Police quickly identified suspects in Kansas moms' killings

Allison Weiner and Rich Johnson

15 hours ago

(NewsNation) — It didn't take the Texas County, Oklahoma Sheriff's Office very long to identify suspects in the murders of two Kansas women in March, according to search warrants released Thursday.

The bodies of Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler were discovered in a chest freezer buried in a cow pasture, according to the documents. Butler and Kelley were on their way to a supervised visit between Butler and her children. Kelley was to be a court-mandated observer during the visit.

The children lived with their grandmother, Tifany Adams, who is one of five people being held on first-degree murder charges.

Authorities believe the killings stemmed from a bitter custody dispute between Kelley and Adams, the mother of the children's father.

The documents indicate that Adams had plotted to kill Butler for at least a month and even had surveillance of Butler's home in Hugoton, Kansas.

It was also revealed that the victims' phones were discovered in a van belonging to Cole Twombly, another suspect in the deaths. Investigators also found white cloth gloves and DNA evidence, according to the documents.

Investigators also seized a trailer used to transport horses or livestock from Twombly's property and discovered what may be blood stains inside the trailer.

Police believe the trailer was used to move the women from where their car was found to where their buried bodies were discovered.

The fifth suspect, Paul Grice, allegedly had suspicious conversations with friends in the days following the women's disappearance. In one, he asked someone if they knew anyone who could help him leave the country. He also wanted to know how long the DNA would last if buried 15 feet in the earth, according to the documents.

There are also conflicting stories about how Grice suffered a cut finger. He said it happened while he was working on his truck, but was seen at an Easter event with a bandage on his finger a day after the women were killed.

The documents also say numerous people came forward to tell authorities what they saw and heard in the days surrounding Kelley and Butler's deaths.