Valerie Lori in 2019, Daybell and her spouse, Chad Daybell, faced charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and grand theft in relation to the passing of their two children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan, as well as Chad Daybell’s ex-wife, Tammy Daybell. In Boise, Idaho, on April 11, her trial—separate from her husband’s—started.
Following an Idaho jury’s conviction for the same three murders, Chad Daybell received a death sentence a year later. In June 2020, nine months after going missing, the kids were discovered buried in Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho. Daybell had put his house for sale for $350,000.
Arizona is now prosecuting Lori Vallow for the shooting death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in 2019 as well as the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, who escaped the drive-by shooting.
During a custody exchange in July 2019, Lori’s ex-husband Charles went to Vallow’s house in Chandler, Arizona. However, Alex Cox, Lori’s brother, killed Charles, claiming he was defending himself.
On December 11, 2019, Cox unexpectedly passed away at the age of 51, a few hours after Tammy Daybell’s remains had been dug up.
Based on text message evidence shown at her trial last year for the killings of JJ and Tylee, Vallow and her current husband, accused cult leader Chad Daybell, planned to eliminate “obstacles” in their life, including her children and spouses, starting with Charles’s death.
Image Credit: People
According to Justin Lum of Fox10, Boudreaux and his spouse were present in the courthouse on Tuesday for the hearing. Kay Woodcock, the sister of Charles Vallow, attended the hearing as well.
The eldest child of Vallow Daybell, Colby Ryan, testified on Tuesday. After the children’s bodies were found in a yard on Chad Daybell’s home, prosecutors played a phone conversation that he had with Vallow Daybell.
Colby Ryan asked his mother if she could continue to hide from him throughout the phone call. “Why would you think I’m hiding when I’m not?” Vallow Daybell told Colby Ryan.
“Most likely as a result of your killing my brothers! Colby Ryan went on, “Perhaps you should understand,” but his mother cut him off with, “I didn’t.” I apologize if you feel that way.
“To know you knew they were gone! And my younger sister, who isn’t even alive, is texting me on my phone! With a raised voice, Ryan said. My poor brother, who is the sweetest little kid ever — for what purpose? You claim that my stepfather and my entire family’s demise are in line with God’s will.”
According to accounts from within the court through NBS News, Vallow Daybell argued for a number of minutes during the conversation that Colby Ryan could not know what happened to his siblings since he was not present, but that the kids were content and all will become evident in the hereafter.
The Arizona trial of Lori Vallow has been postponed until February 2025 in order to allow the “Doomsday cult mom” defense team additional time to examine the “substantial” information in the case.
During a status hearing on Tuesday, a Maricopa County judge approved the defense’s prior petition to reschedule the trial from its initial August 1 date to February 25, 2025.