PHOENIX — Phoenix Police confirmed Thursday that the review into Joseph Ryan's death investigation is complete.
Ryan was Lori Vallow Daybell's ex-husband and biological father to her daughter, Tylee.
In completing the review of Joseph Ryan's case, Phoenix Police say "there was no criminality found in his death."
Right now, Lori and her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, are in jail in Idaho, facing charges connected to the death of her children, Tylee and JJ Vallow.
The couple is also under investigation for the death of Chad Daybell's first wife and Lori is under investigation by Chandler Police in the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
Joseph Ryan died in 2018 from a heart attack, according to the medical examiner's report. It listed the cause of death as natural causes.
Phoenix Police started to review the case after a recording, made public in November, captured Lori talking about wanting to murder an ex.
"I was going to murder him," she says in the recording. "I'm going to kill him like the scriptures say."
The audio, according to East Idaho News, comes from an October 2018 religious group meet-up. Although she never says his name, context clues reveal she’s talking about Joseph Ryan, her third husband.
She tells the group that their marriage ended badly.
"After we were divorced, he told everybody I was this lying, crazy Mormon."
And that the custody battle over their daughter Tylee was bitter.
"If he comes against you once, if he comes against you twice, if he comes against you three times, then you can kill him. It says it in the scriptures."
Joseph Ryan died months before this meeting in April 2018 from an apparent heart attack, according to his autopsy report.
East Idaho News reports the recording came from Ryan's sister, Annie Cushing. Cushing told them she hoped the recording would prompt Phoenix Police to take another look at Ryan's sudden death.
At the time of the recording, Lori was married to her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. By early 2019, records show their marriage was strained. Charles would go on to tell Gilbert Police he was worried about his wife's darkening religious beliefs and the safety of their children.
In July 2019, Chandler Police say Lori's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow at his home in Chandler. Police say Lori is still under investigation in his death.
A few months later in September 2019, Lori moved with her children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, from Arizona to Rexburg, Idaho, where Chad Daybell lives.
Both children would disappear before the end of the month and would remain missing until investigators found their bodies brutally buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in June 2020.
Court records show Lori and Chad married in November 2019 after the death of Chad's first wife Tammy Daybell in October. Tammy's death was originally ruled as "natural causes" but her body was later exhumed and her death is under investigation. Idaho authorities are looking into Chad and Lori as part of the investigation.
In December 2019, police say Lori's brother Alex Cox died at his home in Gilbert.
The medical examiner ruled his death as "natural" and earlier this month, Gilbert Police closed their investigation into his death.
Court records show Alex Cox also rented an apartment in the same complex as Lori's in Idaho. Investigators say it was pings from Alex Cox's cell phone that ultimately led them to discover JJ and Tylee's bodies.
Chad and Lori are both facing conspiracy charges connected to the deaths of JJ and Tylee. The couple is scheduled for a joint trial in July 2021.
