Veronica Butler Obituary, Death; – A Kansas woman who went missing earlier this year and was subsequently discovered in a freezer buried within a cow pasture in the Oklahoma panhandle was the victim of a stabbing incident that resulted in numerous injuries, as indicated by a report from the medical examiner.
Veronica Butler, aged 27, succumbed to sharp force trauma, suffering a total of 30 stab wounds, 10 of which were indicative of defensive actions, according to the findings from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Oklahoma. Butler and Jilian Kelley, aged 39, who served as a court supervisor in a child custody matter, were last seen on March 30. Their remains were located in Texas County, Oklahoma, on April 14, less than 10 miles from their last known whereabouts, as detailed in an affidavit from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The medical examiner’s report suggested that Butler, who had a head laceration potentially inflicted by a stun gun, was likely deceased prior to being placed in the freezer and buried. Five individuals have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and kidnapping in connection with the deaths of the two women. The accused include Tifany Adams; her boyfriend, Tad Bert Cullum; Cole Earl Twombly; Cora Twombly; and Paul Grice.
Four of the defendants are being represented by the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, whose Executive Director, Tim Laughlin, refrained from making any comments on the matter.
An attorney believed to be representing Cullum was not immediately available for comment on Thursday afternoon. Court records indicate that Cullum was leasing the property where Butler and Kelley were discovered for the purpose of cattle grazing.
The affidavit also revealed that Butler and Adams were engaged in a custody dispute that commenced in February 2019. Adams is identified as the mother of the father of the children involved, according to court documentation.
Butler had sought extended visitation rights, and her attorney informed the State Bureau of Investigation that she was likely to receive unsupervised visitation during a court hearing scheduled for April 17, as per court records. Additionally, the affidavit from the investigation bureau noted that the children’s father had mentioned that, on certain occasions, Adams had denied access.
