The tragic discovery of the remains of two missing Kansas mothers, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jillian Kelley, 39, on April 15, 2024, has shaken the Hugoton community and beyond. The women, who were believed to be involved in local religious communities, vanished on March 30, sparking an extensive search and investigation.
According to court documents, Butler was engaged in a custody battle for her six and eight-year-old children with their paternal grandmother, Tifany Adams. Butler had reportedly been granted custody while her son, Wrangler Rickman, was in a rehabilitation facility. Her visits with the children were supervised, and on the day of her disappearance, Kelley, a preacher’s wife, was the approved supervisor.
While the exact nature of their relationship remains unclear, it is known that Butler and Kelley were acquainted. Kelley’s mother described her daughter as a devoted mother of four, actively involved in community volunteer work and serving as a secretary and children’s program director at Hugoton First Christian Church. Physical descriptions of both women have emerged, with Butler having red hair, green eyes, and distinct tattoos, while Kelley had brown hair, blue eyes, and a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm.
The abandoned vehicle belonging to the victims was discovered on March 30, 2024, near the planned meeting spot with Adams. Disturbing evidence was found at the scene, including blood on the roadway and the edge of the roadway, Butler’s glasses, and a broken hammer. A pistol magazine was also found in Kelley’s purse, indicating potential foul play.
Further investigation revealed that Adams had purchased stun guns in the days leading up to the women’s disappearance. Court documents also suggest that her partner, Tad Bert Cullum, 43, dug a hole in a pasture near the planned meet-up location, which was later filled in and covered with hay. The cause of death for Butler and Kelley has not yet been disclosed.
On Saturday, four suspects were arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping: Tad Bert Cullum, Tifany Machel Adams, 54, Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44. All four were taken into custody in Texas and Cimarron counties. According to reports, Adams is the grandmother of Butler’s children, while Cullum is Adams’ boyfriend.
The family had been embroiled in a complex custody battle, as Adams’ son was receiving treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma City. Butler’s attorney had indicated that she was expecting to receive increased visitation rights at an upcoming hearing in April.
All four suspects have been booked into the Texas County Jail on multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Public Information Manager, Hunter McKee, expressed the gravity of the crime, stating, “This case is tragic. You have two people who are dead and four people who committed an absolutely brutal crime.”
Intriguingly, court documents have revealed that all four suspects were part of an anti-government religious group called God’s Misfits. Adams’ former attorney, Stephen Jones, expressed shock over her arrest and described the custody battle as having been ongoing for five years.
Reports indicate that Adams was allegedly a member of the local anti-government group God’s Misfits. Jones provided further insights into the group’s ideology, explaining that since the 1960s, they have become politically oriented, “very Evangelical, very conspiratorial in the sense. Not trusting the government.”
Investigators have uncovered the use of burner phones by the suspects to communicate regarding the incident. The phones were reportedly discovered on a pasture rented by Cullum for cattle grazing. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the case progresses. The tragic loss of Butler and Kelley has left the community in mourning, and the arrests of the suspects have brought some measure of closure while raising questions about the involvement of the anti-government group.
