Oklahoma prosecutors charge fifth member of anti-government group in murders of Kansas women

GUYMON, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma prosecutors charged a fifth member of an anti-government group Wednesday with killing and kidnapping two Kansas women.

Paul Jeremiah Grice, 31, was charged in Texas County with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder.

Grice told an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent that he participated in the murder and burial of Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, according to an arrest affidavit filed in the case.

Grice is being held without bond at the Texas County Detention Center in Guymon, a jail official said. Court and jail records do not indicate whether Grice has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Another four have been charged in connection with the deaths and are being held without bail: Tifany Adams, 54, and her boyfriend, Tad Cullum, 43, of Keyes, and Cole, 50, and Cora Twombly, 44, of Texhoma, Oklahoma.

Butler and Kelley disappeared on March 30 while driving to pick up Butler’s two children for a birthday party. Adams, who is the children’s grandmother, was in a bitter custody dispute with Butler, who was only allowed supervised visits with the children on Saturdays. Kelley was allowed to supervise the visits, according to testimony.

A witness who spoke with agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said all five suspects were part of “an anti-government group that had a religious affiliation,” according to the affidavit. Investigators discovered that the group called themselves “God’s Misfits” and held regular meetings at the home of the Twomblys and another couple.