OK OK, Veronica Butler 27 & Jilian Kelley 39, Vehicle Abandoned, Texas County, 30 Mar 2024

[Knox]

I'm thinking like everyone else here ? Would it make more sense that some type of farming vehicle was used in the taking of the Moms, so not to get any attention from a passerby ? It wouldn't look out of place where they were and had plenty of time to get rid of them or hide them . This is horrible !!!

Lots of horse/stock trailers in that part of the country, or if someone were let’s say a truck driver. Access to many types of hauling methods and a reason to be on the road.

 

[Knox]

Right. And I play this scenario through my mind in various ways. But in every instance, the glass was undoubtedly shattered from the outside in. From there the perpetrator would need to reach inside and unlock the door and extract the victim. Close contact with the vehicle would be a certainty.

Both women had phones. Neither one had a chance to call for help? Do we know if there is cell service in that area?

 

[MassGuy]

Both women had phones. Neither one had a chance to call for help? Do we know if there is cell service in that area?

The Newsnation reporter reported that her cell phone signal was in and out when she was in the area.

 

[mrjitty]

One more thing…
This is nagging at me- let’s say it’s premeditated and the scene of the crime is where the car was found.
There’s enough evidence to suggest foul play. Why even bother with moving the bodies? Risk is exponentially higher.
The cost/benefit ratio of moving TWO bodies only checks out if the plan to leave the car intact with no evidence of foul play was executed flawlessly.

this is a great point and illustrates why non professional killers mess up when they stage the crime scene.

if there is no link between killer and victim then there is no reason to stage unless to conceal forensics.

staging often unintentionally demonstrates that there is a relationship which the stager seeks to conceal.

 

[Ksfarmer8]

Looks like a cell tower about 1/2 mi north of the abandoned car location but may be the wrong company.

 

[Trino]

The only time authorities don’t ask for help is when they don’t need it. They must have their answer and are waiting for the kidnapper or murderer to make a wrong play or for the women to reveal themselves somehow.

Doubtful that OSBI is just sitting on their laurels. This is day 7. I don't think the women are coming home.

 

[Ladyotm]

Perhaps the husband knew all the background and was already concerned for his wife's safety?

He could have been monitoring their location through Google maps or some other gps software on the phone. Maybe he saw the car had been stopped for a while. I can't imagine these women's family and friends anxiety and fear right now.

Has their been any word on where the children are at now? Are they still with the grandma?

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Missing southwest Kansas women update: OSBI says it's a challenging case

OSBI gives the latest updates on the case of two missing women from south west Kansas and why this investigation is tricky.

www.kake.com

(KAKE) - New video a viewer sent KAKE News shows the scene where the abandoned car was found that Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley were last seen in.

Derek Releford was driving to the grocery store when he passed it. It shows dozens of law enforcement officers on the side of the road looking around.

"We saw the abandoned car with doors open and police presence on the other side of the road," said Derek Releford when talking about what he saw when coming across it.

*****

 

[azure]

I read the most recent document related to their custody battle. I don’t think the term “supervised” applies. Both parents had to meet the same requirements like keeping to a prearranged visitation schedule, etc.

OSCN Case Details

Unfortunately this isn't the most recent document, but the most recent document has been removed from public access and cannot be discussed.

 

[azure]

Agreed.
Do you think it was a tactic to not refer to them as victims until days later?
I think they knew right away, but waited for DNA analysis or some form of forensic testing to confirm.
The fact that the husband showed up at the scene by 10:30 makes me think there was enough activity for everyone to know this was targeted.

I think rumors about the blood at the scene were so rampant on social media that the OSBI was forced to disclose that to the public. I don't think it's a tactic. I think the tactic at play is to release as little info as possible until arrests are made.

 

[Megnut]

Missing southwest Kansas women update: OSBI says it's a challenging case

OSBI gives the latest updates on the case of two missing women from south west Kansas and why this investigation is tricky.

www.kake.com

(KAKE) - New video a viewer sent KAKE News shows the scene where the abandoned car was found that Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley were last seen in.

Derek Releford was driving to the grocery store when he passed it. It shows dozens of law enforcement officers on the side of the road looking around.

"We saw the abandoned car with doors open and police presence on the other side of the road," said Derek Releford when talking about what he saw when coming across it.

*****

Video at link. Barren location, impressive response.

Screenshot 1:14 shows only the one dark car, presumably the vehicle in which the women were traveling.

LE says the suspect foul play due to what was found in and around the vehicle. I wonder if that means broken glass which, I should think, would be enough to classify it as suspicious for foul play. But other things come to mind too. Footprints, tire tracks, blood... moo

 

[Cecelia]

And with that, the potential to cut oneself.

Re: Perp(s) reaching in through shattered window and cutting him or herself, that's unlikely due to the safety glass car windows are made of nowadays. Not saying it couldn't possibly have happened, but any late-model vehicle would have that type of glass, that breaks up into little pebbles rather than sharp, jagged edges.

 

[Trino]

Re: Perp(s) reaching in through shattered window and cutting him or herself, that's unlikely due to the safety glass car windows are made of nowadays. Not saying it couldn't possibly have happened, but any late-model vehicle would have that type of glass, that breaks up into little pebbles rather than sharp, jagged edges.

All it takes to smash a window is a tyre arm. Stand back. Smash window. No cuts with safety glass. Why would the women just sit in a vehicle while a window was being smashed?

 

[Skittles81]

The general assumption seems to be that BOTH women are victims. Another possibility is one disappeared on purpose and did something to the other.

 

[shefner]

Video at link. Barren location, impressive response.

Screenshot 1:14 shows only the one dark car, presumably the vehicle in which the women were traveling.

LE says the suspect foul play due to what was found in and around the vehicle. I wonder if that means broken glass which, I should think, would be enough to classify it as suspicious for foul play. But other things come to mind too. Footprints, tire tracks, blood... moo

I still can’t wrap my mind around what would cause these ladies to stop in this location, unless something happened elsewhere and the vehicle was moved.

I wonder what alerted authorities to the scene? They were already present when the relatives arrived. Was it a passerby that saw the car and reported it? Did the relatives themselves call authorities to report they had lost contact with the women? Did a social worker receive a call from the children’s guardian that the women failed to show at their appointed designation? This is one piece to the puzzle that would be helpful to know.

 

[loveisthemovement]

If the father of VB's children was in prison until 2 weeks ago, how could he still have custody?

 

[mst]

All it takes to smash a window is a tyre arm. Stand back. Smash window. No cuts with safety glass. Why would the women just sit in a vehicle while a window was being smashed?

I wondered the same. Why not floor it?

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

IIRC wasn’t there supposedly a last minute change to the prearranged meeting point? And if so, perhaps that new location was deemed out of cell tower range by the perpetrator(s)? And if the car is closer to the arranged location, that seems to suggest the car was later dropped at its location? After whatever had transpired?

Also….. with the absence of the two women if there is no recovery of them or their remains, that could complicate determining their condition or the manner of death if they have met an ill fate. MOO

 

[Cecelia]

I wondered the same. Why not floor it?

Perp's vehicle may have been blocking the road. The driver (which of the two was driving?) may have been incapacitated by gunshot or by other means. Maybe the kids were present (please God let's hope not) and the women didn't want to hurt or traumatize them. Maybe the perp(s) disabled the car in a way we haven't been told yet, such as puncturing the tires. Any number of possible reasons.

 

[Deepinthought52]

Could TA have called 911?

Would there be a public record of that?