New court documents revealed additional details on the brutal murders of two Kansas moms in April.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, April, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, canished while on their way to pick up their children. Police found their abandoned near the Kansas-Oklahoma border, and their bodies were discovered weeks later in Texas County, Oklahoma.
According to the case’s latest documents, obtained by investigative journalist Lauren Conlin, Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, acted as lookouts in the murders and later confided in their daughter, in an attempt for an alibi.
State’s Brief in Suppo… by Leigh Egan
Paul Grice, 31, is accused of stabbing Butler and the helping move the bodies to the burial site, where he discarded his clothing, a knife, and a stun device. Police found DNA from Grice and Butler on the clothes recovered from the burial site.
Tad Cullum, 43, reportedly secured permission to dig a hole on the land and used a skid steer to prepare the burial site a day before the murders occurred.
Cullum then stabbed Kelley and transported the bodies to the burial site. He allegedly placed his clothing, along with Butler and Kelley, inside a freezer in the pre-dug hole. His clothes, found at the site, had both his and Kelley’s DNA.
Tifany Machel Adams, 50, is accused of buying burner phones from Walmart. She also allegedly bought stun devices from Standard Supply, one of which was found at the burial site, and yellow straps from Tractor Supply, used to secure the freezer containing Butler and Kelley.
Prosecutors are now pushing for all five defendants to face a joint preliminary hearing, since they all allegedly conspired and participated in the murders.
Defense attorney for Cora Twombly and Adams are arguing for separate preliminary hearings.
Meanwhile, the five defendants are set to return to court on September 18, according to KAKE.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo:Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley/Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation]
