Missing Kansas mom found stuffed in freezer in cow pasture suffered 30 stab and cut wounds

A Kansas mother who went missing earlier this year has been found stabbed to death in a freezer buried in a cow pasture in the Oklahoma panhandle, according to local authorities.

The victim, 27-year-old Veronica Butler died from sharp force trauma and had 30 wounds, including 10 defense wounds, according to a report from the state medical examiner's office. The remains of both Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley, a court supervisor in a children’s custody case found in Texas County, Oklahoma were found on April 14 less than 10 miles from where they vanished less than a month earlier, according to an affidavit filed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

According to the medical examiner's report Butler had likely already been dead when she was placed in the freezer and buried. She also had a laceration on her forehead consistent with getting hit with a stun gun.

"Given the extent of Ms. Butler’s injuries, including defects to both of her internal jugular veins with resultant exsanguination, it is my opinion that her death was very quick and likely occurred before she was placed inside the freezer and buried," a report obtained by KOKH said. "This opinion is additionally supported by the fact that her body appeared to have remained exactly how it was placed inside the freezer."

Five people have since been charged in the kidnapping and murder of the two women including Tifany Adams; Adams’ boyfriend, Tad Bert Cullum; Cole Earl Twombly; Cora Twombly; and Paul Grice. They are all charged with murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and kidnapping. Four of the five defendants are being represented by the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, NBC News reported.

The property where the two women were found was being rented by one of the defendants Tad Bert Cullum, for cattle grazing, the outlet reported. According to the arrest affidavit Butler and Adams were involved in a child custody dispute that started in 2019. Adams is the mother of the child's father.

Butler's lawyer told the State Bureau of Investigation during a hearing on April 17 that she had previously requested extended visitation prior to her death. Her attorney added that she was likely to have gotten unsupervised visitation rights in the case, according to court records. The child's father had also reportedly told the state bureau that Adams would often withhold custody of his children, despite him having legal custody of them, according to court documents.

Butler had reportedly planned to take her daughter to a birthday party the day of her disappearance.