Lori Vallow ‘still believes husband Chad Daybell is a god’ and ‘cannot be redeemed’ after children were murdered, family says
LORI Vallow still believes her alleged cult leader husband, Chad Daybell, is a god and has little chance of redemption, her family said.
Lori’s brother Adam Cox and uncle Rex Conner are beginning to speak out about the horrific case after she was convicted of murdering their children JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16.
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The Idaho mother was found guilty in May 2023 of killing her two children and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, first wife of her husband Chad Daybell.
She made headlines for enjoying a Hawaiian vacation with her fifth husband, Chad, after their children went missing in September 2019.
Lori was eventually arrested for failing to report a missing child while Chad, who had worked as a gravedigger, remained free.
On June 9, 2020, the decomposing remains of Tylee and JJ were dug up from shallow graves in the backyard of Chad’s Idaho home, prompting police to arrest him and charge the couple with murder.
Although Lori faces a life sentence for her actions, the family doubts she will ever regret her behavior or change her ways.
“STILL BELIEVE”
“I think she believed everything Chad told her,” Cox told the Fox daughter KSAZ.
“And she still believes it while she’s in prison.
“She still believes Chad is a god or whatever he told her.”
Cox and Conner are working on a podcast called Tylee and JJ’s Silver Linings that will honor their memories and discuss Lori’s case.
Cox was very close to Lori growing up and growing up, but said they hadn’t spoken in four years when Chad came on stage.
“Me and Lori were super close,” he said.
“In our family we are the same age and had a lot in common.
“We loved to laugh and have a good time, going to Disneyland, going to the movies and playing sports — it’s weird that we had such a great time as kids … and then this happened.”
Still confused about the situation, Cox stresses that he never expected something like this to happen to her family.
“This story is a giant onion. And every time we peel off another layer of the onion, there’s something else there that nobody else knows about,” Cox said.
“So that’s the point of this podcast – it just fills in the blanks in this case.”
haunting regret
In July 2019, Lori’s fourth husband, Charles Vallow, was murdered by her brother Alex Cox, who claimed it was in self-defense and was never charged.
He died of a heart attack in December of that year before the investigation was complete.
Lori is charged with the death and accused of conspiring with her brother to kill Charles.
And she faces another trial in Arizona for alleged conspiracy to murder her niece’s former husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
Looking back, Adam Cox wonders if there was anything he could have done to prevent the tragedy.
“I don’t know exactly what I could have done differently. I’ve been trying to warn people and tell people, but like I said to my mom and dad, Lori’s grown up,” he said.
“You can’t grab them by the wrist and force them to do things.”
Despite this, Cox has some concerns about the police, as he was the last person to text Charles before he was killed.
“I’ve still never had a call from anyone in the police force and I was the last person alive to text Charles,” he said.
“I don’t understand why this gap has arisen.”
HEAL WOUNDS
Cox and Conner don’t let the memories of Tylee and JJ fade away.
They expect the podcast about Tylee and JJ and the case to be 10 episodes.
Conner said of the title: “We are all united in finding justice for the victims of this tragedy. It’s so connecting.”
“We don’t care about other people’s politics or their stance on current social issues. We all agree that we want justice for these victims. That’s a silver lining. I love that.”
The couple said that recording the episodes and talking about their memories has been therapeutic for them and they hope it will help others.
“I know every family has problems, problems, divisions and people not talking to each other. I just feel like that’s such a bad thing,” Cox said.
“A lot of families like to sweep things under the rug and never talk about it again. Those are the things that I want to present to other people… and I would try to hope that we can help with that.”
They also plan to self-publish a book on the case ahead of Lori’s sentencing, which they hope will help the public “fill in the blanks in a case that doesn’t make sense.”
Lori does not face the death penalty, but she could face the rest of her life in prison at her July 31 hearing.
Meanwhile, Chad is also charged with the murders of JJ and Tylee and his trial is scheduled to begin in April 2024.