The authorities in Oklahoma are becoming increasingly concerned about the welfare of Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley as the search for the two Kansas women enters its fifth day.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) confirmed yesterday that they have found evidence of foul play.
The 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley have been missing since Saturday, March 30, when they drove to Oklahoma to pick up Butler’s children. Unfortunately, they never made it to the pick-up point.
The couple’s car was found near Highway 95 and Road L south of Elkhart, Kansas. The vehicle was located just over the Oklahoma border in Texas County, an extremely rural area.
OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee told reporters, “Their car was found parked on the side of the road there. The two women were gone, though, and there was no trace of where they might’ve gone.”
The cops said that evidence retrieved from the vehicle, which belonged to one of the women, had led them to believe they were victims of foul play. The investigators have not specified the nature of that evidence.
A search of rural Texas County has not found Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley
A school in Yarbrough, Oklahoma, three miles from where the car was found, was put on lockdown on Tuesday as part of the search.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelMcKee has also stated that the OSBI fears the women are “in danger” and that they are doing all they can to find them. There have been no arrests so far.
McKee stressed that it is still an open investigation and asked anyone with any information to come forward.
The OSBI is working in partnership with the Texas County Sheriff’s Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to solve the case.
Descriptions of missing Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley have been widely circulated
Veronica Butler is described as 5’4″ tall with red hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt, denim shorts, and Heydude shoes. She has a number of distinctive tattoos, including a Chinese symbol on her left forearm and a sunflower on her left shoulder.
Jilian Kelley is described as having brown hair and blue eyes and was dressed in whitewashed blue jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and tan or beige-colored shoes. She has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm.
Kelley’s husband is a church pastor in Hugoton, Kansas, and is reportedly due to become the new minister at the Willow Christian Church in Indianola, Nebraska.
The Willow Christian Church posted on social media on Wednesday that they “continue to pray for Jilian and Veronica and their families as the search and investigation continue. Pray for strength, wisdom, and faith for everyone involved.”
The OSBI is asking that anyone with information regarding this case contact them at [email protected] or 1-800-522-8017.