In a harrowing case of alleged murder and conspiracy, Amanda Verner, the mother of Veronica Butler, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against five individuals charged in Butler’s brutal killing. The lawsuit follows the discovery of Butler’s body, along with that of Jilian Kelley, in a buried freezer in an Oklahoma cow pasture.
Background
Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, vanished in March 2024 while Butler was on her way to pick up her two young children for a supervised visit. Kelley, who had court approval to accompany Butler, was also reported missing.
In April 2024, authorities uncovered their bodies in a chest freezer buried in a 12-foot-deep hole filled with dirt, cement, rocks, and equipment. The gruesome discovery led to the arrests of five individuals: Tifany Adams, her boyfriend Tad Bert Cullum, Paul Grice, Cora Twombly, and Cole Earl Twombly.
Allegations and Motive
The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Adams orchestrated Butler’s murder in a plot to gain control over Butler’s children. Adams allegedly enlisted the help of Cullum, Grice, and the Twomblys to carry out the crime. The murder plot stemmed from a bitter custody dispute between Butler and Adams’ son, who was in rehab at the time and has not been charged.
The lawsuit claims that Butler had been awarded full custody of her children in 2021 but lost it the following year after Adams falsely accused a relative of Butler of sexually assaulting the children. Adams was also accused of falsifying records to help her son obtain custody. Eventually, Butler was granted only supervised visitation.
As tensions escalated, Adams allegedly threatened the judge overseeing the custody case in February 2024. The court later discovered Adams’ falsification of custody records, leading to the likelihood that custody would soon be returned to Butler.
Execution of the Alleged Plot
According to the lawsuit, Adams purchased five stun guns and three prepaid phones, which she distributed to the co-defendants. On March 29, 2024, Adams contacted Butler, arranging for her to pick up the children. The following day, Butler and Kelley left Kansas to meet Adams.
As part of the ambush, Cole and Cora Twombly allegedly used their vehicle to block the road, diverting Butler and Kelley to a location where Adams and Cullum were waiting. The women were tasered, abducted, and transported to the cow pasture. A medical examiner’s report later revealed that Butler had been stabbed 30 times.
Legal Action and Compensation
Attorneys Tim Dollar and Jordan Dollar of Dollar, Burns, Becker & Hershewe represent the plaintiff in this case. The wrongful death lawsuit that has been filed seeks damages for medical and burial expenses, as well as mental pain and suffering. Read more about the case here.