Lori Vallow appears upset in court as she prepares to see autopsy photos of her dead children, JJ Vallow, on the left, and Tylee Ryan, on the right, appear inset, on April 11, 2023. (Courtroom pool sketch artist; Fremont County Sheriff’s Office)
The triple murder trial for Lori Vallow Daybell, 49, a “doomsday cult”-connected mother of two dead children and two dead former husbands continues with the third day of testimony in Ada County, Idaho, on Wednesday morning.
Vallow and her fifth and current husband, Chad Daybell, 54, stand accused of murder over the 2019 deaths of Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ashlyn Ryan, 17. The children disappeared on different dates in September of that year. Vallow was initially arrested in Hawaii in February 2020 on charges of child desertion. Daybell was arrested later that year after the children’s bodies were found buried at his property. The two defendants were indicted for the murder of Vallow’s children and Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, 49, in May 2021. Initially being prosecuted as husband-and-wife co-defendants, the couple’s cases were recently severed and will be tried separately.
Last week, jury selection wrapped up with 12 jurors and six alternates being chosen from nearly 2,000 Ada County residents who received a summons. The trial is being overseen by Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce, who previously explained to would-be jurors that the complicated case is expected to last as long as eight weeks.
On Tuesday, jurors heard often graphic and searing testimony from Rexburg Police Department Detective Ray Hermosillo about the grim and decidedly gruesome discovery of the children’s remains – as well as Chad Daybell’s attempt to flee when their bodies were found.
Det. Ray Hermosillo testified in the #LoriVallowDaybell triple murder trial Tuesday detailing the moment he learned Lori’s children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, went missing — to when their bodies were found. pic.twitter.com/YjkImcDfA3
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) April 11, 2023
The prospect of viewing her murdered children’s autopsy photographs apparently proved too big a cross to bear for the defendant – whose so-called “emotional” response to the morning’s testimony and anticipation of the visual evidence prompted the trial to be halted for an hour. Eventually, the defense lodged a formal request for Lori Vallow to excuse herself and waive her appearance during Hermosillo’s afternoon walk-through of those macabre photographs. Judge Stephen Boyce denied that request.
More Law&Crime coverage: Judge rejects Lori Vallow Daybell demand to leave court when autopsy photos of her murdered children are shown
Law&Crime correspondent Gigi McKelvey will provide rolling updates as the case progresses Wednesday and throughout the trial:
Judge Boyce is on the bench and we are back on the record. The state is asking to modify the trial schedule today and Monday. They’re needing to end early and no court on Monday #LoriVallow@LawCrimeNetwork
— Pretty Lies & Alibis🎙 (@PrettyLiesAlibi) April 12, 2023
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