Update: Oklahoma police have recovered bodies in search for remains of missing Kansas moms.
(NewsNation) — The search for two Kansas mothers who disappeared over a week ago continues, with investigators saying little beyond the fact that foul play is suspected.
Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, disappeared after their car was found 1,000 feet off of Oklahoma State Highway 95 along a dirt path on March 30. Investigators say they were on their way to visit Butler’s children amid an ongoing custody dispute.
While the investigation into their disappearance continues, there doesn’t appear to be any signs of an active, large-scale search.
NewsNation has reached out to the family and friends of the missing women, who say they are getting their information from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) but did not want to comment further.
Meanwhile, investigators are also remaining tight-lipped about the search.
Butler and Kelley were headed to an abandoned gas station in a remote area for a child custodial pickup as it was the halfway point between Butler’s home in Kansas and the children’s grandmother’s home in Oklahoma. The women never made it, and the search has been on since then.
Residents of Hugoton are devastated but holding out hope that the women will be found. Many have been hesitant to discuss the matter, but one resident says she visited Butler just before she went missing.
“She was so happy; she had on a full face of makeup, you know? She said, ‘I’m going to Liberal,’ and I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ She went, ‘We’re going on the boat with the kids, and we’re not coming back to Hugoton till Tuesday,'” the local resident told NewsNation.
In response to continued inquiry, the OSBI said only that it “along with other agencies, are continuing our search and are hopeful to find both women alone. Anyone with additional information can contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov.”
NewsNation reported Tuesday that Kelley was the supervisor of the childhood visits for Butler. The two women were in a part of Oklahoma to meet up with a guardian for Butler’s children, who are ages 6 and 8.
The visit was a designated, court-approved visitation that takes place every Saturday. Four people, including Kelley, have been listed as approved supervisors, NewsNation reported.
NewsNation reported Tuesday that Butler and her ex-husband were in a bitter custody battle, and just 10 days before the women went missing, Butler had filed a petition in court for more visitation with her children and was seeking full custody.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017.
