Veronica Butler, Jilian Kelley: Kansas women missing on school run, suspected to have been shot dead

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

TEXAS COUNTY, OKLAHOMA: New details have emerged about the two missing Kansas women, Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, who were reportedly shot after their car was mysteriously found abandoned on the side of the road in Oklahoma.

Puddles of blood were discovered outside the vehicle the women were traveling in to pick up Butler's children, ages 6 and 8, on March 30 as Daily Mail, reported.

On Wednesday, April 3, investigators revealed that they had uncovered evidence suggesting foul play in the investigation of the two women's disappearance.

New details emerged in the missing case of two Kansas women

According to Daily Mail, Veronica Butler, who is currently missing, is going through a contentious divorce and custody battle with her husband, Wrangler Cole Rickman. The children were staying with her ex-husband's mother during this time.

Jilian Kelley, the other missing woman, is described as more of an acquaintance than a friend of Butler's. She is the wife of a pastor and allegedly oversees Butler's visitations with her children.

Ten days before their disappearance, on March 20, Butler filed a petition in court seeking more time with her children, with the ultimate goal of obtaining full custody. 

Court documents indicated tension between Butler and the children's grandmother amid the ongoing custody battle.

Butler has court-mandated visits with her children every Saturday, with Kelley being one of four supervisors listed for these visits. The visit on the day they went missing was intended to celebrate Butler's 6-year-old daughter's birthday. 

They had driven from Hugoton to a gas station in Eva, near the Four Corners area of Oklahoma, but disappeared with the car being found just three miles from their intended meeting point.

Several pools of blood were discovered near the vehicle in the desolate Oklahoma panhandle. The car was located 1,000 feet off Oklahoma State Highway 95, near a school Butler graduated from in 2015.

What did the OSBI report amid the disappearance of two women

Authorities continue their search for evidence of foul play but have not yet conducted a large-scale search, and hope is dwindling.

Hunter McKee, the Public Information Manager for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, stated on Tuesday, "It's been over a week. We are hopeful that we can find them alive, but obviously it's becoming more and more challenging."

Veronica Butler, described as 5 feet 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes, has several tattoos including a Chinese symbol on her left forearm and a sunflower on her left shoulder. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt, denim shorts, and lightweight shoes by the brand Hey Dudes.

Jilian Kelley, also from Hugoton, Kansas, was last seen on Saturday with Butler. She is depicted in the missing person flyer with blonde hair, though her hair color is now brown, and she has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm. She is believed to be wearing a long-sleeve shirt, white-washed blue jeans, and tan beige shoes.

The case remains under investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the FBI.

If individuals have information regarding the missing women are urged to contact the OSBI at 1-800-522-8017 or via email at tips@osbi.ok.gov.

Internet labels the search for the missing women as a 'sad story'

After learning about the new details surrounding the disappearance of the Kansas mothers, many expressed their condolences, while some reactions reflected a lack of hope in finding the mothers.

One claimed, “A terribly sad story. If you took drugs, money and love out of tbe equation our prisons would be half empty!!!”

Another assumed, “Sadly this will not have a happy ending. RIP.”

A user wrote, “Horrible. Not the answer under any circumstances. Some people are too violent to even have visitation with their children.”

Another user questioned. “This is very sad.  Have they searched the estranged husband house and vehicle?”

One user suggested, “Obvious suspects are the ex and his mother. Police need to do their job."

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