PICTURED: Mother-in-law, her boyfriend and two others arrested in huge Oklahoma SWAT raid over the kidnapping and murder of Kansas mom and her friend who vanished on way to pick up their children
Four people have been arrested following a major SWAT raid in Oklahoma following the kidnapping and murder of a Kansas mother and her friend, who disappeared while en route to pick up her children.
On Saturday, a convoy of 20 police vehicles, including SWAT trucks, was spotted speeding down a dirt road in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests shortly afterward, saying there were indications of foul play.
The four people arrested include Tifany Adams, 54, the children’s grandmother, and Adams’ boyfriend, Tad Cullum, 43, according to NewsNation.
The other two people arrested, Cole Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, are eight years old. They are friends with Adams on Facebook.
Four people have been arrested following a major SWAT raid in Oklahoma following the kidnapping and murder of a Kansas mother and her friend, who disappeared while en route to pick up her children. Those arrested include Tifany Adams (left), 54, Butler’s mother-in-law, and Adams’ boyfriend, Tad Cullum (right), 43
The other two people arrested, Cole Twombly (right), 50, and Cora Twombly (left), 44, are eight years old. They are friends with Adams on Facebook
Veronica Butler, 27, is currently embroiled in a nasty custody battle with her husband, Wrangler Cole Rickman
Described as more of an acquaintance than a friend of Butler, Kelley is the wife of a pastor who is said to oversee Butler’s visits with her children.
All four individuals were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, traveled together to pick up Butler’s children, ages 6 and 8, on March 30.
It was believed they were shot with pools of blood left on the ground next to their empty car about 1,000 feet from Oklahoma State Highway 95.
The children were reportedly staying with their grandmother, Adams, while Butler was going through a nasty divorce and custody battle with her husband, Wrangler Cole Rickman.
Described as more of an acquaintance than a friend of Butler, Kelley is the wife of a pastor who is said to oversee Butler’s visits with her children.
On March 20, ten days before they went missing, Butler filed a petition with the court allowing her to spend more time with her children, seeking full custody.
Court records alleged that Butler and the children’s grandmother, Adams, did not get along during the custody battle.
Butler has weekly, court-mandated visits with the children every Saturday, with Kelley one of four people listed as chaperones for those visits.
A huge convoy of SWAT trucks and police cars raced through rural Oklahoma on Saturday. Authorities announced the arrests shortly afterwards
Multiple pools of blood were found near the vehicle in the deserted Oklahoma panhandle, which was found 1,000 feet off Oklahoma State Highway 95, near a school Butler attended and graduated from in 2015.
Butler and Kelley were traveling together to pick up Kelley’s children, ages 6 and 8, on March 30
Kelley is the wife of Pastor Heath Kelley, who serves at two churches in Kansas and Nebraska
ABC-7 reported that the visit was also to celebrate the birthday of Butler’s six-year-old daughter.
They had made it the 45 minute drive from Hugoton to a gas station in Eva, located near the Four Corners section of Oklahoma, but disappeared while the car was only three miles from where they were supposed to meet.
Multiple pools of blood were found near the vehicle in the abandoned Oklahoma panhandle, which was found 1,000 feet off Oklahoma State Highway 95, near a school Butler attended and graduated from in 2015.
Kelley is the wife of Pastor Heath Kelley, who serves at two churches in Kansas and Nebraska.
On April 3, Kelley’s Willow Christian Church in Nebraska posted on Facebook: “We ask that you continue to pray for Jilian and Veronica and their families as the search and investigation continue.”
‘Pray for strength, wisdom and faith for all involved. We appreciate everyone who shared the prayer requests. We are receiving messages from across the country from people praying for these two women and their families.”
Hugoton First Christian Church has also offered prayers on Facebook, while friends and family have started a prayer service Meal Train page for Kelley’s family.
“It’s been over a week,” Hunter McKee, Public Information Manager for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, said Tuesday, according to Fox news.
“We are hopeful that we can find them alive, but it is obviously becoming more and more challenging.”
Court records alleged that Butler and the children’s grandmother did not get along during the nasty fight
The endangered missing persons flyer with details of the woman’s disappearance
Butler is described as 6 feet tall, with red hair and green eyes. She has several tattoos, including a Chinese symbol on her left forearm and a sunflower on her left shoulder.
She was dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt, jeans and lightweight Hey Dudes shoes.
Kelley, also from Hugoton, Kansas, was last seen with Butler on Saturday.
The blue-eyed woman is pictured on the missing person flyer with blonde hair, but her hair color is now brown and has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm.
She is believed to be wearing a long-sleeved shirt, whitewashed jeans and light brown beige shoes.
The case remains under investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the FBI.
Local law enforcement authorities are still trying to locate the two victims.