KANSAS (LOOTPRESS) – The mother of a Kansas woman found dead in a buried freezer has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the five people charged in her murder, including the grandmother of her children.
Amanda Verner filed the 32-page lawsuit on Monday, nearly a year after the bodies of her daughter, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were discovered in Oklahoma.
Murder Tied to Custody Dispute
Butler and Kelley went missing in March 2024 after Butler left to pick up her two children for a court-approved supervised visit. Kelley was approved by the court to accompany her. In April 2024, their bodies were found inside a chest freezer, buried in a 12-foot-deep hole filled with cement, rocks, and dirt.
Five individuals were arrested and charged with murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and kidnapping:
- Tifany Adams, the grandmother of Butler’s children
- Tad Bert Cullum, Adams’ boyfriend
- Paul Grice
- Cora Twombly
- Cole Earl Twombly
The lawsuit alleges Adams orchestrated the murder to gain full control of Butler’s children and enlisted the other defendants to help carry out the plot. The custody dispute had been ongoing since 2021, when Butler was initially awarded full custody. The following year, Adams allegedly falsified records to help her son gain custody, leading to Butler receiving only supervised visits.
The lawsuit claims that by February 2024, Adams had begun threatening the judge handling the case, fearing that custody would soon be returned to Butler.
Alleged Murder Plot
According to the lawsuit, Adams purchased five stun guns and three prepaid phones to distribute among the suspects. On March 29, 2024, she contacted Butler to arrange a meeting for her to pick up her children.
When Butler and Kelley left Kansas the next day to meet Adams, they were allegedly ambushed by Cole and Cora Twombly, who blocked the road with their vehicle, diverting them to an area where Adams and Cullum were waiting. The lawsuit states the women were tasered, abducted, and taken to the cow pasture where they were killed.
A medical examiner’s report confirmed that Butler had been stabbed 30 times.
Lawsuit Seeks Damages
Verner is seeking damages for medical and burial expenses, as well as mental pain and anguish. The lawsuit accuses Adams of manipulating the custody system and fabricating abuse allegations to take Butler’s children from her.
The case remains under investigation as the criminal proceedings against the five defendants continue.
