Two Kansas women who went missing on a trip to pick up children for a birthday party two weeks ago were killed in a custody battle with a small group of anti-government Oklahomans known as “God’s Misfits,” authorities revealed Monday.
What Happened?
Their vehicle was discovered on a remote Oklahoma highway just south of the state line, with ample evidence of a bloody confrontation, sparking a two-week campaign to ensure the children’s safety while hunting for the ladies and preventing more violence. Their remains were discovered a day after four suspects were apprehended without incident on allegations of kidnapping and murder, authorities said. Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, had agreed with Butler’s two children’s grandmother to meet at a highway crossing to pick up the 6- and 8-year-olds for their March 30 birthday celebration in Kansas. Butler’s family discovered the vehicle just a few miles from the meet-up location after the women missed the party.
What do the officials Say?
“This case did not conclude as we had intended. “It has undoubtedly been a tragedy for everyone involved,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Director Aungela Spurlock stated.
The defendants arrested Saturday include 54-year-old Tifany Adams, the children’s grandmother, and three others who identify as “God’s Misfits,” according to their arrest affidavits. Adams, 43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum, 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly are accused of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and first-degree murder conspiracy. According to the affidavits, Butler was in a “problematic custody battle” with Adams. Butler’s son, the father of her two children, was at a rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma City, several hours away from Guymon, and Butler was only allowed supervised visits on Saturdays. Butler’s court-authorized visiting supervisor was Kelley, the wife of a Hugoton preacher.
What do the Witness told?
A juvenile witness informed authorities that Cora Twombly and her husband Cole Twombly stopped the road to halt Butler and Kelley and redirect them to where Adams, her boyfriend Cullum, and another person were waiting for them. The youngster questioned why Kelley had to die and was told that “she wasn’t innocent either” because she backed Butler, according to the affidavit. The affidavit further stated that according to Cora Twombly, “the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler’s windscreen while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off of work vehicles.”
What do the Authorities Concluded?
Authorities did not reveal where the bodies were discovered at Monday’s news conference, but according to the affidavits, Tifany Adams’ pre-paid phones stopped transmitting that morning not far from the crime scene, near a pasture rented by Tad Cullum, where “a hole had been dug, filled back in, and then covered with hay.” On March 29, the property’s owner reported seeing Cullum digging the hole with heavy machinery.
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