Lori Vallow Daybell trial – live: Family of JJ and Tylee to attend court after ‘doomsday cult mom’ loses bid

Andrea Blanco and Rachel Sharp

April 7, 2023 at 5:48 AM·27 min read

“Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has lost her bid to block her slain son’s grandparents from her bombshell murder trial.

The judge ruled on Thursday that Joshua “JJ” Vallow’s grandmother Kay Woodcock can hear the entirety of the testimony, while his grandfather Larry Woodcock can be present after his own turn on the stand.

The victory for the family comes after a former friend of Ms Vallow said she sees death as “mercy”.

The woman, identified only as Jess, told NewsNation that – because of her and her husband Chad Daybell’s cult beliefs – “killing the kids, to them, is mercy”.

After four days of questioning, the number of jurors needed to proceed with the trial was reached on Thursday. The court selected the 42 jurors initially planned and three backups, according to KSLTV.

The number will be narrowed down to 18 — 12 who will deliberate and six alternates. Prosecutors and the defence struggled to find jurors who were not familiar with the case which sent shockwaves across America.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her seven-year-old son JJ and 16-year-old daughter, who were last seen alive in September 2019. Their bodies were discovered buried at her new husband Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy.

Opening arguments are set to begin on Monday.

Key points

JJ and Tylee’s loved ones will be allowed to hear testimony
Opening statements to begin on Monday
Lori Vallow seen in courtroom sketches
A timeline of the trail of mystery deaths surrounding Lori Vallow

ICYMI: The unbelievable case of Lori Vallow, explained

04:00 , Megan Sheets

In the three years since the November 2019 wedding of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, a deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies has come to light.

Five people close to the couple have wound up dead.

And the couple are now charged with murder.

On 3 April 2023, Ms Vallow’s murder trial began in Idaho.

Infamously dubbed the “cult mom”, she is charged with the murders of her two youngest children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, whose remains were discovered on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020 – nine months after their last signs of life.

She is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Lori Vallow case summary: Doomsday cult, mystery deaths and kids in a pet cemetery

Forty-two jury threshold reached

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

The number will be narrowed down to 18 — 12 who will deliberate and six alternates.

Prosecutors and the defence struggled to find jurors who are not familiar with the case which sent shockwaves across America. They are now preparing to deliver their opening arguments on Monday.

Jury selection resumes

Thursday 6 April 2023 22:38 , Andrea Blanco

Today’s the fourth day of jury selection. So far, the court has struggled to find jurors who are not familiar with the case which sent shockwaves across America.

Three ore potential jurors need to be selected before the number is narrowed from 42 to 18 — 12 who will deliberate and six alternates.

Today’s first sketch of Lori Vallow

Thursday 6 April 2023 21:36 , Megan Sheets

The first court sketch from today’s proceedings has been released:

New sketch image of Lori Vallow Daybell with her attorneys pic.twitter.com/r1d8TV7HEv
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 6, 2023

The unbelievable case of Lori Vallow, explained

Thursday 6 April 2023 21:30 , Megan Sheets

Five people close to the couple have wound up dead.

And the couple are now charged with murder.

On 3 April 2023, Ms Vallow’s murder trial began in Idaho.

She is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Lori Vallow case summary: Doomsday cult, mystery deaths and kids in a pet cemetery

Court resumes fourth day of jury selection

Thursday 6 April 2023 20:30 , Megan Sheets

The fourth day of jury selection is getting underway in the Ada County Courthouse.

Proceedings were set to resume at 1.30pm local time, as the prosecution and defence continue working to whittle down the jury pool.

So far, 39 potential jurors have been chosen out of a total 42 needed to move to the next stage of selection.

In that stage, both sides will get the chance to question prospective jurors individually and strike 12 each that they do not want on the panel.

In the end, 18 jurors will serve on the panel - 12 to deliberate and six alternates.

Judge blocks family of Chad Daybell’s slain wife from watching murder trial remotely

Thursday 6 April 2023 19:45 , Megan Sheets

The elderly parents of Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy will not be allowed to virtually attend the Idaho murder trial of his second wife Lori Vallow, who is accused along with Mr Daybell of killing Tammy.

Ms Vallow, dubbed the “cult mom”, is currently facing trial in Ada County Court for allegedly conspiring to kill both Tammy Daybell and her two youngest children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow. Her doomsday preacher husband, who is facing the same charges, will stand a separate trial later this year.

The couple is accused of killing Ms Vallow’s children in September 2019 after they became convinced the minors were zombies whose “dark spirits” had to be released through death. They then got married in Hawaii and refused to cooperate in a desperate cross-state search for Tylee and JJ that went on for nine months before their remains were ultimately found buried on Mr Daybell’s property in Salem, Idaho.

Just weeks before their wedding, Mr Daybell’s first wife, Tammy, was also found dead at their Idaho home in October 2019. Tammy’s death was initially ruled to be from natural causes and his husband declined an autopsy.

The case was reopened amid the search for JJ and Tylee, paving the way for conspiracy charges Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow now face in Tammy’s death. Earlier this year, her brother Benjamin Douglas and father Ronald made requests to view Ms Vallow’s ongoing trial remotely.

The applications were denied last week by Judge Steven Boyce, who is presiding over Ms Vallow’s case.

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more:

Lori Vallow judge blocks victim’s family from watching murder trial remotely

Lori Vallow saw her children as zombies, not people, former friend claims

Thursday 6 April 2023 18:44 , Megan Sheets

Lori Vallow’s trial is expected to delve heavily into her alleged involvement in a “Doomsday cult” led by her husband Chad Daybell.

The couple is accused of killing Ms Vallow’s children shortly after they went missing in September 2019 after becoming convinced the minors were zombies whose “dark spirits” had to be released through death.

Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell refused to cooperate in a desperate cross-state search for Tylee and JJ that went on for nine months before their remains were ultimately found buried on Mr Daybell’s property in Salem.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with NewsNation, a former friend of Ms Vallow, who asked to only be identified as “Jess,” said that the murder suspect believed she needed to “kill her children’s [possessed] bodies” to give them a chance to go to heaven.

“They don’t see the zombies as people. They see them the way someone would see a cockroach being controlled by a parasite,” she said in the interview aired on Wednesday night. “When people have these beliefs, killing the kids, to them, is mercy.”

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more:

Lori Vallow saw her children’s murders as ‘mercy’, former friend says

JJ and Tylee’s loved ones will be allowed to hear testimony

Thursday 6 April 2023 17:24 , Megan Sheets

Relatives of JJ and Tylee will be allowed to hear testimony during the trial despite being witnesses themselves, Judge Steven Boyce has ruled.

A motion filed on Thursday lists JJ’s grandmother Kay Woodcock, Ms Vallow’s sister Summer Shiflet and Tylee’s brother Colby Ryan as “victims” in the case, meaning they are entitled to hear testimony.

JJ’s grandfather Larry Woodcock is not considered a victim in the order but will be allowed to hear testimony after he gives his own.

Just before the trial kicked off, Ms Vallow’s defence team moved to ban JJ’s grandparents from the courtroom, in a move that left the family “blindsided and heartbroken”.

It came after Judge Boyce issued an order ruling that any witnesses in the case will be excluded from the trial – and from hearing other witness testimony – unless they are victims in the case.

Ms Vallow’s legal team argued that the grandparents do not fall under the legal definition of victims under Idaho law, and so should be excluded from the trial’s proceedings.

BREAKING: Court appoints Kay Woodcock the representative for JJ Vallow and Summer Shiflet the representative for Tylee Ryan. pic.twitter.com/9X6Y4XaI2k
— ᴊᴜꜱᴛɪɴ ʟᴜᴍ | 林俊豪 (@jlumfox10) April 6, 2023

JJ and Tylee’s case has dragged on for years

Thursday 6 April 2023 15:28 , Andrea Blanco

The trial of the doomday cult couple has stalled for the past few years – in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, mental incompetence and legal wranglings.

Ms Vallow has been behind bars since January 2020 when she was arrested in Hawaii and extradited to Idaho for failing to meet a court order to present her children to authorities.

Mr Daybell has been in prison since the children’s remains were discovered in June 2020.

The case was largely put on hold when Ms Vallow was found not mentally competent to stand trial. She then spent almost a year at a mental health facility before she was ruled competent in May 2022 and the case proceeded through the courts.

So far, the pair are yet to turn on each other and have both pleaded not guilty.

However, that could all be about to change.

In March, an Idaho judge ruled that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell will be tried separately for the murders – prompting Mr Daybell’s case to be pushed back to an unconfirmed date while jury selection gets under way on 3 April in Ms Vallow’s trial.

The death penalty has now been taken off the table for Ms Vallow but not for Mr Daybell.

If found guilty, Ms Vallow faces life in prison.

Lori vallow seen in court sketches

Thursday 6 April 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Opening statements to begin on Monday

Thursday 6 April 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Opening statements are set to begin on Monday in Lori Vallow’s murder trial as jury selection draws to a close.

By the end of Wednesday, the jury pool had been narrowed down to 39 potential jurors. Only three more potential jurors are needed to reach the required number of 42 before the defence and prosecution will begin peremptory challenges.

Ultimately, the court needs 12 jurors and six alternates.

District Judge Steven Boyce expects the jury to be selected by the end of the week before opening arguments begin at 8.30am local time on Monday.

Lori Vallow seen smiling and laughing in police interview hours after husband’s death

Thursday 6 April 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

In 2021, police in Arizona released a trove of evidence from their investigation into the 2019 homicide of Ms Vallow’s fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

Mr Vallow, 62, was shot dead by Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in July 2019 after an argument, and his death was ruled a homicide by an Arizona coroner in 2021. Mr Cox claimed he fired in self-defence, and died in 2019 of natural causes before charges could be brought.

Ms Vallow was then charged with conspiracy in connection with her late husband’s death. Months after the video was taken, she and her fifth husband, Chad Daybell were also accused of murdering her two children Tylee, 17, and JJ Ryan, 7.

Lori Vallow laughs during a police interview after her husband’s homicide (Chandler PD)

In the video released by the Chandler Police Department this week, Ms Vallow tells a detective she had been seeking a divorce from her husband of 14 years.

“I don’t like him, and that’s just how it is,” Ms Vallow says.

She said Mr Vallow had favoured her younger child JJ, a special needs student, and often fought with her older daughter Tylee.

In the video, she also laughed and joked about her estranged husband just hours after his death.

Lori Vallow appears to wipe away tears during jury selection

Thursday 6 April 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Lori Vallow appeared to become emotional during jury selection in her murder trial this week, as she was spotted wiping her eyes when the court heard about graphic images of her slain children.

JJ and Tylee were both found buried on the grounds of Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020.

During jury selection, prospective jurors were told that they would see graphic photos of the children’s remains if selected to sit on the panel.

At that point, Ms Vallow was seen wiping her eyes.

A new sketch from our courtroom artist of Lori Vallow Daybell wiping her eyes or cleaning her glasses. This happened as the prosecution mentioned to potential jurors that they will see autopsy photos of children during the trial. pic.twitter.com/3Qady1G1Q7
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 5, 2023

Lori Vallow’s surviving adult son was charged with domestic violence sexual assault before case dismissed

Thursday 6 April 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Colby Ryan, Ms Vallow’s only living child, was arrested in Arizona and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on 4 September. He was charged with two counts of domestic violence/sexual assault.

According to court documents obtained by Fox10 Phoenix, the incident that prompted the charges took place on 31 August but was not reported until 2 September.

Investigators claim Mr Ryan visited the undisclosed victim’s home and they watched TV together before engaging in consensual romantic contact.

Colby Ryan, the son of Lori Vallow, is accused of raping a woman in Arizona and is being held on a $10,000 bond (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

At some point the alleged victim wanted to stop, and claims they expressed that to Mr Ryan several times. The alleged victim claims Mr Ryan continued to touch her sexually without her consent.

The woman said she told Mr Ryan that she was not ok with his alleged actions and asked him for space after the incident.

She claims in the court documents that this prompted Mr Ryan to apologise and begin crying.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice in September.

Victim’s family banned from joining case remotely

Thursday 6 April 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

Family members of one of Lori Vallow’s alleged victims have been banned from joining the trial remotely, according to a report.

Ms Vallow is charged with conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell – the wife of her new husband Chad Daybell who died suddenly in her sleep aged 49 in October 2019.

The trial in Ada County is not being live-streamed.

Tammy’s youngest brother Benjamin Douglas and elderly father Ronald both filed requests to Judge Steven Boyce asking that they be able to attend the trial virtually because they live in Utah, reported DailyMail.com.

In the request, the family members said they “would be happy to comply with any and all guidelines or rules set forth by the court in order to attend virtually”.

However the judge denied the request last week.

WATCH: Lori Vallow's husband cornered and quizzed on whereabouts of kids

Thursday 6 April 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

Lori Vallow’s friend says ‘doomsday cult mom’ sees death as ‘mercy'

Thursday 6 April 2023 10:36 , Rachel Sharp

“Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow sees death as “mercy”, according to a former friend who spoke out as the mother-of-three is on trial for murder.

The woman, identified only as Jess, told NewsNation that – because of her and her husband Chad Daybell’s cult beliefs – “killing the kids, to them, is mercy”.

“As disturbing as that is and hard as that is to wrap your mind around it, that is why someone who spent all these years being kind and loving could then do that,” she said.

Jess added: “They don’t see the zombies as people. They see them the way someone would see a cockroach being controlled by a parasite.”

What happened to Chad Daybell’s first wife?

Thursday 6 April 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Daybell married his first wife Tammy in 1990 and they had five children together. They also founded a publishing company together – the company that released his doomsday books.

Just one month after the children vanished – on 19 October 2019 – Tammy, an otherwise healthy 49-year-old, died suddenly in her sleep.

In a bizarre twist, her death came just 10 days after she had called 911 to report someone shooting at her with a paintball gun in the driveway of their home.

Despite the mysterious circumstances, her husband declined an autopsy and her death was ruled natural causes.

Tammy and Chad Daybell were married in 1990. He is now accused of conspiring with Lori Vallow to kill her

It was only after the two children were reported missing – and authorities began delving into Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell, their sudden remarriage and bizarre cult beliefs – that questions began being asked about her death.

Investigators exhumed her body for an autopsy in December 2020.

Once again, officials have not revealed how Tammy died.

But her husband and his new wife are now charged with her murder, with prosecutors alleging that the couple conspired with Cox to kill the 49-year-old.

WATCH: Moment Lori Vallow’s murdered daughter talks to police in unearthed video

Thursday 6 April 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco

A timeline of the trail of mystery deaths surrounding Lori Vallow

Thursday 6 April 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

More than three years after her children were last seen alive, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is about to finally stand trial for their murders.

Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 8, vanished without a trace in September 2019, sparking a multi-state search while their mother appeared carefree – marrying her new husband Chad Daybell on a beach in Hawaii.

The children’s bodies were finally discovered nine months later buried in a pet cemetery on Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Lori Vallow: A timeline of mystery deaths surrounding the ‘doomsday cult mom’

ICYMI: What happened to Tylee and JJ?

Thursday 6 April 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

JJ and Tylee were last seen in September 2019, weeks after the family moved to Rexburg, Idaho, following Ms Vallow’s husband Charles Vallow’s fatal shooting by her brother during a supposed domestic argument — for which she also faces conspiracy to murder charges in Arizona.

Ms Vallow is believed to have moved to be closer to Mr Daybell, an alleged cult leader she married in November of that year.

While the children were never reported missing by their mother, police began investigating their whereabouts in late November 2019 after a family member raised concerns.

JJ and Tylee were ultimately found buried on Mr Daybell’s property in Salem, Idaho, in June 2020. They are believed to have been killed in the days after they went missing.

Lori Vallow tries to get slain son’s grandparents banned from her murder trial

Thursday 6 April 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is trying to get the grandparents of her slain son banned from her murder trial, in a move that the family members say has left them “blindsided and heartbroken”.

Ms Vallow’s trial is set to begin on Monday in a court in Idaho, where she faces life in prison for the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven.

Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019 with their remains found buried on the grounds of her new husband doomsday cult author Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee and is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

Now – after delays brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and Ms Vallow being admitted to a psychiatric facility for almost a year – jury selection is set to begin on Monday in her trial.

However, JJ’s grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock may no longer be able to attend the roughly 12-week trial due to a motion filed by Ms Vallow’s defence attorneys seeking to ban them from the courtroom.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow tries to get slain son’s grandparents banned from murder trial

JJ and Tylee’s deaths explored in Netflix documentary

Thursday 6 April 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

The Netflix documentary Sins of Our Mother delves thoroughly into the bizarre string of murders around the couple and their extreme religious beliefs around the end of the world.

In the three-part series, people close to the case recount how Ms Vallow met her doomsday preacher husband and how they allegedly planned to kill the children after they became convinced the minors were zombies whose “dark spirits” had to be released through death.

Jury selection to continue on Thursday

Thursday 6 April 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

So far, 39 Jurors have been selected. Three panels of jurors were questioned during voir dire on Wednesday.

Forty-two jurors will be picked. The number will then be brought down to 18 — 12 who will make up the jury and 6 alternates.

Jury selection is expected to resume at 8.30am MDT.

ICYMI: The charges against Lori and Chad Vallow

Thursday 6 April 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell were charged with the murders of Tylee and JJ in May 2021 – almost one year after their bodies had been discovered.

They are each charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy.

Mr Daybell is also charged with the first-degree murder of Tammy.

The couple are also charged with related financial crimes with Ms Vallow facing grand theft and insurance fraud counts for applying for Social Security benefits for Tylee and JJ after they died.

Prosecutors say that the couple conspired with Cox to kill the children and Mr Daybell’s wife both as part of their doomsday beliefs – but also to collect life insurance money and the kids’ social security and survivor benefits.

“All of these overt acts were done so Lori could eventually be with Chad Daybell and reportedly complete their mission here on earth,” according to an investigative report.

“This belief system, lust and greed would also lead to the deaths of Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow and Tammy Daybell.”

In Arizona, Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiring to murder her ex-husband Charles Vallow with Cox.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s office announced that it did not charge Mr Daybell as well with Charles’ murder – but only because there is “no reasonable likelihood of conviction”.

Chad Daybell asked for separate trial from wife

Thursday 6 April 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Chad Daybell, the husband of so-called “cult mom” Lori Vallow requested last year to face his own trial for the murder of her two children, rather than in conjunction with his wife.

In a court filing to Idaho Judge Steven Boyce in September, Mr Daybell’s defence asked that his trial be held independently from Ms Vallow’s and that it be moved to October 2023, East Idaho News reported.

Mr Daybell, 54, and Ms Vallow, 49, are charged with conspiring to kill her two youngest children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, along with his first wife Tammy.

Witness list has been sealed in high-profile case

Thursday 6 April 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Which individuals will take the stand to testify in the high-profile case remains unclear after the witness list was sealed by the judge last month.

Judge Steven Boyce issued the ruling “in order to preserve the right to a fair trial”, the court order reads.

JJ’s grandparents are expected to be called as witnesses – hence the legal wrangling between them and Lori Vallow’s team about whether or not they can attend the trial.

JJ and Tylee’s case has dragged on for years

Thursday 6 April 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

The trial of the doomday cult couple has stalled for the past few years – in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, mental incompetence and legal wranglings.

Ms Vallow has been behind bars since January 2020 when she was arrested in Hawaii and extradited to Idaho for failing to meet a court order to present her children to authorities.

Mr Daybell has been in prison since the children’s remains were discovered in June 2020.

So far, the pair are yet to turn on each other and have both pleaded not guilty.

However, that could all be about to change.

The death penalty has now been taken off the table for Ms Vallow but not for Mr Daybell.

If found guilty, Ms Vallow faces life in prison.

Juror excused because wife is ‘crime junkie'

Wednesday 5 April 2023 22:54 , Andrea Blanco

The juror reportedly said he “can’t get away from her,” prompting laughs in the courtroom, including Ms Vallow, according to FOX10.

Thirty-nine jurors chosen

Wednesday 5 April 2023 22:11 , Andrea Blanco

Three more jurors need to be picked from the third group today.

Woman excused from jury pool due to hardship

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:40 , Andrea Blanco

The woman says she is employed and also has to care for her children.

New court sketches released

Wednesday 5 April 2023 20:02 , Andrea Blanco

Seven more jurors needed

Wednesday 5 April 2023 19:29 , Andrea Blanco

So far, 35 potential jurors have been chosen out of a total 42 needed to move to the next stage of selection. In the end, 18 jurors will serve on the panel - 12 to deliberate and six alternates.

Dozens of jurors have thus far been excused for either prior knowledge of the high-profile case or expressing concern about balancing personal and work responsibilities with the trial, which could last up to eight weeks.

Thirty-two jurors chosen so far

Wednesday 5 April 2023 18:21 , Andrea Blanco

One of the jurors was excused after writing, “If your child was missing, why would you go to Hawaii?”, in the questionnaire.

Other jurors dismissed during voir dire had been exposed to the case in the media.

Mother-of-five excused from jury pool

Wednesday 5 April 2023 17:12 , Andrea Blanco

According to FOX10 reporters in the courtroom, the woman became emotional just thinking about seeing autopsy pictures of JJ and Tylee.

ICYMI: The charges against Lori and Chad Vallow

Wednesday 5 April 2023 16:27 , Andrea Blanco