Cult mother Lori Vallows had a pool party at her home on the day her brother killed her husband Charles, and within weeks was trying to sell her son JJ’s service dog before the 7-year-old and his sister went missing.
JJ and Tylie Ryan, 17, have not been seen since the young boy was last at his school in Rexburg, Idaho, on Sept. 23.
The new details help piece together the events leading up to the mysterious disappearance of both children, which has captured national attention.
Vallows and her husband Chad Daybell, meanwhile, have surfaced living in Hawaii, and she has refused to answer questions about the children. Authorities have named the mother a person of interest, but not pressed charges against her.
Lori Vallows has been named a person of interest in the disappearance of her children, Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17
Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, were last seen in Idaho in September in Rexburg, Idaho and authorities are still searching for them
Lori Vallows and her current husband Chad Daybell have surfaced living in Hawaii, and she has refused to answer questions about her missing children
Relatives of both on social media say husband and wife are members of a cult.
Among the new details are recollections of a pool party being held at Vallows’ home in Chandler, Arizona on July 11, 2019.
That’s the day her husband at the time, Charles Vallows, was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in self defense, police said.
According to Vallows’ property manager, Joe Pongratz, neighbors reported a pool party was taking place at her home with ‘loud music and lots of people swimming’, Business Insider reports.
Charles Valows’ sister Cheryl Wheeler then recalls how Lori tried to sell off her son JJ’s service dog, Bailey.
A pool party was held at Lori Vallows’ home in Chandler, Arizona, on July 11, 2019. That’s the same day her then husband, Charles Vallows, was shot dead by her brother Alex in self defense, police said
Charles Vallow’s obituary photo. Vallows was killed by his then wife Lori Vallows’ brother Alex Cox on July 11, 2019, in self-defense
JJ’s father Charles Vallows spent thousands of dollars getting the animal, which was trained to assist the boy who has autism.
Bailey, a labradoodle, became JJ’s best friend, reports East Idaho News.
‘Three weeks after Charles was killed, Lori put the dog up for sale. She listed it for $2,500, and it was so shocking because Bailey was such an important part of JJ’s life,’ Cheryl Wheeler tells East Idaho News.
Vallows’ son JJ is sseen with Bailey, the service dog his mother tried to sell in the weeks after her husband Charles was killed by her brother
Vallows was trying to sell Bailey (pictured) for $2,500, but instead returned the animal to its trainer
‘Fortunately the trainer saw the listing and told Lori she had to give it back to the rescue group. They were able to take him back and re-home the dog to another special-needs boy,’ she said.
The trainer, Neal Mestas, confirmed that he handled returning Bailey to the group after he reached out to Lori Vallows about her attempts to sell the dog after her husband was killed.
‘She said this tragedy’s happened and she needed to move. She told me they were moving up north. I think she said Idaho,’ Mestas told KSAZ.
Dog trainer Neal Mestas confirmed that he handled returning JJ’s service dog Bailey to a rescue group after he reached out to Lori Vallows, who was trying attempts to sell the animal after her husband was killed
Before she married current husband Chad Daybell in November, Lori Vallows was filmed on surveillance cameras removing a large unidentified item from a storage facility.
She was accompanied by a man, believed to be her brother, in the video. It was filmed in October.
Police have since searched the facility in Idaho and found items that belonged to JJ and Tylee in it.
The items included a backpack with JJ’s initials on it and sports equipment.
In November, JJ’s grandmother asked police to conduct a welfare check on him at his home in Idaho.
When officers went to the house, Lori Vallows, who by then was with current husband Chad Daybell, said JJ was with other family members.
The couple fled before police returned to ask more questions.
In addition to Charles’ murder, there was the mysterious death of Chad Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy Daybell, who died at home on Oct. 19.
After Chad refused to order an autopsy, a coroner listed her death as ‘natural’, Business Insider reports.
Authorities later decided to further investigate the woman’s death, and now believe it to be ‘suspicious’, after her body is exhumed.
Adding even more mystery to the case was the death of Lori’s brother Alex Cox on Dec. 12.
In addition to the killing of Lori Vallows’ husband Charles, there was the mysterious death of Chad Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy Daybell, who died at home on Oct. 19
Lori Vallows’ brother Alex Cox died on Dec. 12
He was found unresponsive in Gilbert, Arizona. The cause of death has not been released by authorities.
Police continue to investigate the children’s disappearance and, despite naming Lori a person of interest, are yet to bring charges against her.