Four individuals have been apprehended in connection with the disappearance of two Kansas women, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, from Hugoton, Kansas. The women vanished on March 30 while en route to Oklahoma to collect Butler’s children. Tragically, over the weekend, authorities discovered two bodies, subsequently identified by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) as Butler and Kelley. The medical examiner is yet to disclose the cause of death.
The OSBI announced the recovery of the deceased women a day before the arrest of four suspects: Tifany Adams, 54; Tad Cullum, 43; Cole Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44, all of whom are now facing multiple charges, including murder and kidnapping. Adams, the grandmother of Butler’s children and Cullum’s girlfriend, along with the Twomblys, have each been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. The quartet made their initial court appearance on Wednesday morning in Texas County, Oklahoma, where they were ordered to be held without bond due to the substantial evidence against them.
Photographs captured by KSNW depict Cullum, Adams, and the Twomblys arriving for their court hearings, showcasing the gravity of the situation. The courtroom setting was described as highly emotional by Julia Thatcher of Nexstar’s KSNW, who was present during the proceedings. Affidavits released Monday revealed that Adams had been embroiled in a custody dispute with Butler and that all four suspects were allegedly affiliated with an anti-government group known as “God’s Misfits”.
Adams, Cullum, and Cole Twombly have opted to secure their own legal representation, while Cora Twombly has been deemed indigent and will be provided with a court-appointed attorney. The next scheduled court appearance for the defendants is set for May 15 as the investigation continues. Authorities have refrained from disclosing additional information pertaining to the case, leaving the community and the families of the victims in a state of shock and grief..
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