April Raymond: I feel like whatever story we were given about how Charles was killed was not the truth. 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.". Nate Eaton Authorities believe it is was they who embraced the darkness. Lori and Chad were officially designated persons of interest in the disappearance of both JJ and Tylee the same month, with investigators believing the children's lives to be in danger due toLori's lack of compliancewith their ongoing investigation to find them. But the little boy was nowhere to be seen the next morning. Morgan Loew: One of the crime scene investigators cut a hole in the top of this plastic, and beneath the black plastic was some white plastic, like, plastic bag. I'm still not holding it together. To see the trial, you have be there in person andget a reservationfor a seat in the courtroom or one of two overflow rooms a day ahead of time. Tylee Ryan would have turned 17 on Sept. 24, 2019, but it's believed she died before her birthday. Two-and-a-half weeks later, the widower and the merry widow wed in Hawaii. I didn't hold it together at all. We know that Lori was angry about that. Her father was Vallows third husband, Joseph Ryan, who died of a heart attack in 2018 and had been in a bitter custody battle with Vallow over Tylee. The 54-year-old Idaho father is accused of murder in the death of Vallow Daybells two children along with his then-wife, Tammy Daybell. Joshua "JJ" Vallow's Biological Parents Does anyone know if JJ's biological parents, Todd Trahan, father, and, Chrysta (last name unknown), mother), have been in Mandy Leger passed away in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on June 15, 2022, from natural causes brought on by hypertensive heart disease, a coroner's report obtained by The U.S. Sun showed. The best I can describe was just blobs of flesh that were falling apart [] just burnt flesh, what appeared to be put in a green bucket. RAY HERMOSILLO: It was what appeared to be a small body tightly wrapped in black plastic, covered in duct tape. He was killed by her brother, Alex Cox, after the two fought in Arizona. Morgan Loew: We know that in the spring of 2019, Lori started referring to Tylee as a zombie, to at least one of her close friends. He also claimed he could read light and dark auras. The criminal trial against Lori Vallow Daybell a 49-year-old Rexburg, Idaho, mother accused of killing her two children involves several states, families and a monthslong search for her kids. Here are all the key people involved , Idaho murder suspect's former school district wont talk. But by 2019, that marriage had also soured. Her father was Vallows third husband, Joseph Ryan, who died of a heart attack in 2018 and had been in a bitter custody battle with Vallow over Tylee. Blake also argued that Vallow Daybell and her husband used their religious beliefs to try to persuade those around them not to question their actions and even to justify murder. This is an area the Daybell family called the pet cemetery. I spotted a big raccoon along the fence. 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. I felt in shock. Lori's brother, Alex Cox, the man she considered her protector, moved into the same complex. Police called that friend in Arizona, Melanie Gibb, to verify Lori's story, but she did not respond to their call. Charles Vallow, meanwhile, had been shot dead by Alex Cox in July 2019. She alleged that Vallow told her at that time that Joshua had been replaced by a zombie, a claim similar to the one she made about Tylee earlier that spring. Reality and justice were not far behind. The search continued into 2020, when police executed a search warrant on Daybell's property in Rexburg, Idaho. Cindy Cesare and Alyssa Estrada are the lead development producers. Alex Cox, Lori's brother, incredibly, had also died. On January 31, 2019, Charles Vallow is seen on police bodycam video tell officers his wife had become "unhinged," and had threatened to murder him. Jurors were heard gasping throughout the harrowing testimony. Melanie Gibb, a former friend of Lori Vallow. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "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. That's not possible. 3. He said in the divorce filing that his wife had threatened to murder him. But the horror was just beginning to unfold. 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 JJs biological father is Dennis Trahan, who is Kay Woodcocks son. Margaret Travillion | LIFE co-founder: Our administrator came into my office. CHARLES VALLOW [to Officer Dorenbush]: She's psychologically, she's gone. Within an hour of entering the house that morning, Vallow was lying on the floor in a pool of blood shot in the chest by Alex Cox. The only thing we we can know for sure is that At one point, whoever did this, dismembered her body and burned it. His birth name was legally changed to Joshua Jaxon Vallow during the adoption process. Samantha Gwilliam is Tammy Daybells sister. They saw him several times during their stay. MELANIE GIBB: Hi Chad. Woodcock is JJs grandmother, and she convinced Idaho police to check up on JJ after her normally regular phone calls and visits with the boy dried up. Alex Cox was the brother of Vallow Daybell who fatally shot his sisters husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona. The couple had a baby girl named Tylee in 2002, but divorced just a few years later. CHAD DAYBELL phone call]: Hello, sweet Melanie. Lori Vallow and Cox were questioned at the time but werent charged, as they claimed self-defense. According to the East Idaho News, JJ is the biological grandson of Charles Vallows sister Kay Woodcock. Trahans DNA was compared to JJs, while Lori Vallow Daybells DNA was compared to that of Tylee Ryan. ROB WOOD: What did she ask you to do with that, again? J.J.s birth father is Kay Woodcocks son, who lost custody of the boy before he was adopted by Charles and Lori Vallow. He's perfectly fine. CHARLES VALLOW [to police officer]: She's unhinged. The teenager had been dismembered and burned. What is it over? "Part of her mission on Earth was to eliminate the darkness, the demonic the evil," Raymond said. Colby Ryan is Vallow Daybells eldest son. In his brief obituary, he is called a loving father to sons Cole, Zach and Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, now 54, met in 2018. April Raymond JJ was very difficult to take care of So I really admired how patient she was with him and how much care she took of him. DET. So in a way, they were their equal match, in that they were destructive to each other. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Instead of helping search, they skipped off to another vacation back in Hawaii. Echo Itaaehau: I didn't. Jonathan Vigliotti: What did you think when you saw the photos of Chad and Lori in Hawaii, the ukulele in hand all smiles. I was also given known samples from Dennis Trehan as well as Ms. The evidence of course will speak for itself. Daybell was married. Gibb and Warwick testified that Cox put JJ to bed in Lori's room. When Colby Ryan Lori Vallow's only living child entered the Boise, Idaho, courtroom where she is on trial, Vallow mouthed, "Oh my baby." 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. Charles Vallow was killed in 2019, shot in an altercation with Vallow Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, in Arizona, where the Vallow family including JJ and Tylee and Cox were living at the time. And I'll always remember them like that. Morgan Loew: Because of the condition of of Tylee's remains, it's hard to tell what happened to her. Something's happened to her. Then he goes back to his apartment, and then, after 9 in the morning, his cell phone appears in Chad Daybell's backyard. DET. First published on April 10, 2023 / 10:41 AM. Joe Ryans sister, Annie Cushing, told East Idaho News that she has questioned her brothers death. It scared the crap out of me. Lori's attorney had no comment and Chad's attorney did not respond. Margaret Travillion: They say it takes a village to raise a child. Not a good match. On May 25, 2021, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were formally charged with murder in the first degree in the deaths Tylee and JJ. Kay Woodcock testified the first week of Loris trial that her son and his girlfriend gave JJ up 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. They started by removing a top layer of earth on a 4 foot-by-2 foot patch of grass that was shorter than the rest. 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. The boy's body was found bound in tape and plastic bags. Prosecutors say he met Vallow Daybell at a conference in Utah in 2018. / CBS News. Margaret Travillion | LIFE co-founder: I just started crying [cries]. It takes a community to raise one of our children and JJ had a community. Kay Woodcock, the biological grandmother of slain 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow, detailed Lori Vallow's shift in priorities from her children to her "Doomsday cult" on Tylee was really protective over JJ. The couple later adopted JJ, who was the biological grandson of Vallows sister, and the family lived together with Tylee for years. 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. At the time, she went along with the self-defense story, but could she have changed her mind? JJ had autism and Lori seemed the ideal mother for him, says Raymond. Lori later told police that she walked past Vallow on the floor and went outside. CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti and "48 Hours" producers offer trial recaps and analysis in a weekly podcast. Leger and JJ's biological father, Todd Trahan, suffered from substance abuse issues and JJ was born addicted to drugs. When JJ was there, you knew he was there. He had a lot of energy. Because, by golly, he has to be dancing in heaven. JJ's teacher Julia Allen says he made a big impression in a small amount of time. In the months between, Tammy Daybell was also killed and the then-husband of Vallow Daybells niece, Melani Pawlowski, was shot at in Arizona. Both Vallow Daybell's and Daybell's lawyers asked the court to separate the cases, originally set to go to trial in January. Lori Vallow is accused of killing two of her children and a former husband and conspiring to kill the late wife of her current husband, Chad Daybell. "When I think of Tylee and JJ, I just think of fun and love. Prosecutors have alleged that the couple planned to kill Tylee and steal the Social Security benefits she was receiving because her father had died. And JJ loved blue. 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. J. J. Vallow was born to his parents Todd Trahan and Chrysta. Cox claimed self-defense and died that December by causes deemed to be natural. OFFICER DORENBUSH: OK. Charles Vallow had good reason to be scared. Lori Vallows daughter was allegedly molested by her biological father years before her doomsday-obsessed mom By December, police and the FBI were searching for 16-year-old Tylee and 7-year-old JJ. Chad Daybell and Lori' Vallow's hula dancing days were numbered. Ryan later died in his home of a suspected heart attack. He married Tammy Daybell in 1990, and they had five kids. And we got nothing for me to raise JJ. Police had followed Alex's Cox's cellphone data to the children's graves, and on June 9, 2020, Chad Daybell was arrested. Todd's parents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, By the end of September 2019, Lori had a dead husband, Charles Vallow, and though no one yet knew it, two dead children. Gibb said they believed they were casting out dark spirits who were possessing people. MELANIE GIBB: Take a picture of random kids to make it look like it was JJ. I just kind of loved how she would just play with him and just always have, like, a really good time with him. The two were estranged but still married when Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow outside his Phoenix suburban home. OFFICER DORENBUSH | Gilbert Police Department: What did she say yesterday? ROB WOOD | Madison County/City of Rexburg Deputy Prosecuting Attorney: And what did you observe when they did that? In October 2019, a few months after Charles Vallow died, Tammy Daybell was found dead of what were believed at the time to be natural causes. 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 Roughly one month after JJ's death, Chad's 49-year-old wife Tammy Daybell, died mysteriously in her sleep. First published on October 3, 2020 / 11:09 PM. Neither is Echo Itaaehau's daughter Vaisia, one of Tylee's best friends. They both had deception in them.. According to the police documents obtained by KSL, Charles Vallow learned that his wife was having an affair with Chad Daybell in June 2019, days before he was shot. "She beat herself up over it all so much, it really took a toll," another source said. 'Cause I didn't want to. Sometime in 2018 Lori met Chad Daybell and spent time with him away from her family. You do it to keep them from yelling or talking. 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. 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. FILE - A boy looks at a memorial for Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 11, 2020. She has also been charged with murder in the shooting of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona. And they cut through that. Already a Cox Residential customer? He and his wife Tammy had five children. The last time anyone saw Tylee Ryan was in September 2019, when the family took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Cox told police the shooting was in self defense, and was never charged in the case. Documents in the police investigation obtained by NBC affiliate KSL of Salt Lake City said a friend of the couple told authorities Chad Daybell claimed to have had a vision that Tammy would die on a trip and that when she didnt, he began to believe she had been taken over by a spirit and was a zombie.. Vallow Daybell, and her husband, Chad Daybell, are charged with the first-degree murders of 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Chad Cox talks with police after shooting Charles Vallow. He was adopted by her third husband. She told jurors that JJ was born with some disabilities and was diagnosed with autism. And she was like, "Margaret, you're not gonna believe this. Sometimes she would send money to Colby Ryan through a phone app, and sometimes his mom would put money into Tylees account to send to him, he said. At 9:55 a.m. on September 23, 2019, Cox returned to Chad Daybell's backyard. Melani Pawlowski is the niece of Vallow Daybell. Pronouns: she/her. He was last seen on Sept. 23, 2019, at Kennedy Elementary School in Rexburg, according to KPVI. JJs father, Charles Vallow, is actually Woodcocks brother: He adopted JJ as a baby Joshua Vallow, 7, and sister Tylee Ryan, 17, went missing last September 23 in Rexburg, Idaho, authorities said. Jonathan Vigliotti: Lori hasn't been convicted of anything yet. DAVID WARWICK: She said that he was being a zombie and climbed up on the cabinets, climbed up on top of the fridge, smashed her picture of Christ down, and then climbed up onto the upper cabinets and got between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling. Though he was born of Vallow Daybells second marriage, when his mother remarried Colby took Joe Ryans last name. Daybellowned a religious publishing company, and his own writing focused on fringe beliefs, including what he said were his own near-death experiences and the end times. The occasional money transfers continued too, though through a different phone app under his mothers name, he said. Let us know the location you'd like to browse. He's there for a couple of hours. Despite all of Lori's talk about demons inhabiting Charles's body, Morgan Loew says her motive may have been more mundane: money. Morgan Loew: the same color hair as JJ Vallow. And he had so many people that loved him and wanted him. In the winter of 2019, Charles Vallow changed the beneficiary of his $1 million life insurance policy from Lori to his sister Kay Woodcock, JJ's biological grandmother. Two weeks after she died, he gets remarried? Who got a million dollars when he died. But they got one thing wrong. JJs biological grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock JJs father is their son, and Kay is Charles Vallows sister became concerned when they were unable to speak with the boy on the phone. 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. Their conversation was recorded on the officer's bodycam. MELANIE GIBB: He brought JJ into the house during the middle of the podcast. Police in Hawaii searched Lori's rental car looking for evidence of the kids. The 54-year-old Idaho father is accused of murder in the death of Vallow Daybells two children along with his then-wife, Tammy Daybell. "We had to take turns digging because the smell was so bad. Lori's trial is expected to last for eight weeks. MELANIE GIBB: He carried him in, and he was asleep. 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. 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. Vaisia Itaaehau: She took beautiful pictures, so we would just go to the beach and just take pictures and kind of capture certain moments She was just so clever and always just like really quick comebacks, like so witty. Her late husband told police she believed she was "a resurrected being a god," "48 Hours" reported. Leger reportedly had visitation rights for the first six months of JJ's life before she relapsed and was ordered to go to rehab in order to regain access to her son, one source said. Charles and Lori Vallow were married in 2006 and although legally still married were estranged by 2019, when divorce papers were filed. He is now in our pet cemetery. Morgan Loew: I think what Lori didn't bank on was that Melanie had a conscience and Melanie was really worried about what happened. JJs biological father is Dennis Trahan, who is Kay Woodcocks son. They were both like gasoline and fire. Colby Ryan in a jail recording accused his mother of killing his siblings. Shes pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges in the deaths of her two youngest kids and her new husbands previous wife. He also said they were both empty nesters, with no young kids at home, Gwilliam told the jury. Todd's parents,Kay and Larry Woodcock, temporarily fostered the boy as a baby before Charles and Lori assumed full custody to raise him as their own in Arizona. Investigators later exhumed her body and conducted an autopsy, which ruled her death was a homicide. MELANIE GIBB: She said that Kay was trying to kidnap JJ. Lori contacted JJ's specialist elementary school the following day, informing administrators that the young boy would not be returning and that she'd now be homeschooling him instead. An aerial view of Todd Daybell's backyard, where the remains of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found in June. 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. Soon after the newlyweds returned to Rexburg from Hawaii, JJ's grandmother, Kay Woodcock, sounded the alarm. / CBS News. Leger and JJ's biological father, Todd Trahan, suffered from substance abuse issues and JJ was born addicted to drugs. 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. She also testified against Daybell at a preliminary hearing in August 2020. Daybell had a religious-focused podcast, on which Vallow Daybell appeared. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Charles Vallow, the fourth husband of Lori Vallow Daybell, was fatally shot by his wifes brother. Ms Vallow then went on to meet and marry Charles Vallow. One of the many tributes to JJ and Tylee. Kay and Larry Woodcock are JJs biological grandparents, who were outspoken to the media as authorities searched for Tylee and JJ. That's not that's not what a friend does. All that potential, all that love gone. Tylee had last been seen alive a few weeks earlier, but at the time Ryan didnt know she was missing. As adults, they talked nearly every day, Gwilliam told the jury, and Tammy seemed healthy and was training to run a race just two weeks before her death. Bordeaux had already spoken with authorities about Lori Vallow, alleging that a vehicle she had access to was involved in an attempt to kill him in October 2019, according to a probable cause affidavit filed against Lori Vallow in 2020, before the childrens remains were found. Jurors were shown graphic photos of JJ's remains on Tuesday, showing the boy's decomposed face and arms bound with tape. Produced by Liza Finley and Richard Fetzer. Defense attorney John Archibald told jurors that people get to choose their religious beliefs, and that Vallow Daybell was with other people in her apartment when JJ and Tylee were murdered, and in Hawaii when Tammy Daybell died. Lori Vallow-Daybell and JJ Vallow at Yellowstone National Park on September 8, 2019. ROB WOOD: How did Alex Cox bring JJ into the house? I dont even think there was a fight, Adam Cox said in the interview. Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in Hawaii two weeks later, on Nov. 5, 2019. Julia Allen | JJ's teacher: there was this feeling at LIFE when the remains were found. "48 Hours" reached out to Chad and Lori's attorneys to ask whether their clients had some involvement in the children's deaths. Morgan Loew: They dug up a cat. Probably because you murdered my siblings! On January 25, 2020, Lori was issued an ultimatum by police: She had five days to produce JJ and Tylee to authorities, otherwise, she'd be arrested. Hey Lori. But shortly after what would have been Tylees 17th birthday in September of 2019, the tone and syntax of those texts changed. She ignored it and was arrested on the island of Kauai on child abandonment charges. Kay Woodcock asked police in Rexburg, Idaho, to check on JJ in November but Vallow Daybell told police he was in Arizona with a family friend. Investigators were able to piece together what happened after this photo was taken thanks to Alex Cox. Lori Vallow's kids Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow have Joseph Anthony Ryan, is Tylees father. For the first day of trial, the 60 seats available were reportedlyreserved within two minutes. A smiling Lori Vallow on police bodycam video after learning her husband was dead. The sister of Tammy Daybell, who was killed in what Jonathan Vigliotti: What went on in your mind when, weeks after Tammy died, Chad and Lori get married? Charles Vallow is the late husband of Lori Vallow Daybell. J. J. Vallow Biological Parents. I felt in shock. Lori Vallow also has an adult son, Colby Ryan. John Roark / The Idaho Post-Register via AP, Pool file. 2014: Charles and Lori adopted Joshua JJ Vallow, who is the biological grandson of Charless sister Kay Woodcock, and her husband Larry Woodcock.JJ had autism, and Loris attorney said his parents could not take care of him, so they agreed to adopt him. Chad's trialwas postponed as a result, and a new trial date has not yet been set. Ryan, 27, is Vallow Daybells only living child. We're going to do it for JJ. Kind of a heaviness on the campus. Gibb testified she had no previous knowledge about what Vallow told police. Because I think they are at the movies right now. Prosecutors allege that Vallow and Daybell became obsessed with doomsday-focused religious beliefs that led them to commit four murders. Margaret Travillion: And I literally remember coming into the classroom in the beginning and him just being very closed off To the later part of him being with us, just to "Miss Margaret" (chuckles). They asked the Rexburg Police Department to perform a welfare check on JJ in November 2019. Sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight on September 22, the last night of their visit, Lori, Melanie and David were in the kitchen doing a religious podcast when Alex Cox appeared. POLICE OFFICER [Bodycam video]: How long have you lived here? Witnesses have described finding the bodies of JJ and Tylee as well as Vallow Daybell's religious beliefs. Like Vallow Daybell, he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Joshua JJ Vallow Charles and Lori Vallow adopted JJ in 2014. Some believe Chad Daybell was the driving force; others believe it was Lori. She said: Hes a Jonathan Vigliotti: What did you think when you read that email? And evilness took over their bodies. And just let them know that I love them, and I've never met anyone like them. Investigative reporter and CBS News consultant Morgan Loew has covered this story since the beginning. Gwilliam later found out Lori was also associated with the last name Vallow and did an internet search. Vaisia Itaaehau: I loved being around JJ and Tylee. Chad Daybells jury trial hasnt been scheduled. Vallow Daybells first marriage, to a high school sweetheart when she was just 19, ended quickly. Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. Eventually the last conversation I had with Chad was in December, of 2019, Gwilliam told the jury. ROB WOOD: OK, what did she say about Kay? JJ and Tylee Facebook. 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. I don't know what your intention is on this phone call. Morgan Loew: He said, "I need to report a shooting. Morgan Loew: It appears that Chandler Police believe Lori had something to do with Charles's death.