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. J. J. Vallow Biological Parents, Age, Siblings, Charles Vallow 3. Two childrenTylee Ryan, age 17; and Joshua J.J. Vallow, age 7died under suspicious circumstances while under the care of their mother, Lori Vallow. 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. Morgan Loew: He was at that property for over two hours that morning. It's like not a care in the world. Court documents: Mother of missing Rexburg children believes she Two weeks after she died, he gets remarried? Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell case: JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan found dead So, what makes her a danger to herself and to others? Nate Eaton Investigators were able to piece together what happened after this photo was taken thanks to Alex Cox. A look at who's who in the murder trial of slain kids' mom He and his wife Tammy had five children. An online comment under Vallow's obituary also mentioned two kids and that was the first time Gwilliam heard anything about Lori's son and daughter, she told the jury. 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. With Lori now in jail, Chad Daybell returned home. Chad's trialwas postponed as a result, and a new trial date has not yet been set. But equally destructive to each other, Gibb told "Dateline." DET. And now we're gonna talk about it. Their conversation was recorded on the officer's bodycam. Morgan Loew: It's hard to discount the idea that a million-dollar life insurance policy would be a motive for a murder. And so much potential. Missing Idaho kids mystery: Older son begs mom to come home LORI VALLOW: He's with one of my friends in Arizona. They were both like gasoline and fire. What is it over? Gibb told the court that Lori Vallow had manipulated her into thinking Joshua could be in danger. Witnesses have had differing accounts on whether Vallow Daybell knew about the life insurance change before he died. LORI VALLOW: Wow, this is a big mess, I just talked to the guy on the phone. She had heard enough excuses. RAY HERMOSILLO: I observed what looked to be brown human hair. Vallow I just can't bear that thought. Eventually the last conversation I had with Chad was in December, of 2019, Gwilliam told the jury. Benjamin Hyde: That was the number one thing that told me something was horribly wrong . FILE - A boy looks at a memorial for Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 11, 2020. he never hesitated to resort to violence if he believed he was defending his sister. He's there for a couple of hours. 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. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. On May 25, 2021, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were formally charged with murder in the first degree in the deaths Tylee and JJ. He said in the divorce filing that his wife had threatened to murder him. A jury of 10 men and eight women will hear the case. Gibb handed that secret recording to authorities, and investigators launched a nationwide search but not just for JJ. FILE - A boy looks at a memorial for Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 11, 2020. 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 CHANDLER POLICE OFFICER [bodycam video]: So, you get in an argument? Hes a self-published author who has written more than two dozen books about near-death and doomsday events. She was also worried that JJ may had witnessed his fathers death. 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. 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. who in the Daybell case Margaret Travillion: And just that growth of watching him come out of himself was just wonderful. According to court filings by Boudreaux, obtained by East Idaho News, Boudreaux alleged that Pawlowski expressed concerns for Joshua and Tylee's safety. "Where are your kids? They were found dead in shallow graves on Chad Daybells property nine months later in June 2020. For Mandy, the news of her son's horrific death cut just as deeply. Lori explained why. The whole school turned out to celebrate the little boy who loved to dance. And just let them know that I love them, and I've never met anyone like them. Melani Pawlowski outside a courthouse in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 27, 2020. ROB WOOD | Madison County/City of Rexburg Deputy Prosecuting Attorney: And what did you observe when they did that? I didn't hold it together at all. 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. He also claimed he could read light and dark auras. Daybell was married. Morgan Loew: They're in this Hawaii vacation. The way they found that body leads you to believe that JJ was still alive Because you don't go through all that trouble to somebody who's already dead. By the summer of 2019, Charles Vallow had gone to the police twice claiming there was something desperately wrong with his estranged wife Lori Vallow. He was last seen sleeping in the arms of his uncle, Lori's brotherAlex Cox, in Idaho on September 22. April Raymond: I feel like they were a liability. 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. Tylee had last been seen alive a few weeks earlier, but at the time Ryan didnt know she was missing. 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). Morgan Loew: the same color hair as JJ Vallow. 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. One source described her as being "completely devastated" by the discovery. Morgan Loew: He goes into the house. What turned out to be the remains of Tylee Ryan. Julia Allen | JJ's teacher: there was this feeling at LIFE when the remains were found. Kay Woodcock testified the first week of Loris trial that her son and his girlfriend gave JJ up The friend, Melanie Gibb, told police she had not seen JJ for months. Detective Ray Hermosillo testified that investigators had honed in on an area of concern near a tree during the execution of their search warrant. 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 The discovery of the children in Chad Daybell's backyard was the result of a complicated six-month investigation that unraveled a sordid tale of murder, greed and religious fanaticism a story that began with their mother, Lori Vallow, who, to her friend April Raymond, was a woman who once seemed incapable of harming her own children. So angry she was still talking about it when the Rexburg police first came to her door looking for JJ. Michael McHugh, Diana Modica and Jack Pyle are the editors. Morgan Loew: In 30 years, I've never covered a story quite like this. I dont even think there was a fight, Adam Cox said in the interview. He was shot at in Arizona in October 2019, and police said they believe that Cox was the one who tried to shoot him. He's perfectly fine. He was raised by his grandparents Larry Woodcock and his wife Kay His sister Tylee had also vanished without a trace days earlier, having last been seen during a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park on September 8. 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. Vallow 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. 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. He died from a heart attack in 2018. Charles was so spooked by Lori he went to the police. DET. She told jurors that JJ was born with some disabilities and was diagnosed with autism. She also believed she had been appointed another, more ominous role, says Raymond. Vallow has also been accused of being consumed with doomsday theories. JJs father, Charles Vallow, is actually Woodcocks brother: He adopted JJ as a baby 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. Im not hiding, why would you think Im hiding? she responds. Best friends Vaisia Itaaehau and Tylee Ryan. Melanie Gibb testified, "She asked me just to pick up my phone and take a picture of random kids to make it look like it was JJ.". Police said its unclear whether she ever received the email before her death. Jurors were shown graphic photos of JJ's remains on Tuesday, showing the boy's decomposed face and arms bound with tape. The court released an audio-only version of that conversation. They wanted to start over. That pet cemetery just behind a bush where investigators found the charred remains of Tylee Ryan. I was also given biological samples from Joshua J. Vallow - which also consisted of a molar and section of rib. Chad Daybell at a court hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 4, 2020. It was a fresh start all right, but not in California. ROB WOOD: What did she ask you to do with that, again? And JJ loved dancing. Tylee, who had gone outside with JJ, and Lori, who says she was in another room both said they heard the shooting but didn't see it. She had pleaded not guilty. At the time, Lori was married to businessman Charles Vallow. Mandy Leger: JJ Vallows biological mom died from anguish and In 2012, the two adopted then 2-year-old Joshua, whose biological father was Vallow's nephew the son of his sister, Kay Woodcock. After Ryan moved out of the family home, he continued to exchange texts with Tylee. In the end, Chad and Lori's belief in evil may prove to be true. Tylee was really protective over JJ. We were so worried about JJ, and did he see what happened to his dad, Woodcock told jurors. That welfare check in November 2019 revealed that both kids were missing. Vallow Near a pet cemetery of property grounds, investigators found JJ's decomposed remains buried in a shallow grave. The search continued into 2020, when police executed a search warrant on Daybell's property in Rexburg, Idaho. Chad Daybell is also charged in the triple murder case. Lori Vallow also has an adult son, Colby Ryan. He was adopted by Lori and her late husband Charles Vallow in All that potential, all that love gone. Vallow It just seems very unlikely. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Margaret Travillion: They say it takes a village to raise a child. In early 2019, Charles Vallow called police to their Arizona home because he had been unable to reach his wife for two days and returned from a business trip to find hed been locked out of their home. The thought of Tylee ending up that way was almost too much for Echo Itaaehau to bear. She was arrested in Hawaii on February 20 and held on a $5million bond. A condition of the adoption was that the Woodcocks remain in JJs life. Vallow and her husband Morgan Loew: Every time, Kay Woodcock, would call, there would be a different excuse about where the kids were. And the only way to release their spirits to heaven was to kill the bodies. Leger and JJ's biological father, Todd Trahan, suffered from substance abuse issues and JJ was born addicted to drugs. They just I really thought he was comin' home. 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. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Gibb said they believed they were casting out dark spirits who were possessing people. 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. Jonathan Vigliott | CBS News correspondent: How did you hold it together? They alleged that 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. 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. It's the last moments of the children's lives that keeps Echo up at night. 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. Todd's parents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, According to marriage records, Charles Vallow was Vallow Daybells fourth husband; the two married in 2006. Investigative reporter and CBS News consultant Morgan Loew has covered this story since the beginning. He told them she had lost her reality and threatened to kill him. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Beneath the rocks, they found thin pieces of wood paneling. At Chad Daybell's preliminary hearing, Detective Ray Hermosillo testified the child was covered head to toe in duct tape. He also expressed fear that she might hurt their children. 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. Chad Daybells jury trial hasnt been scheduled. They believed the world was going to end and that they needed to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 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. 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. Lori Vallow Daybell is on trial in Boise, Idaho, for her alleged role in the deaths of her 16-year-old daughter, Tylee Ryan; her 7-year-old adopted son, Joshua "JJ" Vallow; and her husband's first wife, Tammy Daybell. Then he goes back to his apartment, and then, after 9 in the morning, his cell phone appears in Chad Daybell's backyard. and she was kind of like another mama to him. Melani Boudreaux Pawlowski is Lori Vallows niece, and in 2019 she was divorced from Brandon Boudreaux. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Like Vallow Daybell, he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. 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 No one wanted this. Hey Lori. A warning: what you are about to read may be disturbing. 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. The two were estranged but still married when Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow outside his Phoenix suburban home. Lori started doing podcasts with Daybell and began telling people she was a supernatural being appointed by God to lead the 144,000 chosen into the millennium. How come you're not telling anybody where your kids are?" ROB WOOD [in court]: Where was he located when you saw him? A look at who's who in the murder trial of slain kids' mom Woodcock was the first witness in the trial. Chad Daybell and Lori' Vallow's hula dancing days were numbered. Shortly after Charles death, Vallow Daybell moved to eastern Idaho with JJ, Tylee and her brother Cox. Soon after they started digging, he said he was struck by a "strong odor" that he instantly recognized to be caused by bodily decomposition. Already a Cox Residential customer? Lori's trial is expected to last for eight weeks. 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. Their souls had left them. Maybe you should understand, Ryan continued, before his mother interrupted: I didnt. Alex Cox, Lori's brother, incredibly, had also died. Below that, a layer of black plastic. He was the grandson of Charles Vallows sister, Kay Woodcock. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Cox told police the shooting was in self defense, and was never charged in the case. Vallow Please enter valid email address to continue. But not everyone believes they played equal parts. That's when she realized Charles Vallow had been shot to death.