‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow expected to be charged in brother’s fatal shooting of her ex-husband
POLICE say they plan to charge “cult mom” Lori Vallow in the shooting death of her ex-husband, Charles Vallow.
Vallow is currently behind bars on a slew of charges related to her children, Tylee Ryan, 17, and JJ Vallow, seven, whose remains were found in Idaho in June.
Now, police in Chandler, Arizona, expect to charge Vallow, 47, with conspiracy to commit murder in her late estranged husband’s death, KPNX reported.
Charles Vallow was shot to death in Arizona in July 2019 by Vallow’s brother, Alex Cox.
Cox — who died in December 2019 — claimed that he shot Charles Vallow in self-defense.
Investigators said they started to re-examine the shooting after Vallow’s children disappeared in September 2019.
Sergeant Jason McClimans, with the Chandler Police Department, told KPNX that they’re still investigating and have not yet filed charges in Charles Vallow’s death.
“Lori has always been a person of interest in this investigation,” McClimans said.
“I can’t confirm the exact date or timeline when the case will be sent over, but an estimate is four to six months. This date may come and go, as we are in no rush at this time.
“Our detectives still have search warrants and subpoenas out in this case, and are going through over 100,000 pieces of digital data,” the sergeant said.
McClimans said while they plan to recommend a conspiracy to commit murder charge, the prosecutor will review their evidence and make a decision.
Several people close to Lori Vallow and her now-husband Chad Daybell have died over the past year.
In February 2019, Charles Vallow filed for divorce from his wife.
He claimed Vallow thought she was a “translated being” who was assigned by God “to carry out the work of 144,000 at Christ’s second coming in July 2020.”
Charles Vallow also claimed Vallow threatened to kill him if he got in her way, which led him to seek a protection order.
Charles Vallow told police that Vallow “lost touch with reality” and said his wife believed his body was full of evil spirits.
He warned that if Tylee and JJ stayed with Vallow, he wouldn’t “know what she’s going to do with them.”
“Flee with them. Hurt them.”
In July, Charles Vallow was killed by Cox, who claimed he opened fire in self-defense because Charles Vallow hit him with a baseball bat.
Cox died of an apparent blood clot in his lung, high blood pressure, and natural causes, a medical examiner said in May.
In August 2019, Vallow moved to Rexburg, Idaho, with Tylee and JJ. Two months later, Daybell’s wife, Tammy Daybell, died in her home, which her obituary says was from natural causes.
But police deemed her death suspicious and exhumed her body in December, but have not released any autopsy results.
Two weeks after Tammy died, Vallow and Daybell got married.
Vallow’s sister-in-law, Kay Woodstock, has said Vallow is part of a cult called Preparing a People, which says its mission is to “help prepare the people of this earth for the second coming of Jesus Christ.”
In Idaho, Daybell ran a small publishing company, where he published many of his own fiction books that centered on apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on Mormon theology.
He also participated in podcasts about preparing for biblical end times, and friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from “beyond the veil.”
In June, Tylee and JJ’s remains were discovered on Daybell’s property in Idaho.
An FBI special agent testified in court last week that Tylee’s dismembered remains were found in a melted green bucket.
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JJ’s body was found inside of a black plastic bag, and his arms, feet, and head were wrapped in duct tape.
Daybell has been charged with two felony counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.
Vallow has been charged with two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children, and one misdemeanor count each of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt.