In a chilling case that has shaken the heartland, four members of an anti-government group known as "God's Misfits" have been arrested and charged in the brutal killings of two Kansas women, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39. The murders, authorities say, were the tragic climax of a bitter custody dispute.
The victims, who disappeared on March 30 while on their way to pick up Butler's children for a birthday party, were found dead two weeks later. Their vehicle was discovered abandoned along a rural Oklahoma highway, the scene of a bloody confrontation that set off a multi-agency search for the women and the children's safety.
The accused include the children's grandmother, Tifany Adams, 54, her boyfriend Tad Cullum, 43, and a couple, Cora Twombly, 44, and Cole Twombly, 50. All four were regular attendees of the "God's Misfits" meetings, according to their arrest affidavits.
"This case did not end the way we had hoped. It's certainly been a tragedy for everyone involved," said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Director Aungela Spurlock.
The investigation revealed a sinister plot, allegedly orchestrated by Adams, involving the purchase of pre-paid "burner" cellphones and five stun guns. Her internet searches included inquiries about pain levels associated with the weapons. A teenage witness told authorities that at one point, the group had planned to make Butler's death appear accidental by throwing an anvil through her windshield.
The custody dispute at the heart of the case involved Butler and Adams' son, who was in a rehabilitation facility at the time of the murders. Butler was allowed only supervised visits each Saturday, with Kelley, the wife of a pastor, serving as the court-authorized supervisor. Butler was expected to be granted more time with her children and unsupervised visitation at a hearing in April, according to her attorney.
The bodies of the victims were found near a pasture where one of the accused had dug a hole, according to the affidavits. The exact location of the bodies has not been disclosed by the authorities.
The four accused are currently being held without bond in the Texas County Jail, pending court appearances. It is unclear whether they have legal representation.
OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee said the bodies' identities and causes of death are pending a medical examiner’s report. He added, "You have two people who are dead and four people who committed an absolutely brutal crime."
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