Preacher’s wife and her friend vanish as their vehicle is found abandoned, OK cops say

Two women have been reported missing after the vehicle they were traveling in was discovered abandoned, authorities say.

The Texas County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma requested help Saturday, March 30, following the disappearance of 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation deemed their vanishings “suspicious.”

The two women left Hugoton, Kansas, on Saturday but they never arrived to their intended destination, KWCH reported.

They were “traveling together to pick up children,” according to the sheriff’s office. Their car was later found abandoned on the side of the road south of Elkhart, Kansas, which is near the state line with Oklahoma, authorities said.

Butler and Kelley’s whereabouts are unknown as of April 1.

Butler is described as being 5 feet, 4 inches tall, with red hair and green eyes, according to the sheriff’s office. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts.

Kelley, who has brown hair and blue eyes, was last seen wearing white-washed blue jeans with a long-sleeved shirt, authorities said.

Willow Christian Church in Indianola, Nebraska, said Kelley is the wife of their new minister, Heath Kelley. He was appointed as the church’s new minister in November, but had not yet began his position.

Church members gathered Sunday, March 31, to pray for the missing women.

Hugoton First Christian Church, Pastor Heath Kelley’s current church, also opened its doors Sunday for “continuous prayers.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-522-8017.

This story was originally published April 1, 2024 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Preacher’s wife and her friend vanish as their vehicle is found abandoned, OK cops say."