'There would be another burial site': Lori Vallow tried to adopt another child before killings, claims family
BOISE, IDAHO: Lori Vallow was trying to adopt another child before she claimed the lives of her two young children and a romantic rival, her family has recently disclosed. The 49-year-old has been found guilty on all charges on Friday, May 12, for murdering Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow and also for being involved in the killing of Tammy Daybell, the late wife of her fifth husband, Chad Daybell.
While Tylee, 16, was Lori's biological daughter, JJ, 7, was adopted by her and her late former husband, Charles Vallow, in 2013. In July 2019, Charles, JJ's biological uncle, was fatally shot. He adopted the boy from his nephew, Todd Trahan, who was battling addiction. Mandy Leger, JJ's biological mother also suffered from substance abuse, and the poor boy was born several weeks premature with drugs in his system.
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What did JJ's aunt say?
JJ's aunt said that Lori and her husband were thinking about the possibility of adopting another child. "Something that nobody knows [...] after JJ was born and adopted by Charles and Lori, Mandy got pregnant again, but not by my brother, so JJ has a half-sister out there," said Kresha, according to The Sun. "And Lori and Charles tried to adopt her. It just didn't go through, I'm not sure what happened. [But I ask myself] would there be another burial site in Chad Daybell's backyard if they did? That's always bothered me."
Before Lori and Charles assumed full control over JJ in 2013, Kresha's parents, Kay and Larry Woodcock temporarily looked after the child as a baby. The family seemed to be enjoying a happy life but in July 2019, Charles Vallow was shot dead by Lori's brother Alex Cox during an alleged altercation.
Cox initially claimed self-defense
Cox initially told police that Charles tried to attack him with a baseball bat but now investigators believe that Charles was murdered by Cox at the orders of Lori, who was already having an affair with Chad Daybell at the time. A number of strange happenings took place in the family after the death of Charles.
Larry Woodcock speaks after #LoriVallow is convicted on all charges. #LoriVallowTrial pic.twitter.com/mFuhtqxtCK
— Annie Elise x 10 to LIFE (@_10toLIFE) May 12, 2023
JJ's older half-sister Tylee Ryan would disappear on September 8, following a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. A couple of weeks later on September 22, JJ's disappearance would follow. he was last seen by family friends while he slept in the arms of his uncle Alex in Rexburg, Idaho.
JJ was 'being a zombie'
Lori reportedly told her friends that JJ was "being a zombie" when they asked to see the boy the next morning. She also said that Cox had taken him away. Tammy Daybell also suddenly died in her sleep by mid-October. Tammy was married to Dabell for about 30 years. Initially, it was thought that she died from natural causes but after exhuming her body, prosecutors said she was asphyxiated.
I found the video Kay Woodcock sent me in December of 2019. This is JJ and Larry on a bus. Pretty special moment between grandfather and grandson. pic.twitter.com/A7wEp87DS3
— Justin Lum | 林俊豪 (@jlumfox10) May 12, 2023
Horrifying events that took place after Charles' death
Two weeks later Chad and Lori married in Hawaii but there was no sign of JJ or Tylee at the beach ceremony. After not having heard from him for weeks, on November 26, Kay Woodcock reported the boy missing. Police soon discovered that Tylee was missing too. Investigators started to become suspicious of Tammy's death and decided to disinter her body that December. Alex Cox was also found dead in his home in Arizona. He was said to have died from natural causes but the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.