Hugoton Moms’ Case Enters New Phase in Oklahoma Courts

In March 2024, news spread quickly after two Hugoton, Kansas mothers — Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley — vanished without a trace. Their disappearance prompted a large-scale investigation that drew both local and national attention. As law enforcement agencies from Kansas and Oklahoma worked the case, suspicion soon centered on Tiffany Adams of Keyes, Oklahoma.

Following a tip in mid-April, investigators made a grim discovery. On April 14, 2024, the two women were found deceased in rural Oklahoma. The finding shocked the region and sent ripples of heartbreak through southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Five individuals were later arrested in connection with the case, each facing charges related to the planning and execution of the crime.

The case has since been moving through the Oklahoma judicial system, where prosecutors have been methodical in compiling evidence. The proceedings have been closely followed by many Southwest Kansas communities, many of whom personally knew the victims and those accused. The tragedy has also drawn focus to the children and families left behind — whose lives were changed forever by the heinous events that unfolded on that rural road.

As court proceedings continued, developments emerged in late 2024 when Paul Grice and Cora Twombly waived their rights to a speedy trial and accepted plea agreements removing the death penalty in exchange for testimony during future prosecutions.

On October 15, 2025, Tiffany Adams entered a no-contest plea to the charges against her. While a no-contest plea does not serve as an admission of guilt, it allows sentencing to proceed, which is currently scheduled for January 28, 2026. The plea is expected to result in a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The State of Oklahoma continues to pursue the death penalty against the remaining two defendants, Cole Twombly and Tad Cullum, who appeared in the Texas County Courthouse on November 5, 2025, and entered pleas of not guilty. Cullum’s defense team has filed a motion to dismiss felony charges, citing what they called “insufficient evidence” of his participation in the conspiracy to commit murder. They also claim his involvement in moving the victims’ remains was done “under duress.”

During the same court session, it was petitioned to return personal items belonging to the victims to their families and to obtain access to recorded jail phone calls as potential trial evidence. The judge’s ruling on these matters is expected in early 2026 as the case continues through the courts.