BOISE, Idaho (Court TV) — The man tasked with selling Lori Vallow Daybell‘s Rexburg, Idaho townhome got an eerie feeling about the place before he even knew about the seller’s backstory.
Real estate agent Rick Robinson told Court TV’s Matt Johnson that while doing a walkthrough of the property, he noticed a thickness in the air and a darkness that permeated the place no matter how many light switches he flipped on, saying:
Lori Vallow Daybell was booked into the Ada County Jail on March 22, 2023 (Ada County Jail)
“I remember walking into that place and just this overwhelming, just thick, nasty, dark feeling just hit me. It was the weirdest thing I had ever experienced and I’ll never forget it. There was just something in that place. Just right now talking about it literally gives me the chills. I don’t know what it was but there was something dark in that place and I can’t describe it any way other than just, like, an evil feeling.”
Robinson told Johnson that he refused to go back to Lori’s condo alone after that day. He said when he brought people into the home they, too, picked up on the negative energy and asked him what was wrong with the place.
A box of 7-year-old JJ Vallow’s belongings found in the garage of Lori Vallow Daybell’s Rexburg, Idaho townhome. (Courtesy Rick Robinson)
Lori is currently on trial for the deaths of two of her children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and that of her fifth husband Chad Daybell’s former wife, Tammy Daybell. The kids’ bodies were found buried on Chad’s property in 2020. Earlier this year, Lori’s case was severed from Chad’s.
READ MORE: ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell: Doomsday Cult Mom Trial
In spite of the dark, evil, uncomfortable vibe the condo gave off, Robinson said the home was spotless, immaculate even. The unusual number of mirrors that have been referenced in the case had been cleared out.
Robinson didn’t notice anything physically unusual about the place until he entered the garage and saw a large cardboard box labeled “JJ.” He immediately texted his wife to say:
“I think the townhome we are selling is Lori’s townhome.”
In the end, Robinson said, the home was purchased by an investment company. There haven’t been any reports of problems with the home.
J.J. and Tylee (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via AP, File)
Robinson told Court TV that he had the pictures of JJ’s boxes on his phone and that he shared them with the media when trial coverage picked up and he recognized the home.
That townhome holds special significance because it was the last place 7-year-old JJ Vallow was seen alive.
Robinson assured Johnson that the community in Rexburg is watching and hoping for justice for victims JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan, and Tammy Daybell.
