Jury selection began Monday in the murder trial of Lori Vallow, who is accused of killing two of her children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
Vallow has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, conspiracy and grand theft in the deaths of Joshua and Tylee, who were 7 and 16 when they disappeared in September 2019. Their disappearance sparked a monthslong search, and police eventually found their remains on property in rural Idaho belonging to their stepfather, Vallow’s husband, Chad Daybell.
Daybell, who also pleaded not guilty, is to have a separate trial that hasn’t yet been scheduled. He is charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Tammy Daybell, and accused of committing insurance fraud related to her death.
Vallow is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy Daybell.
Vallow’s trial comes years after Joshua and Tylee’s disappearance made headlines, as the indictment against her and Daybell took months of investigative work and Vallow’s mental competency was questioned.
Prosecutors believe Vallow and Daybell became obsessed with doomsday-focused religious beliefs that led them to commit a series of four murders: those of Vallow’s children and each of their former spouses.
Tylee and Joshua reported missing
The Rexburg Police Department formally began a search for Tylee and Joshua in November 2019, after several family members contacted authorities concerned that they hadn’t seen or spoken to the children since September.
Vallow and her husband told officers that Joshua was in Arizona with a family friend, which police said was a lie. Officers tried to conduct a welfare check on the children on Nov. 26, 2019, but were unable to find them.
Addresses associated with Vallow were searched under warrants the next day, just as investigators learned that she and Daybell had abruptly left Rexburg. Vallow and Daybell hadn’t cooperated with the investigation, and by December 2019 they were wanted for questioning…
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