and Kelly’s DNA linked through garments found in the freezer.
Further deepening the intrigue are the links between the crime and a heated custody dispute involving Butler’s children. Their grandmother, Tiffany Machel Adams, 54, with whom Grice and Cullum are associated, has also been arrested. The case points to a conspiracy driven by the custody battle. Both children’s father was reportedly in rehabilitation at the time of the mothers’ disappearance.
Adams, together with her boyfriend Cullum and another couple, Cole and Cora Twombly, faces multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. They allegedly involved their 16-year-old daughter in establishing an alibi for the day of the murders.
Investigators have pieced together elements of the suspects’ planning, which included the purchase of burner phones and other devices. A statement from the Twomblys’ daughter to police mentioned a prior sinister comment from her parents, suggesting that the victims would never pose a problem again. This chilling detail connects to earlier police findings that hinted at a possible final resting place for the women—a well, as noted in custody-related court documents.
Authorities continue to untangle the web of events and relationships that culminated in this horrifying act, with the community still reeling from the impact. The case highlights troubling issues around custody disputes and their potential to escalate into violence, shedding light on the darker sides of familial discord and the lengths to which individuals might go to assert control. The upcoming release of the full autopsy report is awaited with anticipation, as it promises more answers in the ongoing pursuit of justice for Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelly.