Oklahoma City, OK — In a chilling turn of events, recent autopsy reports have shed new light on the tragic fate of two Kansas women, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, whose lives were gruesomely cut short earlier this year on a journey to Oklahoma. The pair had set out on a trip intended to reunite them with their children, but they never returned.
The Oklahoma medical examiner confirmed Wednesday that both women suffered “multiple sharp force traumas” and classified their deaths as homicides. The investigation into their deaths has now given way to a murder case that has gripped the community across state lines.
The narrative took a darker turn when the bodies of Butler and Kelley were discovered in a remote cow pasture, concealed within a chest freezer — a grim find that marked a critical breakthrough in the months-long investigation led by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Details from court documents reveal a sinister plot against the two mothers. Paul Grice and Tad Cullum are alleged to have carried out the brutal attacks on Butler and Kelley, respectively. Reports indicate that Grice sustained a significant cut to his hand during the murder of Butler, shedding further forensic clues for investigators.
Further complicating the tangled web of violence are accusations involving multiple other individuals linked to this tragic case. Tifany Machel Adams, reported to be the grandmother of Butler’s children, has been arrested along with her boyfriend Cullum, and another couple, Cole and Cora Twombly. Charges against this group include first-degree murder, kidnapping, and a conspiracy to commit murder.
Court records also suggest a custody dispute lay at the heart of this crime. It was disclosed that the children’s father was in a rehabilitation facility, and earlier court proceedings were moving towards granting Butler unsupervised visitation rights — a development that may have escalated tensions.
According to investigators, the suspects hatched a plan to manipulate the crime scene to mask their deeds, which included disposing of evidence such as clothes, weapon accessories, and the stun device allegedly used in the killings. DNA evidence has become pivotal in linking the suspects directly to the crimes, as trace samples were recovered from the clothing buried with the victims.
The case further reveals the suspects’ affiliations with an anti-government group known as “God’s Misfits.” This connection suggests a blend of ideological motives intertwined with the personal vendetta related to the custody dispute.
This tragic story underscores not only the impact of domestic disputes spilling over into violence but also the potential influence of extremist beliefs on such conflicts. As the local community and families of the victims seek justice, the full picture of this complex case continues to unfold, promising more details with the release of the full autopsy report slated for mid-November.
Legal proceedings are set to continue as the state argues for a combined preliminary hearing for all defendants, reflecting the prosecutors’ stance that this was a coordinated act of violence deeply rooted in a concocted conspiracy. The local community, along with a broader audience, now watches as this bewildering and heart-wrenching story slowly advances toward resolution in the courts.