Authorities revealed on Monday that two Kansas women who disappeared two weeks ago while attempting to pick up their kids for a birthday celebration were murdered in connection with a custody battle involving a gang of anti-government Oklahomans going by the name "God's Misfits."
When their car was discovered on March 30 along a remote Oklahoma highway, there was abundant evidence of a violent altercation. This led to the mobilization of many agencies to protect the children's safety while simultaneously looking for the ladies and preventing further violence.
The grandmothers of Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, had made plans for them to meet at a highway crossing early on March 30 in order to pick up the 6- and 8-year-olds.
The case's resolution fell short of our expectations. Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Aungela Spurlock said, "It is definitely been a tragedy for everyone involved."
The grandmother, Tifany Adams, 54; her boyfriend, Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband, Cole Twombly, 50, are the four individuals who were taken into custody on Saturday on accusations of abduction and first-degree murder. In a group they refer to as "God's Misfits," all of them get together on a regular basis, according to their arrest affidavits. The Twomblys' and Tad Cullum's families did not immediately respond to phone calls requesting comments. Elise Adams, Tifany's stepmother, said she did not know anything about the case.
The ladies missed the party in Kansas, but Butler's relatives discovered the car a short distance from the meeting place. The scenario was graphic.
Blood was discovered on both the road and its edge. Additionally, Butler's glasses were discovered next to a broken hammer on the road to the south of the car. Although no gun was discovered at the site, a pistol magazine was, according to the testimonies.
Investigators discovered that Adams had purchased five stun guns and pre-paid "burner" telephones from a neighboring shop, providing proof that the murders were premeditated. According to the affidavits, she looked up information on pain thresholds while using the weapons online.
Cora Twombly first said, according to an adolescent witness who reported the incident to the police, "the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler's windshield while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off of work vehicles."
Butler and Adams were engaged in a "problematic custody battle," according to the affidavits. Butler could only see Adams' kid under supervision on Saturdays while he was in a rehabilitation center in Oklahoma City, many hours away. The person Butler chose to oversee visitations with court approval was Kelley, a Hugoton pastor's wife.
In 2022, the trial judge was instructed by the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals to provide joint custody to the parents of the children. Despite their accusations of "inappropriate behavior and choices," the verdict characterized them as "very young and immature parents" and said that "the children are nurtured and comforted by Mother" and "happy and excited to be with Father."
Investigators were informed by Butler's attorney that her request for unsupervised visitation and more time with her children was expected to be approved at a hearing in April.
A court date was approaching, so on March 23, Adams purchased the stun guns. According to the affidavits, Cullum dug a hole on March 29 in a field he leased, not far from the meeting place, using heavy machinery.
The locations of the corpses were not disclosed by the authorities during the press conference on Monday; however, the affidavits said that many of the "burner phones" had stopped working that morning near the meadow, where "a hole had been dug and filled back in and then covered with hay."
During the hunt, it was not quite apparent where the kids were. On March 29 and 30, Adams said investigators, she had left them in the care of another couple; according to the affidavits, this pair often held the "God's Misfits" sessions.
The affidavits were reportedly sealed until the kids' safety was guaranteed, according to the authorities. "We were effective. District Attorney George Leach III said, "There were no gunshots heard, and the kids were kept safe."
According to Texas County Court Clerk Renee Ellis, the four accused individuals are being detained in the Texas County Jail without release until their Wednesday court hearings. No information on whether anybody has legal representation is provided by court documents.
Elise Adams answered a question about Tifany Adams with, "I do not know a thing about her business." "All I can say about her is that she was my wonderful stepdaughter."
The names and causes of death of the remains are awaiting the completion of the medical examiner's findings, according to OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee. McKee said, "This case is tragic." "You have four individuals who committed a heinously violent crime and two deceased individuals."
When their car was discovered on March 30 along a remote Oklahoma highway, there was abundant evidence of a violent altercation. This led to the mobilization of many agencies to protect the children's safety while simultaneously looking for the ladies and preventing further violence.
The grandmothers of Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, had made plans for them to meet at a highway crossing early on March 30 in order to pick up the 6- and 8-year-olds.
The case's resolution fell short of our expectations. Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Aungela Spurlock said, "It is definitely been a tragedy for everyone involved."
The grandmother, Tifany Adams, 54; her boyfriend, Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband, Cole Twombly, 50, are the four individuals who were taken into custody on Saturday on accusations of abduction and first-degree murder. In a group they refer to as "God's Misfits," all of them get together on a regular basis, according to their arrest affidavits. The Twomblys' and Tad Cullum's families did not immediately respond to phone calls requesting comments. Elise Adams, Tifany's stepmother, said she did not know anything about the case.
The ladies missed the party in Kansas, but Butler's relatives discovered the car a short distance from the meeting place. The scenario was graphic.
Blood was discovered on both the road and its edge. Additionally, Butler's glasses were discovered next to a broken hammer on the road to the south of the car. Although no gun was discovered at the site, a pistol magazine was, according to the testimonies.
Investigators discovered that Adams had purchased five stun guns and pre-paid "burner" telephones from a neighboring shop, providing proof that the murders were premeditated. According to the affidavits, she looked up information on pain thresholds while using the weapons online.
Cora Twombly first said, according to an adolescent witness who reported the incident to the police, "the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler's windshield while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off of work vehicles."
Butler and Adams were engaged in a "problematic custody battle," according to the affidavits. Butler could only see Adams' kid under supervision on Saturdays while he was in a rehabilitation center in Oklahoma City, many hours away. The person Butler chose to oversee visitations with court approval was Kelley, a Hugoton pastor's wife.
In 2022, the trial judge was instructed by the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals to provide joint custody to the parents of the children. Despite their accusations of "inappropriate behavior and choices," the verdict characterized them as "very young and immature parents" and said that "the children are nurtured and comforted by Mother" and "happy and excited to be with Father."
Investigators were informed by Butler's attorney that her request for unsupervised visitation and more time with her children was expected to be approved at a hearing in April.
A court date was approaching, so on March 23, Adams purchased the stun guns. According to the affidavits, Cullum dug a hole on March 29 in a field he leased, not far from the meeting place, using heavy machinery.
The locations of the corpses were not disclosed by the authorities during the press conference on Monday; however, the affidavits said that many of the "burner phones" had stopped working that morning near the meadow, where "a hole had been dug and filled back in and then covered with hay."
During the hunt, it was not quite apparent where the kids were. On March 29 and 30, Adams said investigators, she had left them in the care of another couple; according to the affidavits, this pair often held the "God's Misfits" sessions.
The affidavits were reportedly sealed until the kids' safety was guaranteed, according to the authorities. "We were effective. District Attorney George Leach III said, "There were no gunshots heard, and the kids were kept safe."
According to Texas County Court Clerk Renee Ellis, the four accused individuals are being detained in the Texas County Jail without release until their Wednesday court hearings. No information on whether anybody has legal representation is provided by court documents.
Elise Adams answered a question about Tifany Adams with, "I do not know a thing about her business." "All I can say about her is that she was my wonderful stepdaughter."
The names and causes of death of the remains are awaiting the completion of the medical examiner's findings, according to OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee. McKee said, "This case is tragic." "You have four individuals who committed a heinously violent crime and two deceased individuals."
