Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were indicted on Tuesday with murder charges in the death of Vallow’s two children nearly two years after they went missing.
The couple was indicted by a jury in Fremont County, Idaho, on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, grand theft by deception, grand theft, and insurance fraud. The children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, were last seen alive in September 2019, and their remains were found on Daybell’s property in June 2020 by detectives from the Rexburg Police Department.
FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS CHARGED WITH MURDERING NEIGHBOR IN CASE OF ‘MISTAKEN IDENTITY’
“Due to the ongoing safety restrictions imposed by the courts during the pandemic, we just recently were given permission to present information to the Grand Jury for their review,” Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said in a statement. “They deliberated and determined there is probable cause to believe that the Daybells willfully and knowingly conspired to commit several crimes that led to the death of three innocent people.”
In January 2020, Vallow was charged with two counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children after authorities found her in Hawaii and she failed to “physically produce her children.” Daybell was taken into custody in June after the children’s remains were located. He was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence and two felony counts of destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence. The pair both pleaded not guilty to the previous charges against them.
Daybell was also charged with the murder of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, 49. She was found dead in her home in October 2019, which was initially ruled to be a result of natural causes. Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow were married just weeks after her death.
Charles Vallow, Lori Vallow’s first husband, was shot to death in July 2019 by Alex Cox, Lori Vallow’s brother, in Chandler, Arizona.
“I got in a fight with my brother-in-law, and I shot him in self-defense,” Cox said in a 911 call.
Cox, who prosecutors say was also involved in the deaths of the children, claimed self-defense. Arizona’s Maricopa County medical examiner determined the incident to be a homicide.
He died in December 2019. His death is now listed as being the result of heart failure.
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Before Charles Vallow died, he filed for divorce, claiming Lori Vallow believed she was sent by God to lead people during the second coming of Jesus Christ, saying that if he got in her way, she would kill him. Daybell wrote many books about doomsday events.
“Fremont Prosecutor Lindsey Blake and I believe all three homicides and the related financial crimes were committed as part of a continuing criminal scheme,” Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood said in a statement. “The unprecedented cooperation among law enforcement has been a model of cooperation, diligence and commitment. Every person who has worked on this case is to be commended for their diligence and steadfast pursuit of justice for Tammy, Tylee and JJ.”
