Dec 18, 2024
TEXAS COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — Wednesday begins day two of the preliminary hearings in the case of murdered Kansas mothers Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. The two Hugoton women disappeared over Easter weekend, while they were going to pick up Butler’s children in Oklahoma. Their bodies were found buried in a freezer in April. An autopsy revealed that both women had been stabbed to death. RELATED STORY: Tifany Adams waives right to preliminary hearing Tuesday began with Tifany Adams, Tad Cullum, and Cole Twombly going into the Texas County Courthouse for their preliminary hearings. The other two suspects in the case, Cora Twombly and Paul Grice, previously waived their right to a preliminary hearing. The district attorney filed a motion to have them testify at the preliminary hearings. On Tuesday about 20 minutes after Adams arrived, she was escorted out and driven away in a patrol car. Adams waived the right to a preliminary hearing and a speedy trial. Her defense team remained in the courtroom to listen to testimony. Adams is due back in court in April. The first day of the preliminary hearings was focused on testimony for Cora Twombly and Paul Grice. Cora testified in exchange for a plea agreement, the district attorney said that part of it is that Cora will plead guilty to first-degree murder and conspiring to commit murder and will testify about what she knew of the crimes. By doing so, the DA would recommend a life sentence with all of it suspended, except for 30 years. In her testimony she said part of her plea agreement is to protect her daughter, saying that if she testified, her daughter would not have to. Her testimony focused on the relationship between the suspects and the group they created called God’s Misfits, which mixed politics and religion. Cora Twombly told the court that many of the suspects grew up together in the same area of Oklahoma between Keyes and Boise City. She said she and her husband, Cole Twombly, were watching videos and learning about their constitutional rights when Paul Grice came by to buy a puppy and joined their conversation. Adams and Cullum later joined the group. Cora says that she and Adams began to bond over their children’s struggles with addiction. Adams also focused on her grandchildren’s welfare and her fear of them being abused. Cora said that, over time, conversations turned to how to get rid of Veronica Butler because Adams did not have enough money to continue fighting for custody. She testified that a first attempt on Butler’s life was going to be on Butler’s birthday, but it did not happen. The group came up with a new plan that was carried out Easter weekend. Twombly also testified about the day of the murders. She said that she pulled off on the side of the road and could see two people running between Butler’s car and a trailer. She did not specify who that was, but later said she could see Paul Grice and Butler struggling on the ground. She claims she saw Grice’s arm moving up and down. She did not see a knife, but believes Grice was stabbing Butler. RELATED STORY: Probable cause of death released in Texas County murder case Twombly also said the group knew a court-appointed supervisor would be with Butler. She was asked how she felt about it being Jilian Kelley. She said that the group wasn’t necessarily OK with it, but that Kelley was helping Butler, and so, by association, she had to be killed. Cora says she had a conversation with Grice and he told her he killed both Butler and Kelley. He said he killed Kelley in the trailer, while on the way to the burial site. In her testimony, she also claimed her husband Cole Twombly did not know about the plan until the week before because Adams didn’t want him involved because he was known to drink and was scared the word would get around. Cora’s testimony wrapped up Tuesday afternoon. After lunch, law enforcement officers were seen leading Grice into the courthouse. He took the stand and explained his side of the story. In his testimony, he said the group started as a religious group, then it evolved to political discussions. God’s Misfits allegedly contained about 15 people, but four of them, Adams, Cullum, Cora, and Grice, were a subgroup and the others were not involved in the planning or the murders of Kelley and Butler. He said Adams shared the grandchildren were being sexually and physically abused by one of Butler’s family members. Grice said he was abused as a child, so he bonded with Adams. Grice said that Adams used bible verses and took them out of context, which he fell for. He also said that he did not have any proof of the abuse and that it was his fault for not asking for more proof. However, the people accused of the allegations were minors, so the court documents would have been sealed. Grice also said he lied to the group saying he killed someone before when he was in another group where they protected abused children. He said the first time Adams asked him if he would help kill Butler, he told her he would think about it. When asked again, he said that the narrative had grown and agreed to it. In his testimony, Grice said that he felt like he was set up to kill both Butler and Kelley. He said that he stabbed Butler first and then was in the back of the trailer with the women’s bodies being driven to the burial site. He said he panicked because Kelley’s eyes started to flutter and he couldn’t tell if she was alive or if it was the bumpy roads. He said he thought about how scared she would be if they put her in the freezer alive, so if she woke up, he decided that he would stab her. Another thing that Grice stated in his testimony was that after he killed Butler and they were sitting in the middle of a dirt road, Adams walked around and laughed in a way that he had never heard before. He described it as evil. Grice also took a plea deal. He said that was to avoid the death penalty. Subpoenas are also giving an idea of who else may speak during the rest of the hearing. This includes an employee of Big R Standard Supply. Court documents say that is where Adams bought five stun guns before the murders of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley. The medical examiner’s report noted possible stun gun marks on both women and that a stun gun was found underneath the buried freezer the women were found in. Another person subpoenaed is Jamie Beasley, the property owner where the bodies were dug up.  RELATED STORY: Autopsy reports reveal gruesome details in Texas County double murder; two defendants turn to state witnesses Court documents say prepaid phones, bought by Adams, last transmitted a signal near the Twombly’s home and the Beasley’s property. These preliminary hearings give prosecutors a chance to lay out evidence and for a judge to decide if there is enough to go to trial. On Wednesday, suspects Cullum and Cole Twombly returned to the Texas County Courthouse for their preliminary hearings. Grice also returned to continue testifying about the murders. However, shortly after the hearing began, Cole Twombly was escorted out of the courthouse. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing and to a speedy trial. He is due back in court in May. Cullum remains in the courthouse. The morning started with a cross examination of Paul Grice by Cullum's attorneys. A major topic was whether or not Paul Grice is taking responsibility for the death of Jilian Kelley. Paul said that he did stab her, but is not admitting to being the one who killed her. He said he can't be for sure that she was not dead in the trailer and brought up again how her eyes were fluttering, so he stabbed her. He added that Kelley did not fight back. Cullum's attorney said that according to the medical examiner's report that cut wounds from Grice paralyzed Kelley from the neck down, which would be why she did not fight back. Cullum's attorney and Grice continued to argue back and forth about who killed Kelley. Cullum's attorney argues the only wounds Kelley had were from the knife Grice used to kill Butler. Grice also stated that those facts haunt him and that he's had a hard time sleeping. Another topic discussed was Grice admitted to lying in his first two interviews with OSBI. He said he may have been drunk during the first interview because he was drinking a lot during that time. He also said he told his wife about the murders after they happened. Cullum's attorney asked if there was any agreement that his wife wouldn't be charged or have to testify. Grice said there has not been a discussion in regards to that and the only agreement is about potentially getting rid of the death penatly. This afternoon, Jamie Beasley, the property owner of where Butler and Kelley were buried is speaking. The hearings are now expected to possibly end Wednesday.
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