A bitter winter storm has temporarily sidelined a major Oklahoma murder case, forcing a delay in the sentencing of Tifany Adams, one of the defendants in the Texas County killings of two Kansas women. Adams had been set to learn her fate on Wednesday, Jan. 28, after entering a no-contest plea last fall, but her attorney cited dangerous travel conditions in the Oklahoma Panhandle and asked the court to move the hearing to Feb. 2. The judge agreed, leaving families and a closely watching community waiting one more week for formal punishment.
How the case unfolded
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley were reported missing on March 30, 2024, while driving to pick up Butler’s children. Investigators later discovered both women buried inside a chest freezer in a pasture in Texas County. Five people were ultimately arrested and charged, and court affidavits described a bitter custody dispute and alleged planning by members of a fringe group. Those details emerged through affidavits and early coverage, according to AP News.
Plea deal and sentencing
In October, Adams pleaded no-contest to two counts of first-degree murder and related charges. Prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty in exchange for her plea, according to KOCO. Under the agreement, Adams faces life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder counts, with her remaining terms to run concurrently. Her sentencing was initially set for Jan. 28, before the storm put travel and scheduling on ice.
Storm delays hearing; autopsy details
Adams’ attorney filed a motion on Monday asking the court to move the Jan. 28 hearing to Feb. 2 “due to inclement weather,” and Texas County District Judge Jon Parsley signed off on the change, according to ABC7 Amarillo. Earlier medical examiner reports and local coverage described a brutal scene, with both victims suffering blunt-force trauma and multiple stab wounds. Reporting summarized the autopsy findings as documenting extensive defensive injuries and sharp-force wounds consistent with a violent struggle. Local coverage noted that Butler sustained multiple stab wounds and numerous cuts as she tried to fight off the attack.
Where the other defendants stand
Two co-defendants, Tad Cullum and Cole Twombly, remain headed for trial, and prosecutors have formally notified the court that they will seek the death penalty against both men. Other suspects have reached plea deals and agreed to cooperate with the state, according to reporting by Fox News. That combination of capital notices, cooperating witnesses and overlapping pretrial motions has left the courts juggling multiple timelines and strategies in the months ahead.
What’s next
The rescheduled hearing is now set for Feb. 2, when the Texas County court is expected to reconvene, hear victim-impact material and impose the sentence outlined in Adams’ plea agreement unless new filings disrupt the calendar. Family members have publicly urged anyone with information to come forward, and civil lawsuits connected to the deaths are still moving forward alongside the criminal case, according to KOCO.
