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The two bodies that were recovered in rural Texas County in Oklahoma have been identified as the two missing Kansas moms who disappeared without a trace.
On Tuesday, the Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner (OSBI) announced that they had positively identified the two deceased persons from Texas County as 39-year-old Jilian Kelley and 27-year-old Veronica Butler.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones, along with everyone throughout their community,” the department said in a press release.
Butler and Kelley were last seen on March 30 heading to pick up children before their car was found abandoned near the Oklahoma-Kansas border, with foul play suspected, police said.
Veronica Butler, left, and Jilian Kelley were last seen Saturday while driving to pick up children, police say. (Oklahoma Highway Patrol)
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced on April 13 that Tad Bert Cullum, 43, Tifany Machel Adams, 54, Cole Earl Twombly, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, were taken into custody.
‘NO’ CHANCE MISSING KANSAS WOMEN ARE ALIVE, OKLAHOMA INVESTIGATORS SAY
All four of the suspects were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, OSBI said in a news release.
Adams, one of the women arrested, is reportedly the grandmother of Veronica Butler’s children.
Court records revealed that Adams was involved in a custody dispute with Butler’s children. The children’s father is in a rehabilitation facility.
The document said the custody battle involving Butler began in February 2019 “with many hearings and court appearances” and in the weeks leading up to her death, “motions were filed requesting extended visitation for Butler.”
Court records revealed that Veronica Butler was involved in a custody dispute with her children’s paternal grandmother, 54-year-old Tiffany Machel Adams. (Texas County Sheriff’s Office/Oklahoma Highway Patrol/Shutterstock)
Records showed that Butler was allowed supervised visits with her children.
Kelley was the court-ordered supervisor accompanying Butler to pick up her children on the morning of March 30 – the day the two moms disappeared.
The medical examiner will determine the manner of death.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.
