Lori Daybell and Chad Daybell were both convicted in the deaths of Lori’s two youngest children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and Chad’s first wife in Idaho.
Lori was sentenced to multiple life sentences without parole, while Chad was sentenced to death.
Now, Lori is acting as her own attorney as she stands trial in Arizona for the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and conspiring in an attempt to kill her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
Some witnesses who testified at Chad and Lori’s trials are expected to appear during Lori’s Arizona trials. Here’s a look at some of the people involved in the cases:
Lori Vallow Daybell, Defendant
Lori Vallow Daybell was born to Janis and Barry Cox on June 26, 1973. She was the middle of five children, including her older brother, Alex Cox.
Lori Vallow Daybell stands and listens as the jury’s verdict is read at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho on Friday May 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Kyle Green)
Lori was married five times, with her first marriage to her high school sweetheart when she was just 19, the Associated Press reported. Lori married Nelson Yanes in 1992 and divorced shortly thereafter.
Lori’s second marriage was to William Lagioia on Oct. 22, 1995. She would give birth to a son, Colby, before divorcing Lagioia on Feb. 25, 1998, according to the AP.
In 2001, Lori married Joseph Ryan in Hawaii, though they lived together in Texas at the time. On Sept. 24, 2002, Lori gave birth to Tylee Ryan. Lori and Joseph divorced on May 18, 2005.
WATCH | Lori Vallow Daybell: From Beauty Contestant to Accused Murderer
Lori married her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, on Feb. 24, 2006, in Las Vegas. In 2013, the couple adopted JJ from Charles’ sister and her husband, Kay and Larry Woodcock, who were JJ’s grandparents.
In 2016, the couple moved to Arizona, where they settled down with Tylee and JJ. Three years later, Charles filed for divorce, indicating he was concerned about her mental health, according to East Idaho News. Lori’s older brother, Alex Cox, fatally shot Charles on July 11, 2019.
Lori married Chad Daybell shortly after Charles’ death, on Nov. 5, 2019.
Lori was a beautician by trade, according to the AP, but prosecutors say she stopped working and began stealing Social Security benefits to fund her lifestyle.
Chad Daybell, Defendant
Chad Daybell was a member of the LDS church and a self-published author of doomsday-focused fiction. Chad was charged alongside Lori in Idaho, but had his case severed from his wife’s.
Chad married his first wife, Tammy Daybell, on March 9, 1990. The two would have five children together, the AP reported.
FILE – Chad Daybell sits during a court hearing on Aug. 4, 2020, in St. Anthony, Idaho. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP, Pool, File)
While in college, Chad worked part-time at The Evergreen Cemetery and later was hired as a cemetery sexton.
In 2004, Chad and Tammy founded the Spring Creek Book Company, with Tammy serving as Chief Financial Officer. The book company served as publisher for Chad’s writing.
MORE | Chad Daybell: Murder defendant…or prolific author?
Chad met Lori at a 2018 conference in Utah, where the two felt an “instant connection,” according to testimony. Friends of the couple who witnessed their meeting said the two claimed they had been married in past lives.
Chad preached about a light and dark scale for followers and claimed that zombies were able to possess a person’s body. Chad claimed that the only way to get rid of a zombie was to destroy a person’s body, testimony during his trial revealed.
Charles Vallow
Lori married her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, on Feb. 24, 2006, in Las Vegas.
Charles adopted JJ with Lori from his sister, Kay Woodcock, who was JJ’s grandmother. In 2014, Charles, Lori and their family moved to Hawaii, where they maintained a small business in Kauai. Two years later, they returned to Arizona with the kids.
On Jan. 30, 2019, Charles called the police on his way home to tell them that he was concerned about a radical shift in Lori’s behavior. According to the police report, he told officers that he was concerned she was having a mental breakdown, that Lori said she believed the second coming of Christ was near and that she was supposed to lead The 144,000 into the Millennium.
MORE | Doomsday Cult Mom Trial: Who Was Charles Vallow?
When Charles arrived home that night, he found his truck missing and his bank account drained, according to police reports. One week later, he filed for divorce from Lori.
Lori’s older brother, Alex Cox, fatally shot Charles on July 11, 2019, while he was arguing with Lori after picking JJ up for school. Police said that during the argument, Alex claimed that Charles hit him over the head with a bat. Alex told police that after he was hit in the head, he retrieved a gun from his bedroom and shot Charles in self-defense. In a probable cause statement from the Chandler Police Department, investigators said no emergency aid was provided for Charles, and he was left bleeding on the floor for approximately 43 minutes before calling 911.
Tammy Daybell
Tammy grew up in Pasadena, California, before moving to Springville, Utah, at 13. She attended Brigham Young University, where she met Chad Daybell.
On Oct. 9, 2019, prosecutors say a man dressed in black clothing with a ski mask pointed a gun at Tammy and shot at her multiple times while she was standing in front of her house. In a police report filed at the time, investigators said that Chad organized the shooting. Tammy was not injured.
MORE | A Look at the Death of Tammy Daybell
Ten days later, Tammy was found dead in her Rexburg, Idaho, home. She was buried without an autopsy, but her body was exhumed after investigators found out Chad had increased her life insurance policy prior to her death.
Prosecutors revealed during Lori’s trial that Tammy died of asphyxiation.
Tylee Ryan
Tylee Ryan was born Sept. 24, 2002, to Lori and Joseph Ryan. Tylee grew up living with Colby, Lori’s son from a previous marriage, whom her father Joseph Ryan eventually adopted.
When her parents divorced, Tylee lived with Lori and her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. When her little brother JJ was adopted, she was very active in his care, her brother Colby testified during his mother’s trial.
MORE | Doomsday Cult Mom Trial: Remembering Tylee and JJ
Tylee was a teenager in 2015 when the first references to her being a zombie were made, Lori’s friend Melanie Gibb testified. This was approximately the same time that Lori began reading books by Chad Daybell, according to Gibb’s testimony.
As Lori’s marriage with Charles crumbled, she moved Tylee and JJ from Arizona to Rexburg, Idaho.
On Sept. 19, 2019, Lori and her children took a day trip to Yellowstone National Park with her brother, Alex Cox. Photos from their trip were entered into evidence as some of the last showing Tylee and JJ alive.
Tylee’s remains were found with those of her brother, JJ, buried on Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020.
JJ Vallow
This photo provided by the FBI shows JJ Vallow (L), Tylee Ryan (C) and Alex Cox (R). (FBI)
JJ Vallow was born on May 25, 2012, and was placed into the custody of his grandparents, Larry and Kay Woodcock. Court TV has been unable to determine who JJ’s biological parents are.
In an affidavit of probable cause following the deadly shooting of Charles Vallow, detectives said that JJ was about to start an individual education plan (IEP) to address his autism at a Rexburg elementary school. He was enrolled to begin in September 2019.
Sept. 22, 2019, is the last time Melanie Gibb and her boyfriend, David Warwick, saw JJ. During a conversation at the time, Lori told Gibb that JJ had been sitting still and increasing his vocabulary, which she took as signs that the child loved Satan and had been possessed.
Warwick testified that the last time he saw JJ was when he was asleep in Alex Cox’s arms. According to Warwick, Lori called Alex to come get JJ after she caught him climbing the cabinets and knocking over her statue of Christ. There were no confirmed sightings of him alive after that point.
JJ’s remains were found wrapped in black plastic and buried in Chad Daybell’s backyard with those of his sister, Tylee.
Alex Cox
Alex Cox, Lori’s oldest brother, was born on May 4, 1970. He met Zulema Pastenes in 2018 and after approximately one year of dating, eloped in Las Vegas. According to his widow, he was employed as a truck driver before his death.
Though Alex admitted he had shot Charles Vallow, he maintained he had done so in self-defense. In recorded interviews with police, Alex told investigators that Charles had attacked him with a bat before he grabbed a gun and shot him. While evidence discovered at the scene would dispute his account, Alex died before charges could be filed.
Investigators have suggested Alex may have been the gunman who unsuccessfully fired shots at Tammy Daybell on Oct. 9, 2019.
MORE | Evidence Recording: Chad Daybell ‘Blesses’ Alex Cox
On Dec. 12, 2019, Zulema said she got a text from a friend saying they had given Alex a blessing and had noticed he wasn’t well. Zulema’s son, Joseph, found Alex vomiting in the master bathroom and called 911.
Alex was taken to the hospital, where he later died. In an autopsy, doctors said there were no obvious signs of trauma and listed the death as caused by bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. The death was determined to be from natural causes.
Zulema Pastenes
Zulema Pastenes married Alex Cox on Nov. 29, 2019, two weeks before his death.
Zulema testified that she was part of Chad and Lori’s inner circle, and participated in “castings” on people who had supposedly been possessed by evil spirits and were zombies.
Pastenes testified that she no longer believes in the castings.
Colby Ryan
Born on April 8, 1996, Colby Ryan is Lori Vallow Daybell’s only surviving child. Fathered by William Lagioia, Colby took his stepfather’s last name.
This Sept. 4, 2022, booking photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office shows Colby Ryan. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
Colby was emotional when he testified at his mother’s trial, describing his childhood as happy.
Colby no longer lived in the family home when his siblings disappeared, but he testified that he continued to exchange texts with Tylee.
MORE | Colby Ryan and Lori Vallow Daybell’s Jail Phone Call
In a recorded phone call while his mother was in jail, Colby can be heard calling his mother a murderer and calling her out for the lies she had told him.
On Sept. 3, 2022, Colby was charged with sexual assault for an alleged incident on Aug. 31, when a woman said he raped her. The charges were dropped on Sept. 14.
Kay and Larry Woodcock
Kay Woodcock was Charles Vallow’s sister and grandmother to JJ Vallow.
Kay and her husband, Larry, called the police in Idaho to check on JJ in November 2019 when their regular phone calls and contact with the child ended.
MORE | Doomsday Couple Case: JJ Vallow’s Grandparents Speak to Court TV
Kay was the first witness to be called in Lori’s trial, and she testified that Lori was initially a good mother. She said JJ was born with some disabilities and had been diagnosed with autism, and that after her brother’s death, she was concerned that Lori no longer wanted her son.
Melanie Gibb and David Warwick
Melanie Gibb was one of Lori’s closest friends and a part of her and Chad’s inner circle. In Lori’s trial, Gibb testified she took part in castings and may have been one of the last people to see JJ alive.
Gibb testified that she had been visiting Lori with her boyfriend, David Warwick, when Alex took JJ from Lori’s home to his own because the child had been acting up.
Lori gave police Melanie’s name when she was asked where JJ was, and Gibb eventually told officers that she did not have the child, and that he had not been left in her care. In a recorded phone call, Gibb confronted Lori and asked where JJ was, but Lori would only say that he was “safe” and “happy.”
Melani Pawlowski and Brandon Boudreaux
Melani is Lori’s niece, the daughter of Lori’s sister Stacey Cox Cope. Melani was previously married to Brandon Boudreaux.
In June 2019, Melani confronted Boudreaux, accusing him of being “gay” and using drugs. Boudreaux suggested she seek a mental evaluation. The couple filed for divorce in July 2019.
Breaking down the attempt at Brandon Boudreaux’s life, as Lori Vallow Daybell’s nephew-in-law takes the stand in the Doomsday Prophet Murder Trial. Prosecutors suggest Alex Cox was the person that tried to kill Boudreaux. (Court TV)
According to police reports, Lori, Chad and Alex were having conversations with Melani about Boudreaux, where they said he had a “dark” soul. Police allege the group began plotting his murder in Sept. 2019.
Investigators believe the group modified the then-deceased Charles Vallow’s Jeep by tinting the windows and removing the backseat and then using it in an attempt on Boudreaux’s life.
Boudreaux testified in Lori’s trial that when he arrived home from the gym on Oct. 2, 2019, he saw the Jeep. Boudreaux said that Alex rolled down the back window of the vehicle, pointed a gun in his direction, and fired. Boudreaux was not hurt.
Lori and Chad were charged with attempted first-degree murder for the incident. Alex would have been charged but died before the charges were filed. Melani was not charged.
Melani married Ian Pawlowski on Nov. 30, 2019.
April Raymond
April Raymond lived in Hawaii and taught scriptures at Sunday School with Lori.
On the witness stand in Lori’s trial, Raymond testified that she met Lori at a branch of the LDS church in Hawaii. Raymond said that Lori talked to her about her divorce from Charles and claimed that Charles had been possessed by a spirit named “Ned Snyder.”
Raymond testified that she believed Lori was “subtly grooming” her during a 2019 trip, during which Lori pushed her belief system. She also testified that Lori told her that she was “done” with JJ.
Raymond testified that she was not interested in joining Lori’s group and began to distance herself.
Sarena Sharpe
Sarena Sharpe was friends with Lori and was mentioned by both Melanie Gibb and Zulema Pastenes during testimony as being involved in the group’s castings.
In a recorded interview with police, Sharpe told police that she met Lori, Chad and Gibb at a conference. She said that Lori talked to her about things that were not part of LDS teachings and that she believed them at the time.
Samantha Gwilliam
Samantha Gwilliam testifies in court on April 28, 2023. (Sketch by Lisa Cheney)
Samantha Gwilliam is Tammy Daybell’s only sister. Samantha testified in court that Tammy’s funeral happened so quickly that some family members couldn’t attend, and that she was devastated to learn that Chad had quickly remarried after Tammy’s death.
Gwilliam testified, “Eventually, the last conversation I had with Chad was in December (of 2019). It was just to ask him to stop lying about what was going on.”
Alice and Todd Gilbert
Alice and Todd Gilbert were Chad’s neighbors and lived down the street from him and Tammy. The couple testified that they noticed changes in Chad’s behavior in 2019, and said that Chad had told them individually that he had a vision that Tammy would die before she turned 50.
Alice and Todd testified that they met Lori approximately one week after Tammy’s death, and they were made uncomfortable by the level of affection she and Chad displayed.
Audrey Barattiero
Audrey Barattiero testified in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybelll on May 3, 2023. (Sketch by Lisa Cheney)
Audrey Barattiero was a follower of Chad‘s who first met him at an event in St. George, where she learned he was an author and purchased some of his books.
Barattiero testified in Lori’s trial that she became friends with Lori and stayed with her on multiple occasions. Barattiero said that she became uncomfortable when she was asked to take part in castings, and when she went to leave Lori’s home, Lori threatened her. Barattiero testified that she went to pack her bags to leave, and she asked Lori if anything weird was going on. Lori said “No, what do you mean,” and when Barattiero turned to go up the stairs she said that Lori began to laugh and said, “You’re so naive.”
Barattiero said that Lori then threatened to kill her: “She said that she would cut me up and something about that she wasn’t in the mental place to do that. … Something about trash bags and then she would bury me.”
