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Two men accused of killing two Kansas mothers and hiding their bodies in a buried freezer pleaded not guilty Wednesday in an Oklahoma courtroom.
Tad Cullum, 43, and Cole Twombly, 50, entered their pleas to multiple charges connected to the deaths of 39-year-old Jilian Kelley and 27-year-old Veronica Butler. Both men are charged with two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful removal of a dead body and unlawful desecration of a human corpse, according to court records.
Cullum’s trial is scheduled to begin June 1, 2026, while Twombly’s is set for Oct. 19, 2026.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the judge approved a motion allowing defense attorneys for Cullum, Twombly and co-defendant Tifany Adams to access jail phone calls and text messages made by all five defendants in the case. Authorities have said some of the suspects are linked to a religious, anti-government group called “God’s Misfits.”
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The suspects charged in the killings of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation – Authorized Page/Facebook)
In a separate ruling, the judge ordered that several personal belongings be returned to the victims’ families, including Kelley’s wedding ring and Butler’s vehicle.
After the hearing, Butler’s mother told KSN News that the best way to honor women’s memories is through prayer, asking the community to pray for “redemption, forgiveness, and salvation for everyone involved.”
Authorities say Butler and Kelley vanished on March 30, 2024, while driving to pick up Butler’s children. Their car was found abandoned near the Oklahoma–Kansas border under suspicious circumstances.
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Veronica Butler, left, and Jilian Kelley were last seen alive on March 30, 2024, while driving to pick up children, police say. (Oklahoma Highway Patrol)
Two weeks later, investigators discovered their bodies inside a chest freezer buried in a rural cow pasture in Texas County. Both had been stabbed to death, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
The agency announced the arrests of Cullum, Twombly, Tifany Machel Adams, 54, and Cora Twombly, 44, on April 13, 2024, in connection with the murders. A fifth suspect, 31-year-old Paul Grice, was taken into custody shortly afterward.
Pictured are Cody and Cora Twombly, whose 16-year-old daughter’s statement to police helped seal their arrests in the murders of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. (Texas County Sheriff’s Department)
Last month, Adams pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree murder and related charges involving the unlawful handling and concealment of the victims’ remains. Court documents confirm the plea included additional counts of unlawful removal and desecration of a human corpse, and that the state agreed not to seek the death penalty in her case.
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Paul Grice was arrested and booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree in connection to the killings of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation)
In December 2024, KSN reported that two plea deals were announced in the case and that prosecutors moved to have Cora Twombly and Grice testify during preliminary hearings.
Texas County District Attorney George H. Leach III has announced plans to seek the death penalty against both Cullum and Cole Twombly.
According to court filings, the state is seeking the death penalty for both men, citing multiple aggravating factors. The state said the murders were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel,” that they were “committed to avoid arrest or prosecution,” and that the defendants pose a “continuing threat to society.”
Prosecutors allege the murders were planned over several weeks and that the victims suffered extensive physical abuse and stab wounds before their deaths.
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Investigators allege several of the suspects were part of a religiously affiliated, anti-government group called “God’s Misfits.” Authorities believe the killings were tied to an ongoing custody dispute involving Butler’s children.
At the time of the women’s disappearance, Adams’ son, Wrangler Rickman, who had custody of the children, was in a rehabilitation facility. Butler had been allowed supervised visitation every Saturday and, according to court records, was expected to gain unsupervised visitation rights in the coming weeks.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.