Foul play is suspected in the disappearance of two Kansas mothers, authorities announced Wednesday.
Law enforcement agencies investigating the suspicious disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley, both of Hugoton, Kansas, have found evidence of foul play inside their vehicle.
The two mothers were traveling together in the same vehicle from Elkhart, Kansas, to Eva, Oklahoma, to pick up Ms. Butler’s children the day before Easter. But they never made it to their destination, police said.
Instead, their vehicle was found abandoned in rural Texas County, south of Elkhart, Kansas. The remote location was three miles away from their destination and 45 miles away from where they were last seen.
“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,” the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) said in a statement.
Law enforcement agencies in both states are investigating the case.
On Saturday, the Texas County Sheriff’s Department requested that the OSBI assist in the search for the two missing mothers.
A missing persons alert was issued for the pair on March 30.
“They never made it to the pickup location. Their car was located abandoned on the side of the road,” the advisory states.
The abandoned vehicle was found a “a little south” of the Yarbrough School, a pre-K -12 school, according to a statement by School Superintendent Jim Wiggin.
Ms. Butler graduated from the school in 2015. It was placed on “locked-down status” on Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution.” The superintendent said it was necessary to impose additional safety measures on the campus since there were “too many unanswered questions” about their mysterious disappearance.
“Students will remain indoors throughout the day, all exterior doors will remain locked, classroom doors will be locked, additional monitoring will be in place, and access to the building by visitors will be limited,” Mr. Wiggins announced.
Ms. Butler is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts. She has several tattoos, including “a Chinese symbol on her left forearm and sunflower on her left shoulder,” the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) said.
Ms. Kelley was last seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt, white-washed blue jeans, and tan or beige shoes. She has brown hair and blue eyes and has a butterfly tattooed on her left forearm.
Her husband, Heath, works as a pastor at Hugoton First Christian Church but is set to become the new pastor at Willow Christian Church in Indianola, Nebraska.
“Please pray that Jillian and her friend Veronica are safe and that they are found quickly. God please bring these women home to their families that are so worried about them,” the church said in a Facebook post.
Details such as the condition of the abandoned car and the evidence inside the car that indicated foul play remain unknown.
OSBI, the Texas County Sheriff’s Office, OHP, and several other agencies are investigating their disappearance. Officials urge anyone with information about the case to contact the OSBI at [email protected] or 1-800-522-8017.
