Tifany Adams Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Butler, Kelley Murders

A Texas County judge sentenced Tifany Adams to life in prison without the possibility of parole after she pleaded no contest to charges tied to the deaths of Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley. The sentencing in Texas County District Court 2 on Feb. 2 finalized a case prosecutors say grew out of a custody dispute over Butler’s children.

Adams entered a no-contest plea in October 2025, a plea deal that removed the death penalty as a possible sentence. The court imposed two life-without-parole sentences for first-degree murder and additional prison terms for other counts that will be served concurrently; Adams was granted credit for time already served, ordered to pay court costs, and will serve her sentence under the supervision of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and two counts of child neglect as part of the agreement, and they are not requiring Adams to testify in the cases of other defendants.

Authorities say Butler and Kelley were reported missing on March 30, 2024 after traveling from Kansas into rural Oklahoma. Their vehicle was found the same day along a rural highway with what investigators described as ample evidence of a bloody confrontation. Investigators located the women’s bodies two weeks later; court filings and reporting indicate the remains were found buried on rural property in Texas County, with one account saying they were inside a freezer that had been buried.

Family members have responded to the sentence with relief and heartbreak. Butler’s family said, “As a family, we are absolutely pleased with today’s outcome.” Ladonna Thompson, Butler’s aunt, described the motive in blunt terms: “Tifany's thing was, she hated Veronica; she wanted her out of her life, she wanted her gone, so that she could raise her grandchildren, and the only way to do that, was to eliminate her. Jillian was just along for the ride when they were headed to pick up the children for a birthday party.”

Four other people remain involved in separate prosecutions: Paul Grice, Cora Twombly, Tad Cullum, and Cole Twombly. Paul Grice and Cora Twombly have testified for the state and reached plea agreements. Tad Cullum and Cole Twombly pleaded not guilty and face prosecution; prosecutors have filed paperwork seeking the death penalty for those two defendants.

Beyond the legal outcomes, the case casts a long shadow over local systems that serve families in crisis. The killings and the involvement of young children underscore a need for coordinated response among child welfare, mental health, and law enforcement agencies to prevent intimate-family violence and to protect children during custody disputes. For Texas County residents, the sentence brings accountability in one chapter while underscoring unresolved questions about how family conflicts escalate to lethal violence and what supports are needed to keep children and parents safe. Trials for the remaining defendants will determine the next legal steps, and community leaders say attention to mental health services and child-safety protocols will be crucial as families and neighbors work to heal.