Lori Vallow Daybell trial — live: ‘Doomsday cult mom’ loses bid to ban JJ and Tylee’s loved ones from court

“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”.

Jury selection is now drawing to a close in the trial, with opening statements expected to begin Monday.

So far, the court has struggled to find jurors who are 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.

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

Judge rules Charles Vallow’s sister representative for JJ

18:01 , Andrea Blanco

In late March, Judge Steven 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 is arguing that JJ’s grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock do not fall under the legal definition of victims under Idaho law, and so should be excluded from the trial’s proceedings.

JJ, who had autism, was Kay Woodcock’s biological grandson and she and her husband raised him for the first year of his life.

The boy was then adopted by Ms Vallow and her fourth husband Charles Vallow – Ms Woodcock’s brother – in 2014.

As part of the adoption agreement, the Woodcocks would still be present in JJ’s life.

Vallow was shot dead by Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in July 2019.

The Woodcocks said in a statement released by their attorney Shanon Gray that the attempt by Ms Vallow to exclude them from the trial was them being “victimised” by her once again.

On Thursday, Judge Boyce Boyce made Ms Woodcock a representative for JJ, according to FOX10.

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

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.

JJ and Tylee’s case has dragged on for years

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

14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Opening statements to begin on Monday

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

11:00 , Andrea Blanco

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

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?

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

09:00 , Andrea Blanco

A timeline of the trail of mystery deaths surrounding Lori Vallow

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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”.

What happened to Tylee and JJ?

Wednesday 5 April 2023 15:45 , 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.

Jury selection to resume today

Wednesday 5 April 2023 14:52 , Andrea Blanco

The trial began Monday at the Ada County Court, with an initial pool of 1,800 prospective jurors. So far, 30 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.

WATCH: Moment Chad Daybell is confronted over missing children

Wednesday 5 April 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

In February 2020 – five months after the children were last seen alive – Lori Vallow was arrested in Hawaii on charges of child abandonment and desertion.

She was also charged with resisting officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime and contempt of court and was held on $5m bond before being extradited back to Idaho.

Following her arrest, Chad Daybell was confronted by an ABC News journalist who asked if the children were safe. He refused to answer.

Watch that moment below:

What are the charges against Lori Vallow?

Wednesday 5 April 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

The judge has outlined the charges to the prospective jurors.

Here are the charges:

- Two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of JJ and Tylee

- Three counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of JJ, Tylee and Tammy Daybell

- Two counts of grand theft in connection with social security benefits following the deaths of JJ and Tylee

Lori Vallow has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Chad Daybell’s wife Tammy mysteriously died in her sleep

Wednesday 5 April 2023 12:00 , 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.

‘Doomsday cult mom’ Lori Vallow claimed new alibi in murder of her two children earlier this year

Wednesday 5 April 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

In January, Ms Vallow provided an alibi for her children’s murders, according to a new court filing submitted by her legal team.

Ms Vallow claimed she was at her own apartment in Rexburg, Idaho, when the two children died in her brother’s home in the same complex, the documents state.

The documents, filed in Fremont County, Idaho, claim that two individuals, Melanie Gibb and David Warwick, were also with her in her home at the time – “and/or Chad Daybell”.

“Lori Vallow was in her own apartment in Rexburg, Idaho, when J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan died in the apartment of Alex Cox in Rexburg, Idaho,” the filing states.

“Defendant was with Melanie Gibb, David Warwick, and/or Chad Daybell.”

JJ and Tylee disappeared in 2019 - Case has dragged on for years

Wednesday 5 April 2023 10:00 , 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.

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.

A timeline of the trail of mystery deaths surrounding Lori Vallow

Wednesday 5 April 2023 09:00 , 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’

What happened to Tylee and JJ?

Wednesday 5 April 2023 08:00 , 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’s surviving adult son was charged with domestic violence sexual assault before case dismissed

Wednesday 5 April 2023 07:00 , 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.

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.

Trial will not be livestreamed

Wednesday 5 April 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

The court has released sketches of the trial, but the proceedings will not be live streamed.

‘Doomsday mom’ seen smiling and laughing in police interview hours after husband’s death

Wednesday 5 April 2023 05:00 , 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.

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’s husband Chad Vallow asked for separate trial

Wednesday 5 April 2023 04:00 , 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

Wednesday 5 April 2023 03:00 , 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.

The Vallows’ ‘Doomsday’ cult

Wednesday 5 April 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

At the centre of the string of alleged murders and mystery deaths stands the couple’s bizarre doomsday cult.

Mr Daybell ran a publishing company that put out books about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Ms Vallow followed his books for some time, before the pair finally met in person at a religious conference in Utah in October 2018.

At this point, investigators say their relationship became romantic.

And as their relationship grew more intense, so too did their apocalyptic beliefs.

Vallow claimed in divorce documents that Ms Vallow believed she was a god-like figure chosen to carry out the work of 144,000 believers.

Multiple friends cited in police reports say that the couple believed they could drive out evil spirits and seek revelations from “beyond the spiritual veil”.

Ms Vallow even believed she could teleport between Arizona and Hawaii, according to documents.

But – most chillingly – the couple allegedly believed that people, including JJ and Tylee, had become “zombies”.

They allegedly had a scoring system for ranking how far people’s souls had gone from good to evil.

The only way to then rid an individual of the zombies would be for them to die, according to documents.

Prosecutors believe that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell used these beliefs to further their plots to kill JJ, Tylee and Tammy.

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

Wednesday 5 April 2023 01:00 , 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

Court has banned cameras during proceedings

Wednesday 5 April 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

The judge has banned cameras from the courtroom meaning there will be no livestream of the trial.

The case was also moved to Boise in an attempt to increase the likelihood of finding jurors that aren’t deeply familiar with the case.

Six jurors dismissed from third group

Tuesday 4 April 2023 22:57 , Andrea Blanco

According to FOX10, this will be the final group for the day.

Third panel to be questioned

Tuesday 4 April 2023 22:21 , Andrea Blanco

Twenty-five jurors have been chosen so far.

Twenty-two jurors chosen so far

Tuesday 4 April 2023 21:36 , Andrea Blanco

Four panels of jurors have been questioned.

‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow seen in new court sketches

Tuesday 4 April 2023 21:18 , Andrea Blanco

Juror dismissed after wife told him about Lori Vallow case

Tuesday 4 April 2023 21:04 , Andrea Blanco

A ninth juror has been dismissed from the second juror pool after he admitted his wife told him details about the case, according to KSLTV.

Only five jurors selected from first pannel

Tuesday 4 April 2023 20:23 , Andrea Blanco

Ten jurors were dismissed from the first pool.

So far, 22 jurors have been chosen. Forty-two are needed before the court chooses the final 18.

What are the charges against Lori and Chad Vallow?

Tuesday 4 April 2023 20:20 , 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”.

JJ and Tylee’s deaths explored in Netflix documentary

Tuesday 4 April 2023 20:00 , 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.

Juror says she’s seen reports about Ms Vallow

Tuesday 4 April 2023 19:27 , Andrea Blanco

The juror said that she believes she can give Ms Vallow a fair chance, according to FOX10.

What happened to JJ and Tylee?

Tuesday 4 April 2023 19:17 , Andrea Blanco

JJ and Tylee were last seen alive in September 2019 – not long after Ms Vallow had moved the two children from Arizona to Idaho, allegedly to be close to Mr Daybell.

Chilling photos captured a smiling JJ, Tylee and Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox on a visit to Yellowstone National Park on 8 September.

The photo is now believed to be the last proof of life of 16-year-old Tylee.

After that day, she was never seen or heard from again.

Days later, on 22 September, JJ was also seen for the last time – at his school in Rexburg and by his mother’s friends at her apartment that night.

By the next morning, the seven-year-old – who had autism – had vanished.

When asked where he was, Ms Vallow allegedly told friends Melanie Gibb and David Warwick that he had to be taken away because he was “being a zombie”.

Cellphone data places Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in the yard of Mr Daybell’s property in the hours after both of the children’s disappearances. The morning after Tylee was last seen alive, Mr Daybell also sent a text to his wife to say that he had shot a raccoon and buried it in the pet cemetery on the grounds of their property.

The last photo – and known sighting – of Tylee Ryan (pictured with JJ and Alex Cox at Yellowstone National Park)

It would be many more months before investigators – and the children’s desperate family members – knew what had happened to the two siblings.

JJ’s grandparents raised the alarm after they were unable to get in touch with their grandson but Ms Vallow refused to tell authorities where either of the children were.

According to Ms Vallow’s friends, she had claimed that her children were “zombies” and that the only way to free someone’s soul from evil spirits was to kill them.

In June 2020, the children’s family members’ worst fears were realised when JJ and Tylee’s remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybell’s backyard.

Their causes of deaths have never been released but court documents give a harrowing picture of what may have happened.

JJ’s body was found in a black plastic bag wrapped in duct tape while Tylee’s body had been dismembered and burned in a fire pit, before being buried in the pet cemetery.

The children’s disappearance and deaths brought to light a series of other mysterious deaths connected to the doomsday couple, revealing a pattern of people close to the pair dying suddenly.

Before the search for JJ and Tylee shot to national attention, no connection appears to have been made.

Instead, two deaths that are now alleged to be murders at the hands of the doomsday cult couple, had been written off as self-defence – or even natural causes.

Lori Vallow taking notes during jury selection

Tuesday 4 April 2023 18:32 , Andrea Blanco

According to a New York Times reporter in the courtroom, there is one camera pointing at Ms Vallow.

A doomsday cult, five mystery deaths and children buried in a pet cemetery

Tuesday 4 April 2023 18:20 , Andrea Blanco

As ‘cult mom’ Lori Vallow finally faces trial for the murders of her children JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, The Independent’s Rachel Sharp delves into the deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies which surround Ms Vallow and her doomsday author husband Chad Daybell.

Read more:

Doomsday cult, mystery deaths and kids in a pet cemetery: Lori Vallow faces trial

Four jurors dismissed

Tuesday 4 April 2023 17:34 , Andrea Blanco

They have been dismissed due to potential hardship regarding childcare and financial stability, ABC6 reports.

Juror excused due to potential graphic images set to be shown in trial

Tuesday 4 April 2023 17:19 , Andrea Blanco

According to reporters in the courtroom, the juror said he had been in an accident as a child and is sensitive to graphic images.

Lori Vallow seen in court sketches

Tuesday 4 April 2023 16:46 , Andrea Blanco

Jury selection resumes

Tuesday 4 April 2023 15:58 , Andrea Blanco

Three more panels of jurors will go through questioning today.

What happened to Chad Daybell’s first wife?

Tuesday 4 April 2023 15:16 , Andrea Blanco

r 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.

Jury selection to continue on Tuesday

Tuesday 4 April 2023 14:37 , Andrea Blanco

On Monday, 17 jurors were selected. Three panels of jurors were questioned during voir dire.

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.

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

Tuesday 4 April 2023 13:00 , Megan Sheets

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 more:

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