Kansas Women's Disappearance Tied to Custody Battle; Suspects Arrested Amid Investigation

Kansas women's disappearance custody battle Veronica Butler Jilian Kelley

By E.Baloyo , Parent Herald Apr 16, 05:59 am

Photo: (Photo : JUSTIN HAMEL /Getty Images)

Investigations into the two Kansas women's disappearance reveal ties to a complicated custody battle.

The custody battle that led to the deaths of two women, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, who were on their way to pick up one of the pair's children for a birthday party, might have included a foul play.

Kansas Women's Disappearance

Allegations detailed in court documents suggest a dark plot involving a southwest Kansas mother embroiled in a custody dispute with her children's paternal grandmother.

Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley disappeared while en route to retrieve Butler's children for a birthday celebration in Kansas. Their vehicle was discovered abandoned along a rural Texas County highway in Oklahoma, indicating possible foul play.

Hunter McKee, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, disclosed that Butler and Kelley are deceased, although the identities of the bodies found in Texas County have not been confirmed.

Four individuals: Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Cole Earl Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44, were arrested and charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder and kidnapping.

Referred to as "God's Misfits," the suspects belong to a small anti-government group. Authorities initiated an investigation following a request from the Texas County Sheriff's Office after Butler and Kelley's suspicious disappearance on March 30.

Interviews revealed Butler's ongoing custody battle with Tifany Adams over her children, with court-ordered supervised visits every Saturday.

Kelley, the wife of a Hugoton pastor, accompanied Butler during these visits. Butler's family discovered her abandoned vehicle with signs of violence, including blood and a broken hammer nearby.

Further details emerged regarding Adams' contentious relationship with her son over custody issues. Concerns were raised about Adams' intentions, particularly after conversations suggesting a plan to resolve the custody battle, raising suspicions of foul play in Butler and Kelley's disappearance.

Custody Battle Under Investigation

On April 1, following the discovery of Butler's abandoned vehicle, investigators from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) examined Tifany Adams' phone. The search history revealed inquiries such as "taser pain level," "gun shops," "prepaid cellular phones," and "how to get someone out of their house."

On April 3, an OSBI agent interviewed the 16-year-old daughter of Cora Twombly, one of the suspects. The teenager disclosed that she overheard discussions implicating Butler for not safeguarding her children from Butler's brother, related to a sexual abuse allegation.

Additionally, the teenager mentioned that Cora informed her about Adams providing "burner" phones for covert communication among the suspects. The teenager reported observing two such phones charging on Cora's nightstand in her bedroom.

According to the teen's account, Cora and her husband, Cole Twombly, left on a "mission" on March 30, returning around noon that day. The teen was instructed to clean a Chevrolet pickup's interior upon their return. Cora allegedly shared with her daughter that the plan did not go smoothly but assured that Butler would no longer be a concern.

The OSBI investigation also uncovered past attempts to harm Butler near Hugoton in February, during which the suspects planned to throw an anvil through Butler's windshield to stage an accident, as per Cora's statement.

The probe revealed that Adams purchased five stun guns in Guymon on March 30 and three pre-paid cellphones in Guymon on February 13, with the phones later found in proximity to where Butler's car was located.

After the disappearance of Butler and Kelley, the phones were traced to a property approximately 8.5 miles from the abandoned vehicle's location.

Suspicious activity, including fresh dirt work beneath a dam in a pasture, raised further concerns. However, specific details about the dig site were not disclosed in the affidavit.

The whereabouts of Butler's children during the crime remain unclear. The OSBI cited the protection of the children as a reason for withholding details until all suspects were in custody.