Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: WHAT KIND OF GRANDMA DOES THIS?! Two Moms Found Stuffed in a Freezer

Date: October 20, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield

Overview

In this gripping episode, Ashleigh Banfield examines one of the most chilling cases of her career: the murders of Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelly by a group led by Tiffany Mashell Adams, dubbed "Grandma Tiffany." Banfield delves into the disturbing details, legal twists, and the deep injustices inflicted on innocent families, employing her characteristic irreverent yet incisive style to unravel what happened—and why. The discussion is further enriched by guest legal expert Mark Eiglarsh, who breaks down the plea deal and its consequences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Crime and Victims

• Who is "Grandma Tiffany"?

  • Tiffany Mashell Adams, a 54-year-old grandmother from Oklahoma, orchestrated the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Veronica Butler (her son's ex and the mother of her grandchildren) over a custody dispute.
  • Jillian Kelly, a 39-year-old mother of four and pastor's wife, accompanied Veronica as a court-appointed supervisor and became collateral damage.
  • "Grandma Tiffany just took her place in the front of an Oklahoma courtroom and copped to one of the most egregious crimes I have ever covered." (03:50)

• The Search and the Discovery

  • Veronica and Jillian vanished March 30, 2024, while en route to pick up Veronica's children.
  • Their car was found abandoned, with signs of a violent struggle (blood, broken glasses) but no sign of the women.
  • Two weeks later, their bodies were found in a freezer chest, buried 10 feet underground on farmland linked to Adams' boyfriend, Tad Bert Cullum.

The Plot and “God’s Misfits”

• Premeditation and Evidence

  • The murders were meticulously planned: burner phones, stun guns, tools, and a grave prepared in advance.
  • The crime was executed by a fringe group calling themselves "God's Misfits," consisting of five people: Adams, her boyfriend Tad Cullum, the married couple Cole and Cora Twombly, and a family friend Paul Grice.
  • "Investigators say this was not some random act of violence... It was a premeditated conspiracy involving a small fringe group that called themselves God's misfits. How appropriate." (09:37)

• Horrific Aftermath

  • Adams continued daily life with the children, taking them out in public as if nothing was amiss, even as their mother's body lay hidden in the freezer.
  • "Those little kids had no idea that their mother was decomposing, jammed into a freezer chest with another woman 10ft underground." (14:50)

• Motive

  • Control was the core motive. Adams “took matters into her own hands” to keep Veronica away from her grandchildren.
  • "Prosecutors say the motive on this one was horrifyingly simple. That it was control." (16:51)

The Legal Case

• Pleas and Deals

  • Adams pleaded “no contest” to murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy—avoiding the death penalty but with life in prison, no parole.
  • "What Grandma Tiffany did not do when she stood up in that courtroom before the judge, she did not plead guilty. Grandma Tiffany did not admit any guilt, was just no contest." (18:20)

• Other Perpetrators

  • Cora Twombly and Paul Grice “flipped,” cooperating with prosecutors in exchange for plea deals avoiding the death penalty.
  • Tad Cullum and Cole Twombly await trial; it’s unclear if they’ll accept plea deals.

• Plea Deal Controversy

  • Banfield is frustrated by the lack of a required guilty plea and the dropped charges, questioning prosecutorial decisions.
    • “Why are you offering her a deal where all she has to say is ‘okay, you got me. No contest’? Why are you not offering a deal where she has to say… ‘I did it. I am guilty of all of these things.’” (19:57)

• Prosecutor’s Perspective (with Mark Eiglarsh, 21:55)

  • Plea deals bring closure, avoid painful repeated trials, and spare vulnerable witnesses (like the Twomblies’ 15-year-old daughter).
  • Death penalty convictions are often reversed or drawn out over decades, making life sentences a strategic choice.
    • “Almost half of those who get the death penalty, those convictions are reversed on appeal… Do we really wanna do this all over again in a couple of decades? I don’t think so.” (22:56)

• No Contest vs. Guilty Plea

  • “Most of my clients plead no contest even when they’re absolutely guilty of it. It just gets us to the potential sentence. It really doesn’t have any impact.” – Mark Eiglarsh (24:08)

• Sentencing

  • Scheduled for Jan 28, 2026, set for three days to ensure all victims’ families can testify and gain closure.
    • “We ask for more time than what we possibly need to afford every person who’s been impacted by her horrible deeds to be able to express and get some closure in that courtroom.” – Mark Eiglarsh (26:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Crime’s Barbarity
  • “Both women had been violently murdered. The autopsies showed that Veronica was stabbed nine times and had an additional 21 defensive wounds to her hands. She fought this… so hard.” – Ashleigh Banfield (07:59)
• On Adams’ Callousness
  • “Grandma Tiffany went on as though life were just normal. Nothing to see here, nothing unusual. She had the kids out and about town doing her errands.” – Ashleigh Banfield (14:18)
• Commentary on Prosecutorial Decisions
  • “These are five of the most evil people that ever roamed this earth, right? So sometimes that awful necessity is a necessity that a child does have to testify.” – Ashleigh Banfield (18:55)
• Legal Frustration
  • “Why are you offering her a deal where all she has to say is, ‘okay, you got me. No contest’?” – Ashleigh Banfield (19:57)
  • “She will absolutely never get out of prison. She’s pleading and getting life without the possibility of parole, and that’s it.” – Mark Eiglarsh (24:19)
• Lessons from Previous Trials
  • “There’s never a slam dunk. You don’t know that. Anyone who’s been around the criminal justice system knows that when you can get somebody to plead guilty and waive their right to appeal... there’s a value to that.” – Mark Eiglarsh (28:00)
  • “I learned my lesson in October of 1995 with O.J. Simpson. To me, it was a slam dunk that never was.” – Ashleigh Banfield (28:36)
• On the Loss for Innocents
  • “Two innocent mothers lost their lives, their kids lost their parent because one grandma couldn’t stand to lose control. And now she’s lost everything. And so have her two little grandkids.” – Ashleigh Banfield (29:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:35] – Introduction to the case: Who is Tiffany Adams ("Grandma Tiffany")?
• [05:45] – Disappearance and initial investigation
• [09:37] – The role of "God’s Misfits" & conspiracy details
• [13:50] – The aftermath: Adams' behavior and the children
• [17:26] – Motive and legal aftermath; Adams’ plea deal details
• [21:55] – Interview with Mark Eiglarsh: Why prosecutors took a plea, death penalty logistics
• [24:08] – No contest plea vs. guilty plea explanation
• [26:00] – Why sentencing is set for three days
• [27:05] – The 15-year-old witness and plea bargains’ impact on victims’ families
• [28:36] – Lessons learned from historic trials (O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony)
• [29:10] – Closing reflection on the devastation left behind

Conclusion

Ashleigh Banfield ends on a somber reminder: Adams wasn’t a protector but a predator who destroyed families in pursuit of control. The plea deal may have avoided the death penalty, but for the children and families of the victims, justice remains forever incomplete.
"The truth isn't just serious, it is drop dead serious." (29:16)