Lori Vallow trial update: Chad Daybell wired $24k to his children as police dug for Tylee and JJ’s bodies
Vallow’s son accuses doomsday mother of murdering siblings in prison
The high-profile trial of “doomsday cult mother” Lori Vallow continues in Boise, Idaho, as the jury hears testimony on day seven.
Ms Vallow, 49, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand larceny in the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven.
Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019. Their bodies were found buried at the property of Ms Vallow’s new husband, Chad Daybell, in June 2020.
Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy in October 2019.
She has pleaded not guilty to a dramatic case involving multiple murders and unsolved deaths in which a jury heard testimony about Ms Vallow’s cult beliefs.
On Tuesday, the jury heard Colby Ryan, Ms Vallow’s only surviving child, angrily confronted his mother in a jail call about the deaths of his siblings, telling her: “You ripped my heart out!”
Wednesday’s testimony detailed how Ms Vallow stole Social Security payments intended for Tylee and JJ after their murders and how Mr Daybell wired thousands of dollars to his own family when police found his property after the children’s bodies searched.
Lori Vallow’s children: Buried in pajamas and burned beyond recognition
Joshua “JJ” Vallow was last seen alive on September 22, 2019, his sister had not been seen for two weeks.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 20, 2023 8:30 am
Chad Daybell warned Lori Vallow about a police search of his property
In the call, made on June 9, 2020 and played in court during Ms Vallow’s high-profile double murder trial on Wednesday, Mr Daybell can be heard telling his new wife that law enforcement has been on the scene and his property in Rexburg, Idaho, searched.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 20, 2023 6:30 am
Lori Vallow is confronted by her best friend during a secret recording
During her ongoing trial for the murder of two of her children, a phone call between “cult mother” Lori Vallow and her former best friend was played in court.
Ms Vallow’s trial, 49, continues at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, nearly three years after she was charged with killing and conspiring to kill her son Joshua “JJ” Vallow and daughter Tylee Ryan Husband of her doomsday preacher, Chad Daybell, to murder wife.
On Thursday, prosecutors played a phone conversation between Mr Daybell, Ms Vallow and their then-best friend Melanie Gibb, who was on the witness stand testifying for the state.
Andrea Blanco has the story.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 20, 2023 4:30 am
Lori Vallow’s chilling response to missing daughter question
A former friend of Lori Vallow has revealed the ‘cult mum”s chilling reaction after being confronted about her missing teenage daughter.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 20, 2023 2:30 am
Colby Ryan’s emotional call to his mother: ‘You ripped my heart out’
On day six of testimony in the trial of “cult mother” Lori Vallow, the jury heard a recording of a telephone conversation between the defendant and her eldest son during the first few months of her incarceration.
In the emotional exchange between mother and son, Ms Vallow refused to turn on her camera while Mr Ryan wanted to know if Jesus had really told her to murder his siblings.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 20, 2023 12:30 am
The court is adjourned for that day
There’s a brief diversion as to whether April knew of the hierarchy of “religion” Lori was involved in – she says she didn’t know but is mostly thinking of the group involved in the podcasts (Chad, Zulema , Melanie etc.).
Judge Boyce adjourned the court for the day.
The trial will resume tomorrow morning at 8:30am MT.
Oliver O’ConnellApril 19, 2023 10:31 p.m
April says she never met Melanie Gibb before the 2019 Hawaii visit and says both Melanie and Lori were on the same page about their new beliefs. She felt that they were “subtly nurturing her,” and she felt that “their ultimate goal was to include me.”
cross-examination ends.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 19, 2023 10:26 p.m
April says she doesn’t believe in multiple lives/probation and her church doesn’t teach it. She didn’t hear Lori talk about zombies or casting in 2018, but she did talk about the light/dark scale in 2019.
She describes it as unusual and that Lori hadn’t talked about it when they lived in Hawaii before.
April asked why she changed her faith, and Lori said she had experiences in the temple that changed her beliefs and she found a group of like-minded people. April told Lori she doesn’t share the belief — though Lori said she’s a goddess.
She is asked what they taught their children about Jesus and says they taught that he healed sick people but can’t remember exactly if they said he cast out evil spirits.
They taught the children the love of God and the need to be good people.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 19, 2023 10:24 p.m
Defense attorney Jim Archibald begins cross-examination.
He asks if she has noticed a change in Lori’s religious beliefs in the time she has known her. April says yes as she became part of the new group she was involved with.
April says Lori’s beliefs about Jesus changed a bit after visiting Hawaii in July 2018. At the 2019 visit, these beliefs were stronger than before.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 19, 2023 10:18 p.m
Lori told April the first night she was in Hawaii that she was a leader of the 144,000 and that she was there to gather people, including April.
She told her that she needed to separate from her children because she had fulfilled her role in her life and there was a greater mission for her. She said to leave the children with their father.
No more questions from the prosecutor.
Oliver O’ConnellApr 19, 2023 10:15 p.m
