The Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified the remains of two people found Sunday as Jilian Kelley, 39, and Veronica Butler, 27, who had been missing since March 30 when they left their homes in Hugoton, Kan., to pick up Butler’s children in rural Oklahoma. Four people have been arrested in connection with their disappearance and deaths.
Jilian Kelley is the wife of Heath Kelley, pastor of Hugoton First Christian Church. The Kelleys have four children.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones, along with everyone throughout their community,” the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement Tuesday night.
According to media reports which are based on court documents, Jilian Kelley had accompanied Butler to pick up Butler’s two children on a court-ordered custody exchange the day the women went missing. The women never made it to the pick-up location, and Butler’s abandoned car was later found missing in rural Oklahoma, about 40 miles from Hugoton. Law enforcement officials soon reported “foul play” was involved.
On Saturday, April 13, a day before recovery of the bodies, four people were arrested and booked into the Texas County Jail (in Oklahoma) on two counts each of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. The four people arrested: Tifany Machel Adams, 54; Tad Bert Cullum, 43; Cole Earl Twombly, 50; and Cora Twombly, 44.
Adams is the grandmother of Butler’s children. Court documents indicate Adams’ son, Wrangler Rickman, the father of Butler’s children, has been involved in a custody battle with Butler. An affidavit of probable cause released Monday indicated the custody dispute as the possible motive for the alleged murder-kidnapping. (Rickman is not charged with a crime in this matter.)
Butler and Kelley were to pick up the children from Adams on the morning the women went missing. Cullum is Adams’ boyfriend, and the Twomblys—a married couple—are their friends, according to media reports.
Between the time of the women’s disappearance on March 30 and the arrests of the four suspects this past weekend, law enforcement officials released little information about the case. The suspects are scheduled to make their first court appearance today.
Heath Kelley has continued to serve with Hugoton First Christian Church, but late last fall he accepted a call to serve as minister with Willow Christian Church in Indianola, Neb. He has not yet started that pastorate.
On Tuesday night, after the medical examiner confirmed that Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler had been found dead, Willow Christian Church shared the news via Facebook, saying, “We hope that you will join us in prayer this week and the weeks ahead that we can stay focused on God’s promises for comfort during our darkest hours.”
Willow Christian Church is a campus of McCook Christian Church in Nebraska.
The Christian Evangelizing Association of Kansas, a church-planting organization, has established a fund to collect money, all of which will be given to Heath Kelley “to use as needed during this time of healing and transition,” said Brad Fogo, executive director of CEA. Send gifts, designated to the “Kelley Family Benefit Fund,” to Christian Evangelizing Association of Kansas, P.O. Box 3252, Shawnee, KS 66203.
Fundraisers via GoFundMe have also been started in recent days to benefit the families of Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler. Both fundraisers have $20,000 goals; they had each raised more than $6,000 as of 6:00 a.m. Friday, April 19.
The GoFundMe for the Kelleys states: “Jilian Kelley is a pastor’s wife and mom of four children. . . . As the undesirable outcome was announced that Jillian’s life has been taken, we are asking for help by making any donation to lessen the financial burden brought forth on the Kelley family. . . . If you cannot donate at this time please continue to pray for both Jilian and Veronica’s families.”
The GoFundMe for the Veronica Butler Family states: “Please consider donating to this precious family in hope that we can help lessen some of the burden. . . . Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts.”
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