IDAHO, USA — Lori Vallow Daybell has an alibi for when her kids were killed, according to new court records filed in Idaho.
Vallow Daybell and her children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, used to live in Arizona. The mother and her husband Chad Daybell are currently in custody in Idaho. They're both charged with the kids' murders among other felony charges related to the investigation.
In a Notice of Alibi obtained by 12News Friday, Vallow Daybell's attorneys claim that her children "died in the apartment of Alex Cox in Rexburg, Idaho" and that Lori was in her own apartment when it happened with two friends "and/or Chad Daybell."
Alex Cox was Lori Vallow Daybell's brother. Court documents indicate that Lori and her brother Alex lived in the same apartment complex in Idaho.
Investigators believe Tylee and JJ were killed at different times, finding that Tylee died around Sept. 8, 2019 and that JJ died about two weeks later.
The notice also claims that Lori was in Hawaii with her niece and another person when Chad's first wife, Tammy Daybell, was killed. Records show Tammy Daybell died in October 2019. Both Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell are charged with being involved in her death.
Investigators allege that Chad, Lori, and Alex Cox conspired in all the killings. Both Lori and Chad pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Alex Cox died in December 2019 before any charges were filed.
The timeline
- July 2019 - Police said Lori's fourth husband, Charles Vallow, is killed outside his home in Chandler by Lori's brother, Alex Cox. As of 2022, Lori faces a conspiracy charge in Vallow's death in Maricopa County.
- September 2019 - Investigative records indicate Lori Vallow moved from Arizona to Idaho with her children Tylee and JJ at the beginning of the month. Both kids were last seen in mid-to-late September.
- October 2019 - Tammy Daybell, Chad's wife, is found dead at the family's home in Idaho.
- November 2019 - Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell get married in Hawaii. Authorities first do a welfare check for Tylee and JJ after relatives start getting concerned.
- December 2019 - Authorities announce Tylee and JJ are missing. Alex Cox dies at his home in Gilbert, Arizona.
- February 2019 - Lori is arrested in Hawaii for failing to produce her kids in court.
- March 2020 - Lori is extradited to Idaho and arraigned in court. She's been in custody in Idaho ever since.
- June 2020 - Bodies of Tylee and JJ are found in Chad Daybell's backyard in Idaho. Chad is taken into custody, where he's been ever since.
- May 2021 - Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell are indicted for the murders of Tylee and JJ. Chad Daybell is also charged with murder of his first wife Tammy Daybell. Both are facing several other felony charges stemming from the investigation. Later this month, Lori Vallow's part of the case was put on pause as she underwent a months-long mental health evaluation at Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare.
- April 2022 - Lori Vallow Daybell is deemed "competent" for trial after mental health evaluation according to the judge's ruling.
- October 2022 - Lori Vallow Daybell's case is paused again for a mental health check.
- November 2022 - Judge finds Lori Vallow Daybell is fit to proceed with trial. She and Chad Daybell are now scheduled for a joint trial in April 2023 after several delays.
Lori and Chad's last conversation
The latest filings are part of several records filed this week ahead of a joint murder trial scheduled for April 2023.
Through court records, 12News also learned that Lori Vallow Daybell's attorneys requested that Lori and Chad have a meeting to talk "about their options."
The filing said that the last time the couple spoke was over the phone back on July 26, 2022. Prior to that, the record states that the last time they spoke was June 9, 2020, which is the day Tylee and JJ's bodies were discovered in Chad Daybell's backyard.
Other new records show Lori Vallow Daybell's attorneys won't seek a mental health defense during trial and that they want the judge to take the death penalty off the table as a possible punishment. Both Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell are facing the death penalty if convicted in the case.
Chad's attorneys recently filed to push the trial date back, claiming there is still a "substantial" amount of trial investigation and preparation left to do.
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