Oklahoma Officials Suspect Foul Play After Two Women Fail To Pick Up Children

Oklahoma Officials Police foul play Two Women Failed to Arrive to Pick Up Their Kids

By Jackelyn Cornejo , Parent Herald Apr 04, 09:34 am

Photo: (Photo : David McNew/Getty Images)

Authorities in Oklahoma have expressed suspicion of "foul play" in the disappearance of two women from Kansas who failed to arrive to collect children last week.

Two Women Fails To Collect Children, Reported Missing

Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were traveling together to pick up children on Saturday, but they never reached the designated location, according to the Texas County Sheriff's Office. Instead, their vehicle was discovered abandoned near Highway 95 and Road L, south of Elkhart, Kansas, in rural Texas County.

According to the advisory, the women never reached the pickup location, and their vehicle was later discovered abandoned in a county in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, responsible for probing the case, announced that proof from the abandoned vehicle reveals the involvement of foul play. The bureau highlighted that the search for the missing women continues, and no arrests have been made thus far.

Although it remains unclear whose children the two women were intending to collect, it is presumed that Butler and Kelley were friends, as indicated by the state bureau.

Family members have revealed earlier in the week that Butler had been entangled in a challenging custody dispute. Court records indicate a custody case started in late March 2015 and ended almost a month later.

The OSBI is persuading anyone with added details to come forward and help in the investigation.

Oklahoma Officials Suspect Foul Play in Disappearance of Two Women

In a declaration, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) announced, "Based on the information obtained from the victim's vehicle, our investigators believe there was evidence to indicate foul play."

"We are still searching for these victims and there are no arrests at this time." Hunter McKee, the public information manager at OSBI, conveyed concern for the safety of the women declaring, "We believe they are in danger because we have not heard from them in, coming up on three days now."

The OSBI has restricted the circumstances as a "suspicious disappearance case" and is cooperating with the Texas County Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and other law enforcement agencies in the investigation.

Veronica Butler is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes, and she has various tattoos containing a Chinese symbol on her left forearm and a sunflower on her left shoulder.

Jilian Kelley has brown hair, blue eyes, and a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm. Her last observed attire consisted of a long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and tan or beige shoes.

Jilian Kelley is the spouse of Heath Kelley, the present pastor of Hugoton First Christian Church, who is set to become the new minister at Willow Christian Church in Indianola, Nebraska.

Willow Christian Church has arranged a time of prayer for the safe return of Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler.

Anyone holding details concerning the locations of the missing females is pressed to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation via email at tips@osbi.ok.gov or by phone at 1-800-522-8017.