RAY HERMOSILLO [in court]: They began pulling up the sod and topsoil which revealed three large white rocks, flat rocks. When the seven-year-old - who was autistic - wasreported missingby Kay Woodcock in November 2019, weeks after he was last seen alive, Mandy was seeking advice on how she could get JJ back. Lori's attorney asked the judge if she could be excused from the courtroom while the graphic testimony was shared and images of their remains shown. Gibb handed that secret recording to authorities, and investigators launched a nationwide search but not just for JJ. Or Is he alive, or? He's not moving. Hes a self-published author who has written more than two dozen books about near-death and doomsday events. Leger was the biological mother ofJoshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, who was found buried in a shallow grave in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 9, 2020, near the dismembered remains of his older sisterTylee Ryan, 16. She had heard enough excuses. Joseph Joe Ryan was the third husband of Lori Daybell. Margaret Travillion: We're gonna talk about JJ dancing in heaven. He had a lot of energy. He was shot and killed by one of Lori Vallows brothers, Alex Cox, on July 11, 2019. We were so worried about JJ, and did he see what happened to his dad, Woodcock told jurors. Later that year, Tammy Daybell, the wife of Chad Daybell and the mother of his five children, died at the Daybell's home in Idaho of what officials initially said were natural causes but later said was suspicious. Morgan Loew: I don't know that regular people could begin to understand how he could live in that house All the while those kids were buried 50 feet away in the backyard. They alleged that "She was fully convicted that if she worked on herself, then one day she would be able to have a relationship with him, but she never got that chance.". Tammy Daybell was initially described as having died in her sleep of natural causes. JJs biological father is Dennis Trahan, who is Kay Woodcocks son. Joe Ryans sister, Annie Cushing, told East Idaho News that she has questioned her brothers death. Nate Eaton Cox claimed self-defense and died that December by causes deemed to be natural. The boys biological parents couldnt care for him, so the I can only say it didn't feel right. RAY HERMOSILLO: He had duct tape continuously wrapped from elbow all the way around his arms, over his hands, all the way to his right elbow. Updated on: April 26, 2023 / 10:21 AM MELANIE GIBB: He brought JJ into the house during the middle of the podcast. Vaisia Itaaehau: She was a fan of his writing. It was January 2020 and a nationwide manhunt was underway for Vallows adopted son Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, and her 17-year-old daughter, Tylee Ryan. Daybell, 54, was also a member of the LDS church and a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on church teachings. Jonathan Vigliotti: What did you think when you read that email? He adopted Colby Ryan and was the biological father of Tylee. Pastenes also participated in castings with Vallow Daybell and others. In September 2019, Vallow Daybell moved to Rexburg from Arizona just months after Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Cox and her children went missing less than a month later. And on January 25, 2020, she was formally served an order to produce Tylee and JJ within five days. A Look at Who's Who in the Murder Trial of Slain Kids' Mom - US Charles Vallow, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, entered the picture several months later. When Colby Ryan Lori Vallow's only living child entered the Boise, Idaho, courtroom where she is on trial, Vallow mouthed, "Oh my baby." By this time, investigators believe JJ was already dead. Margaret Travillion: I just get so angry. "She was completely devastated [when JJ was found dead]," the friend told The U.S. Sun. ALEX COX [bodycam video]: and he hit me in the back of the head with the bat So, I went to my room and got my gun, 'cause I always carry it. In a troubling sign of the deception to come, Lori told a completely different story to JJ's school Lauren's Institute for Education or LIFE. In 2001, Vallow Daybell married again, this time to a man named Joseph Ryan. Todd's parents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, Here are some of the key people involved in the case: Lori Vallow Daybell, a 49-year-old Rexburg mother, accused of killing her two children, JJ and Tylee, and conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybells then-wife. Losing custody of her son took a significant toll on Mandy, friends said. 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 Now the cold glare of death would shift focus to Chad Daybell's family. JJ Vallow was born premature and was later diagnosed with autism, Kay Woodcock explained. Chad Daybell, a former gravedigger turned author, podcaster and doomsday prophet, was a married father of five. When the police returned to Lori's home, she embellished her story even more. Vallow Daybell claimed the only way to get rid of a zombie was to destroy the persons body, prosecutors say, and one friend told police she heard Vallow Daybell call the children zombies before they disappeared. For the first day of trial, the 60 seats available were reportedlyreserved within two minutes. / CBS News. The trial, which is expected to last up to 10 weeks, started on Monday, April 10, after a week of jury selection that saw dozens of potential jurors dismissed, many for being too familiar with details of the case or having already formed an opinion. All rights reserved. I'm like, 'why are police coming my door?'" That's not that's not what a friend does. Soon after, Vallow Daybell and her children moved to Idaho. Vallow Vallow and her husband Neither is Echo Itaaehau's daughter Vaisia, one of Tylee's best friends. The Daybells who had a monthslong affair before getting married are accused of conspiring to kill Chad Daybells then-wife, Tammy Daybell, along with Vallow Daybells two children. RAY HERMOSILLO: I observed what looked to be brown human hair. Vallow Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. April Raymond: I feel like they were a liability. She told the news outlet that it is feasible that he could have died of a heart attack, but she has questions about the autopsy. Joe Ryan was cremated. Especially Tylee was a liability for what she knew. Here, a look at the defendants and some of the witnesses in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybell: Lori Vallow Daybell, 49, is a beautician by trade, a mother of three, and a wife five times over. He said in the 911 call that he "got in a fight with my brother-in-law and I shot him." Benjamin Hyde has known Chad Daybell since the two men were missionaries together when they were 19. ROB WOOD: OK. And then what did she tell you? Daybell was married. UPDATE: Testimony reveals how Vallow Daybells children died Morgan Loew: What was striking about the footage that we saw was that There's no remorse. Vallow Echo Itaaehau: I didn't. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Lori's trial is expected to last for eight weeks. Lori later told police that she walked past Vallow on the floor and went outside. They Googled Charles Vallow's name and learned the truth. MELANIE GIBB: I'm just worried for you guys because, you know, he's missing and, you know LORI VALLOW: I know exactly where he is. Believed to be members of aradical cult, Lori and Chad apparently believed in a "rating system of light and dark to judge the purity of the spirits of the people around them, according to prosecutors. He dropped dead six months before JJ and Tylee were found. POLICE OFFICER [Bodycam video]: How long have you lived here? As indicated in court records, Tylee Ryan, at age 5, also said that her father had sexually abused her and Colby. She was arrested in Hawaii on February 20 and held on a $5million bond. He's there for a couple of hours. Woodcock was the first witness in the trial. The 7-year-old boy was killed and found buried in a shallow grave in June 2020 on Chad Daybells property. MELANIE GIBB: Hi Chad. Mandy Leger: JJ Vallows biological mom died from anguish and Morgan Loew: He said, "I need to report a shooting. The prosecution is arguing that Vallow Daybell wanted, as Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake said in her opening statement, "money, power and sex," and wouldn't let anything stand in her way. And so, I'm not sure what hijacked that priority. A look at who's who in the murder trial of slain kids' mom Joseph Ryan Died of Natural Causes: Police | Law&Crime investigative reporter Morgan Loew asks Lori Vallow Daybell on March 5, 2020, as she was extradited from Hawaii to Rexburg, Idaho, to face child abandonment charges. When JJ was there, you knew he was there. LORI VALLOW: We're OK. How are you doing, babe? But no one acted on it and Vallow let his guard down. LORI VALLOW: That's why the neighbors don't know us very well. Vallow That welfare check in November 2019 revealed that both kids were missing. April Raymond: She did everything for JJ, everything for Tylee. To his sister. JJ's grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, could barely contain their grief as they listened. The bucket was melted so it was kind of deformed.. But the horror was just beginning to unfold. Opening statements begin in trial of 'doomsday mom' Lori Vallow, accused of killing two children, Chad Daybell claimed to have had a vision, Lori Vallow's late husband seen on video telling police: 'She's threatened me, to murder me, kill me', learned that his wife was having an affair, probable cause affidavit filed against Lori Vallow, Melanie Gibb discusses her former friendship with Chad and Lori. Chad Cox talks with police after shooting Charles Vallow. JJs father, Charles Vallow, is actually Woodcocks brother: He adopted JJ as a baby because JJs biological parents including Woodcocks son were unable to care for the child. April Raymond: Part of her mission on Earth was to eliminate the darkness, the demonic the evil. Jonathan Vigliotti: What went on in your mind when, weeks after Tammy died, Chad and Lori get married? and It was just the beginning. Lori Vallows estranged cousin has revealed one of her most haunting fears about the murders for which the so-called cult mom is currently on trial. Lori Vallow is currentlyon trialfor first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft charges in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee. Prosecutors say he met Vallow Daybell at a conference in Utah in 2018. And so much potential. Below that, a layer of black plastic. A second suggested that her sudden death at the age of 46 was likely a direct cause of all the anguish and stress she endured losing JJ. ", Margaret Travillion [reading aloud] "If you're working or playing or sitting with friends you can [cries] dance til you're dizzy." LORI VALLOW: I don't know why you're being controversial to me or if you're recording this conversation for the police or whatever. he never hesitated to resort to violence if he believed he was defending his sister. It was a fresh start all right, but not in California. The 16-year-old was killed just a few days before her 17th birthday, and her body was found dismembered in June 2020 on Chad Daybells property. Chad Daybell at a court hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 4, 2020. Margaret Travillion | LIFE co-founder: Our administrator came into my office. J. J. Vallow Biological Parents. She was devastated when she learned Chad Daybell remarried just a couple of weeks after Tammy died, she said, but he told her that he and his new wife connected because they were both grieving over deceased spouses. But what about the man who led them to Daybell's backyard? Vallow Lori Vallows family has said that she had long been obsessed with death and the afterlife and that her marriage to Daybell pushed her deeper into her beliefs. Before she could complete the program, JJ's adoption to the Vallow family had already been finalized, they claimed. HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM+ & Cinemax. ALEX COX: Well it was over my sister. By the time the remains of 7-year-old JJ Vallow and his 16-year-old sister Tylee Ryan were found buried in shallow graves on Chad Daybell's property in June 2020, they had become two of the most famous missing children in America. He is in custody at the Fremont County Jail. Margaret Travillion: And just that growth of watching him come out of himself was just wonderful. MELANIE GIBB: He carried him in, and he was asleep. Lori Vallow, a blonde beauty pageant-winning mom from California, allegedly murdered her two children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua Jackson 'JJ' Vallow, seven. Trahans DNA was compared to JJs, while Lori Vallow Daybells DNA was compared to that of Tylee Ryan. What is what is happening? Then he goes back to his apartment, and then, after 9 in the morning, his cell phone appears in Chad Daybell's backyard. When the little boy who loved to dance first came to LIFE, a school for special needs students, he was a very different child than when he left, says Travillion. Morgan Loew: In 30 years, I've never covered a story quite like this. Charles was so spooked by Lori he went to the police. Prosecutors allege that Lori and Chad conspired with Alex Cox to murder the trio as part of their bizarre and fanatical doomsday beliefs. All told similar stories of self-defense and were sent home. The night before she died, Leger had made a defiant vow to a friend in a text message, voicing determination to get to the bottom of what happened to her biological son. Vallow Then came the news that he was never coming back. According to the East Idaho News, JJ is the biological grandson of Charles Vallows sister Kay Woodcock. Morgan Loew: Because of the condition of of Tylee's remains, it's hard to tell what happened to her. Police in Hawaii searched Lori's rental car looking for evidence of the kids. Charles adopted JJ. Vallow has also been accused of being consumed with doomsday theories. Jurors were shown graphic photos of JJ's remains on Tuesday, showing the boy's decomposed face and arms bound with tape. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. DET. With Lori now in jail, Chad Daybell returned home. FILE - A boy looks at a memorial for Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 11, 2020. Tylee Ryan was Vallow Daybells biological daughter. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, ISIS chief killed by Turkey's intelligence agency, Erdogan says, General Mills issues Gold Medal flour recall over salmonella concerns, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal, Tornado flips cars, downs trees after touching down in South Florida, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident. The call starts with Ryan asking Vallow Daybell if she thought she could keep hiding from him. Please enter valid email address to continue. Prosecutors in Lori Vallows case told the court that they plan to prove that the attempt on Bordeauxs life was part of a larger scheme to access Bordeauxs wealth through her niece. We know that Lori was angry about that. The two purportedly felt an instant connection and claimed they had been married to each other in a past life, according to police records. Tylee was really protective over JJ. Melanie Gibb and her boyfriend David Warwick, both of whom testified at Daybell's hearing, were staying with Lori in Rexburg the last weekend of JJ's life. I spotted a big raccoon along the fence. Police said its unclear whether she ever received the email before her death. We started to uncover just burnt flesh, charred bone, the smell was again of a decomposing body," added the detective of Tylee's remains, which had been dismembered and dispersed around the ground. Chad Daybell is also charged in the triple murder case. April Raymond: I feel like it's difficult to conceive of a scenario where she didn't. ROB WOOD | Madison County/City of Rexburg Deputy Prosecuting Attorney: And what did you observe when they did that? And that Tylee knew the truth. The day after, Lori Vallow informed the school JJ would not be attending anymore. and I really love JJ. Prosecutors have alleged that the couple planned to kill Tylee and steal the Social Security benefits she was receiving because her father had died. While not yet scheduled, his lawyers initially asked for it to be pushed back to the fall of 2023. Margaret Travillion | LIFE co-founder: I just started crying [cries]. Not a good match. Tylee Ryan and Joshua Vallow CHARLES VALLOW: She thinks she's a resurrected being and a and a god. By December, police and the FBI were searching for 16-year-old Tylee and 7-year-old JJ. They tied yellow ribbons around the trees and waited for his return. Morgan Loew: He was at that property for over two hours that morning. She told jurors that JJ was born with some disabilities and was diagnosed with autism. She was also worried that JJ may had witnessed his fathers death. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. 2. Multiple witnesses have said in testimony or presented evidence that Vallow Daybell wasnt aware hed changed his policy before he died, but one witness Vallow Daybells former friend Melanie Gibb said Vallow Daybell knew. A Look at Who's Who in the Murder Trial of Slain Kids' Mom - US He married Tammy Daybell in the 1990s, and they had five children together. Documents in the investigation into Tammy Daybell's death included an interview with Adam Cox, Lori Vallow's other brother, who said he believed his sister persuaded their brother to kill her estranged husband. It scared the crap out of me. Kay Woodcock testified the first week of Loris trial that her son and his girlfriend gave JJ up when they were unable to care for him. "48 Hours" and correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti detail the investigation into the heartbreaking national search for two missing children, the life of their mother Lori Vallow, and what is ahead in the case against Vallow and her new husband Chad Daybell, who have each been indicted on murder charges for the deaths of Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow. He moved to Idaho around the same time as Vallow Daybell in September 2019, but went back and forth between Idaho and Arizona. Lori and Chad Daybell were charged with conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. FILE - A boy looks at a memorial for Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 11, 2020. CHARLES VALLOW [to police officer]: She's unhinged. She was extradited to Idaho. Police had followed Alex's Cox's cellphone data to the children's graves, and on June 9, 2020, Chad Daybell was arrested. Kay and Larry Woodcock discuss their life with Lori Vallow Friends of the couple told investigators that the pair shared the same unusual beliefs, including that they could tell if someone had been taken over by an evil spirit. After Ryan moved out of the family home, he continued to exchange texts with Tylee. A look at who's who in the murder trial of slain kids' mom The trial had been delayed in part because Vallow Daybell had been committed, but a judge ruled last year she was mentally competent to stand trial. Here are some of the important names to know as prosecutors and defense attorneys make their cases. Vallow Daybell, friends said, was increasinglyconvinced that doomsday is around the corner. "Part of her mission on Earth was to eliminate the darkness, the demonic the evil," Raymond said. April Raymond met Lori in 2015 in Hawaii. Vallow I just kind of loved how she would just play with him and just always have, like, a really good time with him. And JJ loved blue. They both had unconditional love for each other. Investigators at Chad Daybell's preliminary hearing In August 2020 described in chilling detail finding the remains of the two children in Daybell's backyard. First published on October 3, 2020 / 11:09 PM. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Charles Vallow filed for divorce, contending in court papers that Vallow Daybell also believed herself to be a deity tasked with helping to usher in the Biblical apocalypse. "My theory is that Lori and Alex got together and Lori convinced Alex that Charles is not Charles anymore, that he is a guy named Ned that he shot him. Morgan Loew: That taped phone conversation is when you can hear Chad and Lori go from, "Oh, yeah, everything's great," to that change where, "OK we've got a problem here.". He also sent an email to Tammy Daybell, police said, that said he had disturbing information about their respective spouses and urged her to contact him. Charles Vallow - Charles was JJ's adoptive father and Tylee's stepfather. Jonathan Vigliotti: Why do you think the children were murdered? The friend, Melanie Gibb, told police she had not seen JJ for months. John Roark / The Idaho Post-Register via AP, Pool file. A smiling Lori Vallow on police bodycam video after learning her husband was dead. On November 26, 2019, two months after JJ was last seen, Rexburg Police came knocking on Lori's door looking for the little boy. Samantha Gwilliam is Tammy Daybells sister. Gibb testified that she later heard from Vallow, who repeated the story she had told police about Joshuas being with Gibb. DAVID WARWICK: I asked to see him, and she just said that he was out of control, so she had Alex come and get him . At right is their mother's brother Alex Cox. The couple was raising two children Tylee, Lori's teenage daughter from a former marriage, and their adopted son JJ, the grandson of Charles's sister Kay Woodcock. And just let them know that I love them, and I've never met anyone like them. A warning: what you are about to read may be disturbing. Fun times.". His biological father is Charles nephew. By the time the deadline came around on January 30, Lori had failed to comply with the order. But it turned over his records , Republicans say Montana deserves better, but Zephyr said decorum used as tool of oppression , Cheney High School student dies after incident during PE class, Homeless in the city where he was once mayor, Tincture of iodine kills skin, nail fungi, Suspect identified in crash that killed bicyclist. Chad Daybell was a grave digger for a profession when he was younger. Police left after they told him that it wasnt a criminal case and that they werent able to execute a mental health check on his wife at the time. Colby Ryan, who testified that he had a happy childhood, started crying on the stand when prosecutors showed him photos of Tylee and JJ, and talked about how Tylee was receiving social security benefits because her biological father Joe Ryan died in 2018. He's perfectly fine. Woodcock was the first witness in the trial. Ahorrific discoverywould eventually be made on June 9, 2020, after authorities served a search warrant at the Rexburg home of Chad Daybell. But this time he was only there for 17 minutes. Melani Pawlowski outside a courthouse in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 27, 2020. In court, Melanie Gibb described getting a call from Lori asking her to back up the "Frozen" story: MELANIE GIBB: and that she told the police that I had JJ, that I was at a movie called "Frozen," that she asked me just to pick up my phone and take a picture, random picture of kids running around.