Two Kansas Women Vanished on a Trip to Pick Up Children. Court Documents Revealed a Disturbing Alleged Plot

The disappearance of two Kansas women in March 2024 initially sparked an urgent search across the Oklahoma panhandle. But when investigators uncovered evidence of violence and later found both women dead, the case took a devastating turn, revealing allegations of a planned attack linked to a bitter child custody dispute.

Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were traveling together on March 30, 2024, from Kansas to rural Oklahoma. Their destination was a scheduled custody exchange involving Butler’s children. Kelley was accompanying Butler as a court-approved supervisor for the visit.

The women never arrived.

Their abandoned vehicle was discovered near Highway 95 in Texas County, close to the Kansas border. Investigators reportedly found blood on the roadway, Butler’s glasses near a broken hammer, and a pistol magazine inside Kelley’s purse. The evidence raised immediate concerns that the women had been attacked.

On April 14, authorities recovered two bodies from a rural property. Medical examiners later identified them as Butler and Kelley. Court documents said the bodies had been buried in a cattle pasture leased by one of the suspects.

Investigators focused on a custody dispute involving Butler and Tifany Adams, the grandmother of Butler’s children. Prosecutors alleged that the conflict was connected to a broader plan to kill the two women.

Four people were charged in connection with the case: Adams, Tad Bert Cullum, and married couple Cole and Cora Twombly. They faced charges including first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy. Investigators also examined alleged connections among the suspects and a group known as “God’s Misfits.”

According to court filings, investigators believed the attack involved preparation before the women disappeared. The documents described evidence recovered at the scene and alleged efforts to conceal the crime.

The case drew national attention because the women had been traveling for what was supposed to be a routine family-related appointment. Instead, their disappearance exposed a complex criminal investigation involving multiple suspects.

Veronica and Jilian were remembered by their loved ones as caring women whose deaths left families and communities grieving. Their story also highlighted the devastating consequences that can arise when family disputes escalate into alleged violence.

Source: CNN