Autopsy reports reveal gruesome details in Texas County double murder; two defendants turn to state witnesses

TEXAS COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — The full medical examiner reports for both Kansas women murdered in Texas County have now been released.

Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley were brutally murdered last March.

The two were heading to see Butler's children for a supervised visit, when they vanished. Their bodies were found in a freezer buried in the ground two weeks later.

Butler was involved in a bitter custody battle with Tifany Adams, the paternal grandmother of her children.

Adams, along with four others are accused of brutally murdering the two women, all members of an anti-government group called God's Misfits.

Butler's autopsy was released today, this comes after the judge denied a request by the defense to keep them sealed.

The report says Butler suffered 30 sharp force injuries; she was stabbed nine times, many to her head and neck.

It says there was also evidence Butler tried to fight off her attackers.

"Including her having grabbed the knife blade with her right hand, resulting in her fingers being sliced multiple times," the report states.

Jilian Kelley's report was mistakenly released early a few weeks ago by the medical examiner. She was also stabbed.

Both Kelley and Butler also had possible stun gun marks.

The reports state both their dead bodies were put inside a freezer and buried, along with evidence of the crime.

There's been a recent twist in the case, two of the defendants waived their right to a preliminary hearing.

New court filings show Paul Grice and Cora Twombly are now endorsed as state witnesses and will be called to testify during the preliminary hearing next month for the three other defendants.

News 4 spoke with a legal expert about what this move may mean.

"I believe did it because they had worked out a deal with the prosecution and that deal would be to testify and then in the end I'm sure for the prosecution to take the death penalty off the table and let them plead to life or something like it," said Ed Blau, legal expert.

Court documents from September allege that Paul Grice stabbed and killed Butler, Tad Cullum killed Kelley, the Twombly's acted as lookouts and Adams purchased several supplies and "hated and despised Butler and wanted her dead."

Adams, Cullum and Cole Twombly's preliminary hearings are set to begin December 17.

All three are facing several charges including two counts of first degree murder.

The grandmother also faces two counts of child neglect.