In a tragic turn of events, two Kansas women, 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley, have been confirmed dead after they went missing on a trip to Oklahoma to pick up children for a birthday party. The bodies of the two women were recovered in rural Oklahoma, a day after four individuals were charged with murder and kidnapping in connection with their disappearance.
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley, both from Hugoton, Kansas, were travelling through the Oklahoma panhandle to pick up Butler’s children for a birthday party scheduled for March 30 in Kansas. However, they never arrived at their destination, prompting a search operation by authorities. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) described the efforts to locate the missing women, ensure the safety of the children, and apprehend the suspects involved in the case without resorting to violence.
OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee confirmed the tragic news of the deaths of Butler and Kelley, attributing their disappearance to the four defendants facing charges in the case. However, the identities of the bodies found in rural Oklahoma have not yet been officially confirmed pending a report from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
“This case did not end as we had hoped. It’s a tragedy for everyone involved,” expressed OSBI Director Aungela Spurlock.
The incident unfolded when the vehicle belonging to Butler and Kelley was discovered abandoned on a rural highway in Texas County, near the Oklahoma-Kansas state line. The sheriff’s office enlisted the assistance of the state bureau of investigation after suspicious evidence was found in the vehicle, indicating foul play.
On Saturday, authorities in Oklahoma arrested and charged four individuals – Tad Bert Cullum, Tifany Machel Adams, Cole Earl Twombly, and Cora Twombly – with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. The suspects are currently held without bond in the Texas County Jail and are set to appear in court on Wednesday morning.
The Medical Examiner’s Office is tasked with determining the identities of the recovered bodies and the causes of death, as authorities in Texas County prepare to unveil further details about the case. This distressing turn of events has shocked the community and left many grieving for the loss of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley..
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