Court documents reveal suspect admitted responsibility for death of missing Kansas women
OKLAHOMA (KSNW) — Newly obtained court documents by KSN reveal that one of the suspects in the case of missing Kansas women, Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley, admitted responsibility for their deaths.
In the motions to hold defendants Cole Twombly, Cora Twombly, Tad Cullum and Tifany Adams without bail, it is stated in part that Adams “did provide a recorded statement to law enforcement indicating her responsibility for the death of the deceased.”
What Adams said in the recorded statement was not revealed in the court documents.
The proof of guilt being evident is one of the reasons the four suspects are being held without bond. It’s something prosecutors pushed for.
The other two reasons are violent offenses and offenses where the maximum sentence may be life imprisonment or life imprisonment without parole.
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Violent offenses include first-degree murder and kidnapping, both of which the defendants were charged with on Wednesday.
The maximum sentence for murder is death, life, or life without parole, meeting the third criteria for being held without bond.
Court documents state, “Now faced with the consequences of a sentence of death or life in prison, the defendants would be willing to do anything since they have shown to be willing to commit capital murder in order to limit Veronica’s visitation.”
The newly obtained court documents also revealed that the bodies of Butler and Kelley were found where the burner phones were disposed of – on a pasture below a dam that Cullum rents for cattle grazing. The property, which is located 8.5 miles from the location where the women disappeared and where Butler’s vehicle was found, had fresh dirt work done.
“The area of disturbed dirt was excavated and the bodies of two individuals were discovered,” the court document states.
They were identified as Butler and Kelley on Tuesday.
The court documents also stated the two died of foul play but did not go into details.
Prosecutors say there were many attempts made to take Veronica’s life. Other court documents show the years of turmoil between Veronica and Tifany, but efforts to secure a protection order did not get approved by a judge.
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KSN Anchor Julia Thatcher was in Oklahoma Wednesday. She, alongside other reporters, was able to talk to Clinton Butler, Veronica Butler’s dad.
Q: Do you feel like the justice system failed Veronica?
A: One hundred percent.
Q: Was it always like that?
A: In the last five years, yes.
Q: What would you say to the justice system?
A: They don’t want to know. I have to get off here right now.
Thatcher was also able to ask the district attorney if the death penalty would be an option. He said that will be decided later.
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