Officials confirmed on Wednesday that another person has been arrested in connection with the tragic murder of two mothers in Oklahoma. This brings the total number of arrests to five in relation to this heinous crime.
Paul Grice, a 31-year-old man, has been taken into custody by the Texas County Jail. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced that he has been arrested on charges of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. This information was revealed in a press release by the bureau.
Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, went missing on March 30 during their journey from Kansas to pick up Butler’s children from a birthday party in Oklahoma. Their remains were discovered on April 14, following their last sighting together in a vehicle that was later found abandoned near a highway in a remote area of Texas County.
Four individuals have already been taken into custody and charged with murder in connection to the killings of the women. The suspects, namely Tad Bert Cullum (43), Tifany Machel Adams (54), Cole Earl Twombly (50), and Cora Twombly (44), were apprehended on April 14, according to the bureau’s statement.
According to an affidavit that has been unsealed, Adams is the grandmother on the father’s side of Butler’s children, and the two had been engaged in a custody dispute. The affidavit also states that Callum and Adams were in a romantic relationship.
Authorities have stated that the five suspects are members of an anti-government group known as “God’s Misfits.” The group frequently gathered at the Twomblys’ residence and other venues. Previously, there had been attempts on Butler’s life by the group, as reported by a teenage witness who spoke with investigators. The witness also implicated the group in the murders, according to the affidavit.
Last week, the judge entered not guilty pleas for all four suspects and denied them bond.
The courthouse was filled with the family members of the deceased as they confronted the alleged killers of Butler and Kelley. Bryson Butler, who is Veronica Butler’s younger brother, expressed his hope for justice to be served in an interview with CBS affiliate KFDA.
“Butler’s aunt expressed her disbelief, questioning how someone could harbor such intense hatred towards another person to the extent of wanting to take their life. She further emphasized the severity of the situation by highlighting the fact that this person was not only a target of hate, but also the mother of their own grandchildren.”