Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
The forthcoming episode of Snapped: Killer Couples, titled “Amanda Noverr and Adam Williams,” will air on Oxygen on Sunday, March 31, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. It will explore the disappearance and murder of James and Michelle Butler, who were reported missing while they were traveling through Texas in 2019.
In 2018, James, aged 48, and Michelle, 45, opted to rent out their home in New Hampshire and instead chose to rent an RV. They then traveled across the country to Arizona and New York. By October 2019, they were on the South Texas coast. However, things took an unexpected turn when authorities found their bodies in a grave on the beach southeast of Corpus Christi, the New York Times reported. Their RV was missing.
On November 5, 2019, authorities announced that Adam Williams was seen driving James and Michelle Butler’s truck across the Mexico border. The very next day, Williams was captured in Mexico. His girlfriend Amanda Noverr was also caught, accompanied by her 3-year-old son. Both Williams and Noverr faced charges of felony theft. In 2020, they were also charged with tampering with evidence and capital murder, according to WMUR.
Adam Williams received a life sentence, whereas Amanda Noverr was sentenced to 20 years behind bars, the Associated Press reported. Adam’s plea deal included that the court would spare him the death penalty. Meanwhile, Amanda’s included that she would be convicted of a lesser murder charge for the killing of James and Michelle Butler.
When were James and Michelle Butler reported missing?
As per the case timeline, James and Michelle Butler reportedly had their last phone conversation with the latter’s son on October 15, 2019. They arrived on Padre Island later that day, as noted from Michelle’s Facebook post. The following day, at 1:13 E.T., the couple sent their last text message to a friend. Surveillance footage dating to October 21 revealed the Butler’s truck crossing the Mexican border. However, neither James nor Michelle had driven it.
Family members reported James and Michelle Butler missing on October 23, 2019, after the couple missed a scheduled call. James had previously worked at Walmart, resigning before the couple decided to travel across the country. Similarly, Michelle had an office job that she left before their journey. They reportedly resorted to odd jobs to make ends meet during their cross-country trip.
As stated earlier, Amanda Noverr and Adam Williams were tried for tampering with evidence charges. This was related to the burial of the bodies in a shallow grave on Kleberg Beach. The theft charges included the lawnmower stolen from James and Michelle Butler’s possessions. It was worth nearly $30,000, according to CBS News. At the time of their murder, the Butlers were on their way to Florida with plans to sell Christmas trees there.
The upcoming episode of Snapped: Killer Couples, “Amanda Noverr and Adam Williams,” is scheduled to premiere on Oxygen on Sunday, March 31, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
