Crime Alert 03.13.24

The cause of death for two Kansas mothers who went missing in early April has been revealed. Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelly disappeared while driving to pick up Butler’s children for a birthday party. Butler had been involved in a years-long custody battle with the children’s father, and Kelly was acting as a court-appointed supervised visitation agent. When the women missed the party and failed to return home as planned, Kelly’s pastor husband and a friend went looking for them. Just three miles from the women’s destination in Eva, Oklahoma, the men saw law enforcement surrounding Butler’s abandoned blue Kia on the side of the road. In a court filing, prosecutors revealed that both Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelly were stabbed to death. They allege the women were attacked just outside Butler’s car, and their bodies were transported 8 ½ miles away to a 10-foot-deep hole that had been dug the day before. The defendants reportedly stuffed Butler and Kelly’s bodies into a chest freezer, along with incriminating evidence, then lowered the freezer into the hole and refilled it. Police stated that the murders were meticulously planned by five suspects, with the ringleader reportedly being the paternal grandmother of Veronica Butler’s children. The suspects are identified as Tifany Adams, 54; Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; Cole Twombly, 50; and Paul Grice, 31. Prosecutors now allege that Paul Grice stabbed Butler to death, injuring his hand in the process, while Tad Cullum stabbed Kelly. Investigators have not revealed whether the women were killed simultaneously or one after the other, but only one knife was recovered from the burial site. Accessories for the K-bar knife were found at Tad Cullum’s home. The court filing details the roles of the five defendants. Prosecutors claim Cole and Cora Twombly acted as lookouts and blocked the road, diverting the women to where Tad Cullum and Paul Grice were waiting. Cullum and Grice then stabbed each of the women to death and changed out of their bloody clothes. The bodies, weapons, and bloody clothes were placed in the chest freezer, which Grice transported to the hole Cullum had dug the day before. Cullum then buried the freezer and the evidence. The motive is believed to be related to the custody of the children. Joining Nancy Grace today:  Mark Tate - Trial Lawyer, The Tate Law Group (sued opioid makers) Dr. Bethany Marshall – Psychoanalyst, Author – “Deal Breaker,”  featured in hit show: “Paris in Love” on Peacock;, Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Chris McDonough  – Director at the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective; Host of YouTube channel: “The Interview Room” Dr. Kendall Crowns – Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth) and Lecturer: University of Texas Austin and Texas Christian University Medical School Annette Lawless - Kansas Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newlywed nurse is killed on her way to first day back at work. Garbage truck driver rescues shooting victim.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Combs is back in the Metropolitan Detention Center after U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter denied his appeal of the remand order. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky initially denied bail for the rapper on Tuesday, stating that Combs posed a danger and quoting, "I don’t know that you can trust yourself not to harm people." In the appeal for monitored house arrest, Combs' attorney described the conditions at the Brooklyn facility as "horrific" and "not fit for pre-trial detention." The defense proposed that Combs live alone at his Florida home, monitored by a 24/7 security team. Combs offered to relinquish access to his cell phone and the internet. The defense also suggested travel restrictions, noting that Combs had already surrendered his passport to his attorneys months ago. His attorney also holds the passports of Combs' mother and dependent children. The proposed travel limits would confine Combs to the Southern District of New York and the Southern District of Florida, where he resides and has necessary medical appointments, details of which would be submitted under seal. Attorney Marc Agnifilo’s amended bail package proposed no communication with women outside of direct family members and the mothers of his children, as well as no contact with known grand jury witnesses, specifically referencing "Victim 1," Cassandra Ventura. The proposal also included the use of a private intelligence agency to monitor Combs 24/7, ensure he has no access to a cell phone or the internet, administer weekly drug tests, and maintain a daily visitors log. In the end, Judge Andrew Carter, Jr. agreed with Judge Robyn Tarnofsky, stating that "there is no condition or combination of conditions to ensure he will not obstruct justice or tamper with witnesses." Sean Combs remains in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until his trial. JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY:  Tim Jansen – Criminal Defense Lawyer and Former Federal Prosecutor; Legal Analyst for Tallahassee Democrat’s Newspaper Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author - "Deal Breaker,"  featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock;, Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Irv Brandt – Senior Inspector, US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch; Chief Inspector, DOJ Office of International Affairs, US Embassy Kingston, Jamaica; Author: “SOLO SHOT: CURSE OF THE BLUE STONE” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON IN JANUARY; ALSO “FLYING SOLO: Top of the World;” X: @JackSoloAuthor Lynn Shaw – Founder and Executive Director of Lynn’s Warriors Sydney Sumner - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter Angelica Martinez-Servigna  - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Man crashes through the bar he just left, injuring 30 people. Chicago cops are cowboys for a day.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nine-year-old Asha Degree and her brother were sent to bed around 7 p.m., an hour earlier than usual, after the family home lost power. Their father, Harold, checked on them when he returned from work at midnight. When their mother, Iquilla, went to wake the children, Asha was gone. Iquilla and Harold searched their home frantically for her. Iquilla then knocked on a neighbor’s door and called Harold’s mother and sister. No one had seen Asha. Harold called 911 at 6:30 a.m. Police arrived 10 minutes later. By 8 a.m., nearly 100 volunteers were searching door-to-door and conducting grid searches. Authorities believe the 4th grader left home just before dawn. Witnesses saw Asha walking along Highway 18 in Shelby, North Carolina, a few miles from her home. A tipster reported that she may have gotten into a car. More than a year later, Asha's backpack, which she had packed with her favorite outfits, was found at a construction site 30 miles away. That was 24 years ago. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office has now confirmed that a recent search at 621 Cherryville Road is connected to Asha Degree. Nearly 50 investigators from the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, the FBI's Evidence Response Team, and North Carolina SBI agents spent two days at the site with K9s. Several items of interest were seized for testing, including a green four-door sedan with rusted wheel wells, similar to the car the FBI had been seeking. Joining Nancy Grace today:  Kathleen Murphy - Raleigh, North Carolina, Attorney at  Mark Davis  - Former Sergeant Supervisor in Patrol Division with Cleveland Co. Sheriff Office Caryn L. Stark – Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych/FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Rick Shaffer - Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Donnie Peeler and Dale Champion - Hosts of "Crack House Chronicles" True Crime Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Man lures dates home on the premise he's a bartender, then drugs them. Woman doesn't remember trying to steal an occupied casket! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is behind bars and in court following his arrest late Monday in Manhattan. A federal grand jury indicted Combs on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated at a press conference that prosecutors will seek to detain Combs without bail. Williams indicated that the investigation is ongoing, saying, "We are not done," and did not rule out additional charges against Combs or others. In a detention memo filed with the court, prosecutors described Combs as “a serious risk of flight,” “a significant risk of obstructing justice,” and “a danger to the community.” The memo details Combs' alleged use of violence, threats, and coercion since at least 2008 to exert control. It claims that Combs and a co-conspirator kidnapped someone at gunpoint on December 22, 2011, to facilitate breaking into another person's residence, identified as Individual-1. Prosecutors expect testimony from “multiple witnesses” and police reports to support the allegations. JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY: Neama Rahmani – Former Federal Prosecutor-turned-Trial Attorney; Author: “Harvard to Hashtag;” INSTAGRAM: @Neamarahmani/ X: @[email protected] Kelly Hyman – Trial & Civil Attorney (Miami, FL); TV Legal Analyst; Author: “Build Back Better;” X: @kellyhyman1, TikTok: @kelly.hyman, Instagram: @Kelly_Hyman1 Caryn L. Stark – Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych/FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Chris McDonough  – Director at the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective; Host of YouTube channel: “The Interview Room” Lynn Shaw – Founder and Executive Director of Lynn’s Warriors Sydney Sumner - Crime Online investigative reporter Angelica Martinez-Servigna -  Crime Online investigative reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Homeowner beats 9-year-old after siccing 100-pound Rottweiler on her. K9 Bronco chases down naked suspect! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The search is over. Human remains found by a hunter have been identified as Elijah Vue. Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Miennert described the discovery of the 3-year-old’s body, saying, "The remains were found on private property by someone preparing his land for hunting season. The area was thickly wooded, with heavy underbrush, just north of Manitou. This location is just over three miles northwest of where he was originally reported missing." He added that the area had been searched multiple times by law enforcement, private searchers, the landowner, aerial teams, and various search and rescue teams. The remains were found just three miles from where the boy disappeared, near a home where his mother, Katrina Baur, used to live. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Darryl Cohen – Former Assistant District Attorney (Fulton County, Georgia) Former Assistant State Attorney (Florida), and Defense Attorney: Cohen, Cooper, Estep, & Allen, LLC; Facebook: “Darryl B Cohen;” X: @DarrylBCohen Caryn L. Stark – Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych/FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice   Bill Daly – Former FBI Investigator and Forensic Photography, Security Expert Dr. Erin H. Kimmerle, Ph.D. – Forensic Anthropologist, Director of the FL Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science at the University of South Florida;  Author: “Skeletal Trauma: Identification of Skeletal Injuries Resulting from Human Rights Abuse and Armed Conflict;” Instagram: @erin.kimmerle Brittany Schmidt - Reporter/Anchor Action 2 News - WBAY-TV in Wisconsin; FB: Brittany Schmidt WBAY/X: Britschmidtnews     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baby missing after dad attacks wife with wrench found dead in a bucket inside the home. Juice-tice served?  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.