Prosecutors Pursue Death Penalty in Kansas Mothers' Murder Case

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WICHITA, Kan. — In a significant legal development, an Oklahoma prosecutor has decided to pursue the death penalty against two individuals implicated in the tragic deaths of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley.

On Thursday, Texas County District Attorney George H. Leach III submitted formal documents announcing his intention to seek capital punishment for Cole Twombly and Tad Cullum. These two men are among five suspects charged in connection with the murders of Butler and Kelley.

The arrests of Twombly and Cullum took place in 2024, along with those of Tifany Adams, who is the grandmother of Butler’s two children, as well as Cora Twombly and Paul Grice.

In related news, Tifany Adams recently entered a plea of no contest to charges including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of unlawful removal of a dead body, and two counts of unlawful desecration of a human corpse.

Tifany Adams, Tad Cullum, Cora Twombly, Cole Twombly, and Paul Grice (Courtesy: Texas County Sheriff’s Office)

The case dates back to March 30, 2024, when Butler and Kelley vanished. Kelley had accompanied Butler during a visit to see her two children, who were in the care of Adams at the time.

In his filing seeking the death penalty, Leach argues that Cullum and Cole Twombly were aware of the risk of the death of more than one person due to the planned ambush of the women; that the murders of Butler and Kelley were especially heinous, atrocious or cruel because of the manner in which they were attacked and killed; and that Kelley was murdered specifically because she would be a witness to Butler’s death.

He also argues that the fact the homicides were planned out over a period of eight weeks, the measures taken to conceal or destroy evidence, the totality of evidence and heinous nature of the crimes show that both men are a danger to society.

Twombly and Cullum, along with the two remaining defendants, are scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 5.