(NewsNation) — A preliminary hearing was waived and two plea deals were announced Tuesday in the case of murdered Kansas mothers Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39.
Butler and Kelley were murdered earlier this year after they traveled from Hugoton, Kansas, to pick up Butler’s children in Oklahoma. Their bodies were found buried in a freezer in April, and an autopsy revealed that both women had been stabbed to death.
Police have been investigating their deaths and charged Tifany Adams, 54; Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; Cole Twombly, 50, and Paul Grice, 31, with kidnapping and first-degree murder.
Adams, Cullum, and Twombly went into the Texas County Courthouse on Tuesday for their preliminary hearings, NewsNation Kansas affiliate KSNW reported.
The other two suspects in the case, Twombly and Grice, previously waived their right to a preliminary hearing. The district attorney filed a motion to have them testify at the preliminary hearings.
Their testimony revealed details about what led up to the murders of Butler and Kelley.
Adams reportedly showed up, admitted guilt and has waived her right to a preliminary hearing and speedy trial. She is due back in court April 16.
Senior NewsNation producer Allison Weiner said Grice’s testimony was like nothing she’d ever seen before in court.
“It caused an eruption in court,” Weiner said on “Banfield.” “Paul Grice was on the stand, and he starts talking about how he actually murdered Veronica Butler. … He said that the light came out of her eyes, and he fell to the ground. And he said Grandma Tifany (Adams) was walking around in a circle laughing.”
She said the whole courtroom was “sobbing” and that it got so loud that the judge stopped the proceedings.
