Lori Vallow trial – update: Cult mom’s murder trial resumes after Chad Daybell’s ‘raccoon’ text revealed
The trial of “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has resumed in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, following a day’s recess on Friday.
The mother-of-three is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell, 49.
During the latest testimony in the bombshell case, the court heard how Mr Daybell texted his wife about burying a “raccoon” in the pet cemetery on their property in Rexburg, Idaho.
The message was sent in September 2019, hours after Tylee was last seen alive. JJ vanished days later.
In June 2020, the remains of the two children were found buried on the Daybell property.
Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Her death was initially ruled natural causes but has now been found to be asphyxiation.
The case has captured attention due to its ties to bizarre cult beliefs and a string of mystery deaths and murders.
Separate to this trial, Ms Vallow is charged in the murder of her fourth husband Charles Vallow in Arizona in July 2019.
Key points
Chad Daybell’s chilling ‘dream’ about wife’s death
JJ vanished after ‘knocking over picture of Christ’
Lori Vallow’s chilling response to question about missing daughter
Cult mom told friend her husband needed to die to prepare for Second Coming
Lori Vallow trial hears emotional prison call with surviving son
Shocked court hears how JJ was found buried in red pyjamas
15:53 , Oliver O'Connell
Det Stubbs explains the process of getting a search warrant for a cellphone or other electronic device and what they would be looking for — communications, photos, transactions, etc.
He says if Google, Amazon, Apple or other types of accounts or apps are present on a suspect’s phone, warrants can be issued to the companies to access any information those companies are storing.
In this case, 21 electronic search warrants were prepared.
15:48 , Oliver O'Connell
Judge Steven Boyce is back on the stand and prosecutor Rachel Smith resumes questioning Detective Stubbs.
He explains how police searched three units relating to Lori at the townhome development at which she lived with her brother Alex Cox and niece Melani Boudreaux. They were searching for any sign of JJ, who had been reported missing by his grandmother.
Inside Melani’s apartment, they found multiple things connected to Brandon, her ex-husband, including a binder containing credit cards.
Trial to resume shortly
15:38 , Oliver O'Connell
Rexburg Police Detective David Stubbs will resume his testimony in a short time.
Spotted in court today is Summer Shiflet, Lori Vallow’s sister. She appears to be sitting in the section reserved for the prosecution.
Rexburg Detective David Hope was also seen and is expected to testify this week.
Summer and family are sitting in the rows reserved for the prosecution - not the defense. She is able to be in here for other witnesses because Judge Boyce deemed her Tylee's representative.
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 24, 2023
Court to resume today
14:00 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow’s trial took a one-day break on Friday, with testimony set to resume in court today.
Judge Boyce announced on Thursday that the trial will resume at 8.30am MT on Monday.
The recess was called due to the case moving faster than expected.
Here are the key revelations from the trial – so far:
13:30 , Rachel Sharp
“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is currently on trial in a case that has shocked the nation with its bizarre doomsday cult ties and the tragic deaths of almost everyone close to the mother-of-three and her new husband Chad Daybell.
The 49-year-old is charged with the murders of her children Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16, and conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.
JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months.
One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach.
In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits.
After lengthy delays – due to the pandemic and Ms Vallow’s admission into a mental health facility – her trial is finally under way in a courtroom in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key revelations from the trial – so far:
Cult beliefs and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
CATCH-UP: What happened last in court? Chad Daybell’s ‘raccoon’ text
13:00 , Rachel Sharp
On Thursday, jurors heard about a chilling text Chad Daybell sent to his wife Tammy Daybell on the day after Tylee was last seen alive.
Tylee was last seen on 8 September 2019 at Yellowstone National Park.
On 9 September, Mr Daybell sent his wife this text: “Well, I’ve had an interesting morning! I felt I should burn all of the limb debris by the fire pit before it got too soaked by the coming storms.
“While I did so, I spotted a big racoon [sic] along the fence. I hurried and got my gun, and he was still walking along. I got close enough that one shot did the trick. He is now in our pet cemetery. Fun times!”
Months later, in June 2020, Tylee’s remains were found buried in the pet cemetery on the Daybell’s property.
CATCH-UP: What happened last in court? Chad Daybell’s chilling ‘dream’
12:30 , Rachel Sharp
On Thursday, jurors heard about a chilling dream that Chad Daybell claimed he had about his wife Tammy Daybell dying.
Lori Vallow’s former friend David Warwick testified that Mr Daybell told him he dreamt “Tammy was going to pass away by the time she was 50”.
“I asked him how his marriage was with Tammy and if she was a good wife and he said he had no complaints and she was a good wife,” he told the court.
“He said her time was coming up and him and Lori were going to do things they committed to do for God.”
Tammy died sudenly on October 19 2019 aged 49.
She would have turned 50 in about six months’ time.
CATCH-UP: What happened last in court? JJ’s last known sighting
12:00 , Rachel Sharp
On Thursday, Lori Vallow’s former friend David Warwick testified about the last time he saw JJ alive.
Mr Warwick said he and his wife Melanie Gibb visited Ms Vallow in Rexburg, Idaho, over a weekend in September 2019.
JJ was there for most of the weekend but then, on the morning they left, was nowhere to be seen.
Ms Vallow allegedly told him that JJ had “an episode and knocked over a picture of Christ”.
“We went downstairs to say goodbye and Lori was there and she just said that JJ had an episode,” he said.
“She said he was out of control and she could not control him and so she had Alex come get him… She said that he climbed the cabinets and the fridge and the upper cabinets and pushed over her picture of Christ.”
Who really is doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow?
11:30 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow was once seen as a doting mother.
Now, she is on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and the ex-wife of her new husband Chad Daybell in a chilling case with a doomsday cult at its core.
The 49-year-old mother-of-three is charged with the murders of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, who vanished without a trace in September 2019.
Almost one year later, their bodies were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho.
She is also charged with the first-degree murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell who died suddenly one month after the children’s disappearance.
But who really is Lori Vallow and how did she end up here? Read more below:
Lori Vallow: Who is the ‘cult mom’ on trial for her children’s murders?
Who is Chad Daybell?
11:00 , Rachel Sharp
Chad Daybell, 54, is a self-published author who wrote doomsday books loosely based on the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
He was also a professional cemetery sexton and ran a podcast based on his doomsday teachings.
He married his first wife Tammy in 1990 and they founded Spring Creek Book Company together in Utah – the company which published his doomsday books.
The couple had five children together and moved to Salem, Idaho, in 2015.
Among his teachings, he claimed he could teleport, could see into the future and see dead people, and that he and Lori Vallow were part of the chosen 144,000.
He is also charged over the triple murders and is due to stand trial separately at a later date. He has pleaded not guilty.
He has not been charged over Charles Vallow’s death – but prosecutors in Arizona said this was only because they didn’t think the charges would stick.
Napping in court, three words and typing too loudly: Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
10:30 , Rachel Sharp
New harrowing and bizarre details about the cult beliefs which allegedly drove – or excused – the 49-year-old to kill continue to come to light during her murder trial in Ada County Courthouse.
But, beyond the trial testimony, there’s also been some bizarre happenings taking place inside the courtroom.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:
Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
Timeline of the bizarre and tragic case surrounding Lori Vallow:
10:00 , Rachel Sharp
More than three years after her children were last seen alive, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is finally on 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.
Their disappearances and deaths mark only part of a dramatic case that spans a deeply disturbing pattern of murders, unexplained deaths and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies.
Now, Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell are charged in Idaho with JJ and Tylee’s murders, as well as the murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.
Ms Vallow is also separately charged in Arizona with conspiring to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother Alex Cox – who mysteriously also died three months after the children’s disappearance.
The doomsday couple – who are yet to turn on each other – were due to stand trial together in Idaho but the cases were severed at the 11th hour.
Now, Ms Vallow is on trial separately in Boise, Idaho.
Here’s a timeline of the tragic and bizarre case:
Timeline of the Lori Vallow Daybell case
What was the motive? ‘Money, sex, power'
09:30 , Rachel Sharp
During opening statements, prosecutors said that Lori Vallow was driven by “money, power and sex” to murder her two children and her new husband’s then-wife.
“Money, power, and sex – that’s what this case is about,” said Fremont County prosecutor Lindsey Blake.
“Tylee had money. Lori wanted it. Tylee’s gone. JJ took time and he also lost his father. When he lost his father, he became much more difficult to care for. He was entitled to social security benefits. The defendant didn’t want to have to take care of JJ anymore. He had money. JJ’s gone.”
Ms Blake told jurors that the saga first began back in October 2018 when Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell met in person for the first time at a religious conference.
Despite both being married, their romance grew with Ms Blake saying: “The defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants – and she wanted Chad Daybell.”
The doomsday couple allegedly used their cult beliefs to “justify” their actions, the prosecutor said in opening statements.
“She was here on a religious mission to gather the 144,000, so she needed to spend her time and energy there,” said Ms Blake. “What she did on earth no longer counted for her.”
As part of their cult beliefs, they believed in a “rating system of light and dark” for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them.
Over time, this evolved into the belief that some people – including the children – were “zombies” and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed.
Lori Vallow trial: Who are the key players?
09:00 , Rachel Sharp
In a courtroom in Idaho, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is now on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and her lover’s wife.
Prosecutors say that she conspired with lover Chad Daybell and brother Alex Cox to kill her children JJ and Tylee and Mr Daybell’s wife Tammy as part of their doomsday cult beliefs – but also so they could collect life insurance money and the kids’ social security and survivor benefits.
It’s a bizarre and tragic case that has shocked the nation over the last few years – and which is now playing out in court for the first time as Ms Vallow stands trial in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key players in the sprawling case:
Who are the key players in Lori Vallow’s trial?
WATCH: Moment in early 2020 where Chad Daybell confronted by journalist over kids’ disappearance
08:30 , Rachel Sharp
What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial
07:30 , Rachel Sharp
It looked every inch the fairytale wedding.
Dressed in white with pink flower garlands around their necks, the bride and groom couldn’t have looked happier as they exchanged vows on a paradise beach in Hawaii.
Photos captured the apparently blissful day as they toasted their nuptials, embraced and she danced to him playing the guitar.
But, behind the photos, something much more disturbing was going on.
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.
Here’s what we know so far about the case:
What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial
ICYMI: Tammy Daybell’s cause of death revealed
06:30 , Rachel Sharp
The cause of death of Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy has finally been revealed as “cult mom” Lori Vallow’s high-profile murder trial gets underway in Idaho.
In opening statements in Ada County Courthouse on Monday morning, Fremont County prosecutor Lindsey Blake told jurors that Tammy, 49, died by asphyxiation – and not peacefully in her sleep as was originally claimed.
Tammy died “at the hands of another and died of asphyxiation,” she said, citing the Utah medical examiner.
Read the full story:
Lori Vallow trial hears how Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy was killed
Last photo of Tylee Ryan
05:30 , Rachel Sharp
Tylee Ryan, 16, was last seen alive on 8 September 2019.
That day, Lori Vallow, Alex Cox, JJ and Tylee visited Yellowstone National Park. Photos of the family members there mark the last signs of life for Tylee.
Her remains were found in June 2020 on Mr Daybell’s property. Her remains were so badly burned that an autopsy to determine her cause of death was impossible, jurors heard.
Last known photo of JJ
04:30 , Rachel Sharp
Joshua “JJ” Vallow was last seen alive on 22 September 2019.
The last proof of life showed the little boy, who had autism, sitting on a sofa dressed in a matching set of red pyjamas.
Nine months later – on June 2020 – remains belonging to him and his 16-year-old sister Tylee Ryan were found buried on the grounds of their mother’s new husband’s property.
During Ms Vallow’s murder trial in Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday, shocked jurors were shown harrowing photos of JJ’s body – still dressed in his childlike pyjamas and a pull-up night diaper.
Buried in pyjamas and burned beyond recognition: Lori Vallow trial hears horror of her children’s murders
02:30 , Rachel Sharp
Graphic photos shown at “cult mom” Lori Vallow’s murder trial revealed how her slain son JJ was still wearing his red pyjamas and a nighttime diaper when his remains were found buried in a shallow grave on Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho.
Joshua “JJ” Vallow was last seen alive on 22 September 2019.
The last proof of life showed the little boy, who had autism, sitting on a sofa dressed in a matching set of red pyjamas.
Nine months later – on June 2020 – remains belonging to him and his 16-year-old sister Tylee Ryan were found buried on the grounds of their mother’s new husband’s property.
Read the full story:
Lori Vallow’s son JJ was found buried in red pyjamas and diaper
ICYMI: Lori Vallow’s nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux breaks down speaking about children’s remains
Monday 24 April 2023 00:30 , Rachel Sharp
“Cult mom” Lori Vallow’s former nephew-in-law broke down in tears on the witness stand as he testified about the moment he had to identify the remains of her murdered seven-year-old son.
During an emotional first day of testimony in Ms Vallow’s murder trial on Monday, Brandon Boudreaux told jurors about the moment that he learned Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan’s remains had been found buried on Chad Daybell’s property.
“I was in my parents’ home in the garage. It was the day before my wedding,” he sobbed.
Read the full story:
Lori Vallow’s nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux breaks down at murder trial
Napping in court, three words and typing too loudly: Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
Sunday 23 April 2023 22:30 , Rachel Sharp
New harrowing and bizarre details about the cult beliefs which allegedly drove – or excused – the 49-year-old to kill continue to come to light during her murder trial in Ada County Courthouse.
But, beyond the trial testimony, there’s also been some bizarre happenings taking place inside the courtroom:
Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
A doomsday cult, missing children and five bodies: What we know about Lori Vallow case
Sunday 23 April 2023 20:30 , Rachel Sharp
As “cult mom” Lori Vallow is finally on 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 surrounds her and her doomsday author husband Chad Daybell:
What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial
Who really is Lori Vallow?
Sunday 23 April 2023 18:30 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow was once seen as a doting mother.
Now, she is on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and the ex-wife of her new husband Chad Daybell in a chilling case with a doomsday cult at its core.
The 49-year-old mother-of-three is charged with the murders of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, who vanished without a trace in September 2019.
Almost one year later, their bodies were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho.
She is also charged with the first-degree murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell who died suddenly one month after the children’s disappearance.
But who really is Lori Vallow and how did she end up here? Read more below:
Lori Vallow: Who is the ‘cult mom’ on trial for her children’s murders?
Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial so far
Sunday 23 April 2023 16:30 , Rachel Sharp
“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is currently on trial in a case that has shocked the nation with its bizarre doomsday cult ties and the tragic deaths of almost everyone close to the mother-of-three and her new husband Chad Daybell.
The 49-year-old is charged with the murders of her children Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16, and conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.
JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months.
One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach.
In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits.
After lengthy delays – due to the pandemic and Ms Vallow’s admission into a mental health facility – her trial is finally under way in a courtroom in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key revelations from the trial – so far:
Cult beliefs and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
Jailhouse call reveals Daybell warning Vallow as police close in
Sunday 23 April 2023 14:30 , Rachel Sharp
A jailhouse phone call reveals Chad Daybell warning Lori Vallow that police were closing in on the day that her children’s remains were discovered buried on his property.
In the call, made at 11.03am on 9 June 2020, Mr Daybell is heard telling his new wife that law enforcement were on the scene searching his property in Rexburg, Idaho.
At the time, Ms Vallow was behind bars in Madison County Jail after she failed to meet a court order to present the children.
“They are searching the property,” a forlorn-sounding Mr Daybell says.
He later adds: “So, we’ll see what transpires.”
Just around one hour later, the remains of JJ and Tylee were discovered buried on Mr Daybell’s property.
Lori Vallow said missing JJ was watching Frozen 2 with a friend
Sunday 23 April 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified that the cult mom had lied to police about JJ’s whereabouts – using her as an alibi.
Jurors heard that Chad Daybell called Ms Gibb a few days before Thanksgiving 2019 to tell her that the police would be calling her about JJ and Tylee’s whereabouts and that she shouldn’t answer.
Ms Vallow had claimed to authorities that JJ was with Ms Gibb watching Frozen 2 and asked her friend to take photos of random children at the movies to show police, jurors heard.
Initially, Ms Gibb said she didn’t know what to do so ignored police calls before speaking to them and admitting she hadn’t seen JJ.
A December 2019 phone call, secretly recorded by Ms Gibb, captured her confronting Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell about asking her to lie about JJ’s whereabouts.
In the call, Ms Vallow also claimed that she was trying to protect JJ because his grandmother Kay Woodcock was trying to “kidnap him”. She insisted that JJ – who was already dead – was “safe and happy” but refused to reveal where he was.
Ms Gibb told her friend: “If you really loved me, you would not have told the police I had JJ with me.”
Ms Vallow responded by telling her it “sounds like you have been influenced by somebody dark and obey dark things”.
Lori Vallow trial: Who are the key players?
Sunday 23 April 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp
In a courtroom in Idaho, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is now on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and her lover’s wife.
Prosecutors say that she conspired with lover Chad Daybell and brother Alex Cox to kill her children JJ and Tylee and Mr Daybell’s wife Tammy as part of their doomsday cult beliefs – but also so they could collect life insurance money and the kids’ social security and survivor benefits.
It’s a bizarre and tragic case that has shocked the nation over the last few years – and which is now playing out in court for the first time as Ms Vallow stands trial in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key players in the sprawling case:
Who are the key players in Lori Vallow’s trial?
Timeline of the doomsday cult mom’s case
Sunday 23 April 2023 08:30 , Rachel Sharp
More than three years after her children were last seen alive, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is finally on 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.
Their disappearances and deaths mark only part of a dramatic case that spans a deeply disturbing pattern of murders, unexplained deaths and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies.
Now, Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell are charged in Idaho with JJ and Tylee’s murders, as well as the murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.
Ms Vallow is also separately charged in Arizona with conspiring to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother Alex Cox – who mysteriously also died three months after the children’s disappearance.
The doomsday couple – who are yet to turn on each other – were due to stand trial together in Idaho but the cases were severed at the 11th hour.
Now, Ms Vallow is on trial separately in Boise, Idaho.
Here’s a timeline of the tragic and bizarre case:
Timeline of the Lori Vallow Daybell case
Cult mom believed children had ‘dark spirits’
Sunday 23 April 2023 06:30 , Rachel Sharp
In court, juurors heard testimony about the dark doomsday cult beliefs of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell.
Friend Melanie Gibb testified that Ms Vallow told her JJ and Tylee had been taken over by “dark spirits” in September 2019 – the month of their disappearance.
She claimed that JJ had become “dark” that month, would climb on top of the fridge and cabinets, and would say things like “I love Satan”.
Ms Gibb testified that JJ appeared to be acting like a typical seven-year-old who had autism.
Ms Vallow allegedly also claimed that Tylee had moved into dorm rooms at BYU-Idaho and that all of the teen’s belongings had been moved into storage.
As part of their cult beliefs, the doomsday couple believed in a rating system ranking people’s spirits from “light” to “dark”, said Ms Gibb.
They believed that some people – including the children – were “zombies” and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed.
Ms Vallow’s fourth husband Charles Vallow was also labeled as “dark”, said Ms Gibb.
ICYMI: Lori Vallow abruptly leaves court after trial hears of unbearable smell of JJ and Tylee’s bodies
Sunday 23 April 2023 04:30 , Rachel Sharp
“Cult mom” Lori Vallow suddenly left the room where she is standing trial for the murders of her daughter and son after the court heard graphic details on how the children’s remains were recovered in a pet cemetery.
Ms Vallow’s ongoing trial in Boise, Idaho, was delayed on Tuesday when her defence attorneys asked Judge Steven Boyce for a moment to speak with their visibly upset client, KUTV reported. Ms Vallow and the rest of the court had just returned from a lunch break after hearing disturbing details about the way her children JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, were discovered buried on her doomsday preacher husband Chad Daybell’s property.
Testifying for the prosecution, Rexburg Police Detective Ray Hermosillo recounted the grisly scene investigators found on 9 June 2020, nearly nine months after his department first alerted the FBI of Ms Vallow’s refusal to disclose her children’s whereabouts.
Mr Hermosillo told jurors that JJ’s body was found wrapped in a plastic bag and duct tape. In another area of the property, investigators discovered burnt flesh and charred bones that were later confirmed to be Tylee’s remains.
Read the full story:
Lori Vallow abruptly leaves court after trial hears grisly details about crime scene
Cult mom laughed as surviving child confronted her about dead siblings
Sunday 23 April 2023 02:30 , Rachel Sharp
In a chilling jailhouse phone call played to the court, Lori Vallow was heard laughing as her only surviving child confronted her about the deaths of his two siblings.
Colby Ryan, Ms Vallow’s eldest son from her second marriage, took the stand to testify against his mother on day six of he trial.
During his testimony, jurors heard an emotional phone call between him and Ms Vallow as she was held behind bars in August 2020 – two months after JJ and Tylee’s remains were discovered.
“My siblings, my whole family, my dad – everyone is gone except my mom and you’re in jail because of it. You ripped my heart out. You ripped everyone’s heart out,” he told her.
When Mr Ryan told her “you murdered my siblings”, Ms Vallow denied it saying: “I didn’t. I’m sorry you feel that way.”
In the call, Mr Ryan pleaded with his mother to tell him the truth about what happened to his brother and sister and questioned how she could believe Jesus Christ was on her side.
Ms Vallow was heard laughing in response, and saying that only Tylee and JJ know what happened.
“They love me and they are fine and they know the truth and we are the only people that do,” she said, claiming that all would become clear in the afterlife.
Mr Ryan also confronted his mother about texts that were sent from Tylee’s phone to him after she had already been killed, accusing her of posing as his sister to keep up the pretence that she was alive.
The trial in courtroom sketches:
Sunday 23 April 2023 00:30 , Rachel Sharp
JJ’s grandmother Kay Woodcock is the first witness to take the stand:
Brandon Boudreaux, who was previously married to Lori Vallow Daybell’s niece, sobs on the stand speaking about the children :
Lori Vallow sits between her lawyers in the courtroom:
Charles Vallow shooting caused ‘rip’ in Lori Vallow’s extended family, cousin says
Saturday 22 April 2023 23:30 , Megan Sheets
The shooting of Lori Vallow’s fourth husband Charles created a “rip” in her extended family, according to her cousin.
Charles was shot dead by Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019, two months before her children JJ and Tylee vanished in Idaho.
Police initially ruled that Cox acted in self defence after a fight broke out during a custody dispute over JJ, who was Charles and Ms Vallow’s adoptive son. However, police have since ruled that Charles’ death was a murder conspiracy.
Ms Vallow’s cousin, Megan Eyden, revealed the impact the shooting had on the family in a new interview with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.
“All I can tell you is that for sure there was a rip in the family when Charles was killed,” Ms Eyden said. “There was part of the family that believed that Alex acted in self-defense and there was a part of the family that believes that he did not. And that definitely was a separation in our family. And I think that sort of continues … somewhat today.”
Ms Eyden said she still struggles with the idea “that if her immediate family had been willing to hold her (Vallow) accountable and hold Alex accountable at that time that the kids might still be alive”.
Lori Vallow’s chilling response when asked about Tylee’s whereabouts
Saturday 22 April 2023 22:30 , Rachel Sharp
Zulema Pastenes was in the cult with Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell and Alex Cox and married Cox just weeks before he died suddenly.
She testified in court this week that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell performed ritualistic “castings” to drive out “dark spirits” from individuals and that the cult mom also taught other women classes on how to “cast out demons”.
In September 2019, she said she went to Rexburg and saw JJ there alive but didn’t see Tylee.
She said she asked where Tylee was and Ms Vallow told her that her daughter “had to be freed”.
She then allegedly put her hand in front of Ms Pastenes’ face and told her: “Don’t ask.”
Prior to her disappearance, Ms Pastenes said Ms Vallow had claimed Tylee was possessed by a demon named “Hillary” and that JJ was also being attacked by dark spirits. She also claimed her husband Charles Vallow was possessed by a dark spirit named Garrett.
Lori Vallow’s cousin says her father was most powerful influence
Saturday 22 April 2023 21:30 , Megan Sheets
Lori Vallow became the person she is today in large part because of her father, according to her cousin Megan Eyden.
Ms Eyden spoke about the “cult mom” in a wide-ranging interview with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield on Friday night.
She said the most powerful influence in Ms Vallow’s life was her father, Barry Cox.
“Anybody who has dug into his history a little bit will tell you that he definitely believed he was above the law,” Ms Eyden said.
Cox, she said, ended up serving prison time for tax evasion after trying to sue the IRS.
“I think the most pervasive thing that ran throughout the family system was this concept that Barry talked about called the lower 95, where he believes that 95 per cent of the population are stupid, sheep, unattractive people,” she said.
“And he and his family are in the upper 5 per cent who are smarter than everybody more intelligent, more exceptional, more beautiful. And certainly that plays into a lot of Lori’s personality.”
What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial
Saturday 22 April 2023 20:30 , Rachel Sharp
As “cult mom” Lori Vallow is finally on 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 surrounds her and her doomsday author husband Chad Daybell:
What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial
Lori Vallow’s cousin reacts to trial so far
Saturday 22 April 2023 19:30 , Megan Sheets
Lori Vallow’s cousin Megan Eyden has spoken out amid the ongoing “cult mom” murder trial.
Ms Eyden, whose father is Ms Vallow’s uncle, sat down with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield in an interview aired Friday night.
She said she has tried to distance herself from media coverage surrounding the bombshell case for the past three years because it was hard to hear all of the horrifying allegations.
“A lot of it has been speculation, of course,” she said. “And so it’s pretty difficult to, you know, to hear everybody trying to talk about what they think happened and not really know.
“So until the trial started, I really stayed for the most part out of it. And I think most of my immediate family has done the same as well.”
Ms Eyden revealed that during the nine-month search for Ms Vallow’s children JJ and Tylee, which ended in the discovery of their bodies in June 2020, she had little hope for a positive outcome.
“For my own mental health, I really had to just come to terms with the fact that I was not optimistic about the children being found alive,” she said.
Ms Eyden said the case has caused significant “dysfunction” within her family, but she hopes justice will be served.
The Independent’s Megan Sheets has more:
Lori Vallow’s cousin reveals haunting fear about children’s murders
Lori Vallow went to Burger King minutes after brother killed husband
Saturday 22 April 2023 18:30 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow went to Burger King minutes after her brother Alex Cox shot and killed her fourth husband Charles Vallow, jurors heard in court this week.
Charles Vallow was shot dead by Cox at Ms Vallow’s home in Chandler, Arizona, in July 2019. Cox claimed he shot Charles in self-defence because he tried to attack him with a baseball bat. Ms Vallow is now charged with conspiracy to murder Charles in Arizona.
Detective Cassandra Ynclan, with the Chandler Police Department in Arizona, testified about Ms Vallow’s lack of concern for her husband when he was shot dead. She told the court how Ms Vallow claimed she did not witness the shooting but heard a gunshot and saw Charles on the ground.
She left the scene and took JJ to school, stopping off at Burger King on the way. She returned around an hour later.
A firefighter who responded to the scene also testified that no one had performed CPR on Charles before his arrival.
Who is doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow?
Saturday 22 April 2023 16:30 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow was once seen as a doting mother.
Now, she is on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and the ex-wife of her new husband Chad Daybell in a chilling case with a doomsday cult at its core.
The 49-year-old mother-of-three is charged with the murders of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, who vanished without a trace in September 2019.
Almost one year later, their bodies were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho.
She is also charged with the first-degree murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell who died suddenly one month after the children’s disappearance.
But who really is Lori Vallow and how did she end up here? Read more below:
Lori Vallow: Who is the ‘cult mom’ on trial for her children’s murders?
Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s trial:
Saturday 22 April 2023 14:30 , Rachel Sharp
“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is currently on trial in a case that has shocked the nation with its bizarre doomsday cult ties and the tragic deaths of almost everyone close to the mother-of-three and her new husband Chad Daybell.
The 49-year-old is charged with the murders of her children Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16, and conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.
JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months.
One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach.
In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits.
After lengthy delays – due to the pandemic and Ms Vallow’s admission into a mental health facility – her trial is finally under way in a courtroom in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key revelations from the trial – so far:
Cult beliefs and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
LISTEN: Audio from 19 April trial
Saturday 22 April 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp
Vallow and Daybell were planning new life in Hawaii – without children
Saturday 22 April 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp
The doomsday couple was planning to embark on a new life together in Hawaii – without any children.
In court this week, jurors were shown an email sent by Chad Daybell to a realtor in Hawaii in November 2019, just days after the couple wed on a beach there.
In the email, he said that they were looking for a home for a couple “with no pets or children”.
“We are interested in seeing this property. Would the owners be interested in leasing this property to a clean couple with no pets or children? Please let us know. Thank you,” he wrote.
Lori Vallow confronted by best friend about JJ lies in secret recording
Saturday 22 April 2023 08:30 , Rachel Sharp
A phone call between “cult mom” Lori Vallow and her former best friend was played in court during her ongoing trial for the murders of two of her children.
The trial of Ms Vallow, 49, continues at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, almost three years after she was charged with killing her son Joshua “JJ” Vallow and daughter Tylee Ryan and conspiring to murder her doomsday preacher’s husband Chad Daybell’s first wife.
On Thursday, prosecutors played a phone conversation between Mr Daybell, Ms Vallow and her then-best friend Melanie Gibb, who was on the stand testifying for the state. In the early December 2019 call, which she recorded secretly, Ms Gibb delved into the couple’s bizarre cult beliefs and later confronted them for asking her to lie to the police about JJ’s whereabouts.
Read the full story:
Lori Vallow confronted by best friend about JJ lies in secret recording
‘Grand theft timeline’ revealed
Saturday 22 April 2023 06:30 , Rachel Sharp
During the trial this week, several law enforcement officials testified about what was described as “the grand theft timeline” – revealing the alleged financial motive for the killings.
Jurors heard how, in the months surrounding the murders, there were several suspicious changes to the social security payments meant for Tylee and JJ.
Tylee’s father – and Lori Vallow’s second husband – Joseph Ryan died in 2018 and so the teenager was eligible for the benefits.
On 16 August 2019, Tylee’s social security benefits were changed so that they would be paid into her mother’s bank account instead of her own. Three days later, Ms Vallow and Tylee opened a joint bank account.
Days later – on 31 August – Ms Vallow moved Tylee and JJ to Rexburg, Idaho, to where Chad Daybell lived. On 8 September,Tylee was last seen alive.
A similar pattern was presented to jurors with JJ’s finances. After Charles Vallow’s death, his son JJ began receiving social security payments. Ms Vallow began receiving the payments into her bank account on her son’s behalf in September. Days later, prosecutors say JJ was killed.
Even after the deaths of JJ and Tylee, Ms Vallow allegedly continued to collect the social security payments.
Ms Vallow’s accounts were then used to pay for flights for herself and Mr Daybell.
Jurors also heard how Mr Daybell made a life insurance claim for Tammy Daybell just days after she died in October 2019. He ultimately received $400,000 in benefits from it.
Who was Tammy Daybell?
Saturday 22 April 2023 04:30 , Rachel Sharp
Tammy Daybell was Chad Daybell’s first wife who he allegedly murdered in October 2019.
In October 2019, Tammy called 911 after a man allegedly shot at her in the driveway of her home. She took to Facebook to describe the incident.
Just 10 days later, Tammy died suddenly in her sleep at the age of 49. Her death was initially ruled natural causes and Mr Daybell declined an autopsy.
But following the disappearance of Tylee and JJ, law enforcement officials grew suspicious. Her body was exhumed for an autopsy, with officials finding she actually died by asphyxiation.
Now, Mr Daybell is charged with her murder while both he and Lori Vallow are charged with conspiring to murder her.
Lori Vallow trial hears emotional prison call with surviving son Colby Ryan
Saturday 22 April 2023 02:30 , Rachel Sharp
On day six of testimony in the trial of “cult mom” Lori Vallow, the jury heard a recording of a phone call between the defendant and her eldest son from the early months of her incarceration.
Colby Ryan, Ms Vallow’s son from her second marriage, was called a witness for the prosecution. He is her only surviving child following the murders of daughter Tylee, 16, and adopted son JJ, 7, in September 2019.
In the emotional call between mother and son, Ms Vallow refused to switch on her camera, while Mr Ryan demanded to know whether Jesus had really told her to murder his siblings.
Read the full story:
Lori Vallow trial hears gut-wrenching prison call with surviving son Colby Ryan
Who was Charles Vallow?
Saturday 22 April 2023 01:30 , Rachel Sharp
Charles Vallow was Lori Vallow’s fourth husband. The couple married in 2006 and adopted JJ together.
In July 2019, Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox shot and killed Charles at Ms Vallow’s home in Chandler, Arizona.
Cox claimed that he shot Charles in self-defence when he tried to attack him with a baseball bat. However, Cox did not perform CPR on Vallow and waited 43 minutes to call police.
At the time, the case was closed as self-defence but, after it was reopened, investigators found that Cox and Ms Vallow allegedly conspired to kill Vallow.
His death came after he had warned – in divorce filings and police complaints – that he feared his wife would kill him and that she believed she was a god preparing for a second coming.
Ms Vallow is now facing charges in Arizona of conspiring to murder Charles.
Who was Alex Cox?
Saturday 22 April 2023 00:45 , Rachel Sharp
Alex Cox was Lori Vallow’s brother – who mysteriously died in December 2019.
Cox is also Ms Vallow and Chad Daybell’s alleged accomplice and co-conspirator in the murders of Tylee, JJ andTammy.
He also shot dead Ms Vallow’s fourth husband Charles Vallow in July 2019.
In December 2019 – just as Tammy’s body was being exhumed by authorities – Cox died suddenly aged 51.
His death has been ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However, the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.
Napping in court, three words and typing too loudly: Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
Saturday 22 April 2023 00:00 , Rachel Sharp
New harrowing and bizarre details about the cult beliefs which allegedly drove – or excused – Lori Vallow to kill continue to come to light during her murder trial in Ada County Courthouse.
But, beyond the trial testimony, there’s also been some bizarre happenings taking place inside the courtroom:
Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
Lori Vallow believed husband was possessed by demon called Ned Schneider
Friday 21 April 2023 22:30 , Rachel Sharp
Lori Vallow’s friend testified that the cult mom believed her fourth husband Charles Vallow was possessed by demon called Ned Schneider.
April Raymond said she met Ms Vallow at a church in Hawaii in 2016 – when she was married to Charles Vallow – and became very close. In February 2019, she said that Ms Vallow called her and asked if she and Tylee could stay with her because she was leaving Charles.
Ms Raymond testified that Ms Vallow told her that Charles was possessed by a demon.
“Charles was already dead and a demon was using his body as a host. The demon’s name was Ned Schneider,” she said.
Ms Vallow allegedly said she knew he was no longer Charles because he looked “shorter”.
She also allegedly told Ms Raymond that she was “done with JJ”.
Ms Vallow told her that she was the leader of the 144,000 and was there to “gather” her so she too could be saved.
Cult beliefs, hazmat suits and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial so far
Friday 21 April 2023 21:45 , Rachel Sharp
“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is currently on trial in a case that has shocked the nation with its bizarre doomsday cult ties and the tragic deaths of almost everyone close to the mother-of-three and her new husband Chad Daybell.
The 49-year-old is charged with the murders of her children Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16, and conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.
JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months.
One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach.
In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits.
After lengthy delays – due to the pandemic and Ms Vallow’s admission into a mental health facility – her trial is finally under way in a courtroom in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key revelations from the trial – so far:
Cult beliefs and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial
WATCH: More disturbing testimony coming out of the Lori Vallow trial
Friday 21 April 2023 21:00 , Rachel Sharp
Who was Joshua 'JJ’ Vallow?
Friday 21 April 2023 20:15 , Rachel Sharp
Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, was the adoptive son of Ms Vallow and Charles Vallow.
The couple adopted the boy when he was around a year old. Charles Vallow’s sister Kay Woodcock was JJ’s biological grandmother.
JJ, who had autism, was last seen alive on 23 September 2019.
His remains were found buried on Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho in June 2020, his body wrapped in duct tape and a plastic bag.
Lori Vallow trial: Who are the key players?
Friday 21 April 2023 19:30 , Rachel Sharp
In a courtroom in Idaho, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is now on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and her lover’s wife.
Prosecutors say that she conspired with lover Chad Daybell and brother Alex Cox to kill her children JJ and Tylee and Mr Daybell’s wife Tammy as part of their doomsday cult beliefs – but also so they could collect life insurance money and the kids’ social security and survivor benefits.
It’s a bizarre and tragic case that has shocked the nation over the last few years – and which is now playing out in court for the first time as Ms Vallow stands trial in Boise, Idaho.
Here are the key players in the sprawling case:
Who are the key players in Lori Vallow’s trial?
Who was Tylee Ryan?
Friday 21 April 2023 18:45 , Rachel Sharp
Tylee Ryan was Lori Vallow’s daughter from her third marriage to Joseph Ryan.
She was just 16 when she was last seen alive on 8 September 2019, in photos captured at Yellowstone National Park with JJ, her mother, and her uncle Alex Cox.
For months, Ms Vallow refused to say where Tylee and her brother JJ were.
In June 2020, Tylee’s remains were found on Chad Daybell’s property in Idaho. Her body had been dismembered, burned and buried on his pet cemetery.
