PHOENIX — Lori Vallow Daybell was indicted in Maricopa County on Tuesday for allegedly conspiring to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona.
It’s the latest twist while the serpentine case surrounding the disappearance and deaths of her children is paused in Idaho.
Lori Vallow Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, are currently in jail in Idaho facing murder and conspiracy charges connected to the deaths of Lori's children, Tylee and JJ, along with Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell.
The latest charge is the first Lori faces in Arizona. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said any court proceedings in Arizona would begin after the cases in Idaho were concluded.
Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori's brother Alex Cox at their home in Chandler in July 2019, after Alex told police he shot Charles in self-defense after Charles hit him with a baseball bat during an argument.
"She needs help"
Court records show the marriage between Lori and Charles grew rocky by the end of 2018.
At the end of January 2019, Charles called Gilbert Police after he returned home from a business trip and told officers he thought Lori's religious beliefs turned radical and that he feared for his own life and their children.
Court records show by this point she had already connected with doomsday author Chad Daybell and was part of a group that followed Daybell's alleged "end of times" teachings. Charles was trying to locate Lori so police could serve her with a mental health petition he filed.
"She needs help," he said to officers. "She needs some serious help. I want her to get help. I’m worried about her."
Records show Lori gave Gilbert Police her side of the story hours later, claiming she wanted Charles out of their home because she allegedly caught him cheating.
Police say she did get the mental health evaluation and was released.
Charles filed for divorce, but in the months that followed, the couple reportedly reconciled. They were estranged but still married when Chandler Police say Alex Cox shot and killed Charles.
Lori moves to Idaho and marries Chad Daybell
In the weeks following Charles' death, Lori moves her children, JJ and Tylee, to Rexburg, Idaho in September 2019. Tylee was last seen on September 8th, 2019 and JJ was last seen on September 23, 2019. Investigators believe those dates coincide with the days that they died.
In October 2019, Tammy Daybell died in the Rexburg home she shared with Chad. Her death was originally ruled natural causes, but she was later exhumed and investigators announced charges in her murder in May 2021.
Less than two weeks after her death in November, Lori and Chad would marry in Hawaii. It was around this time that JJ's grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, were starting to worry. They contacted Gilbert Police to see if they could do a welfare check on the kids, not realizing Lori took them to Idaho.
Eventually, investigators tracked Lori down in Rexburg but were unable to find the children after they first questioned her about their whereabouts.
When police in Idaho went to circle back with Lori, she was nowhere to be found. Investigators eventually tracked her and Chad down in Hawaii, where she was arrested in February 2020 for failing to produce her kids. She was extradited back to Idaho in March and put in the Madison County Jail, where she's been ever since.
Bodies buried in Chad Daybell's backyard
In June 2020, investigators discovered Tylee and JJ's bodies buried in Chad Daybell's backyard. Chad was arrested later that day and has been in the Fremont County Jail ever since.
Last month, the couple was indicted on several felony charges connected to the deaths of the children and Chad's first wife Tammy.
Alex Cox, Lori's brother, was also listed in Idaho court documents as someone who was involved in the kids' deaths.
Investigators say it was pings from Alex Cox's cell phone that ultimately led them to discover JJ and Tylee's bodies. The records show his phone was in the yard for several hours during the time each child was believed to have been buried.
Cox is also accused of shooting at Lori's niece's ex-husband in Gilbert and attempting to shoot Tammy Daybell in the days leading up to her death. He's not been charged in either of those cases.
Cox himself died in December 2019 at his home in Gilbert in what the medical examiner ruled “natural causes.” Gilbert Police continued to investigate his death after the medical examiner's ruling but ultimately upheld the finding.
Lori ruled "not competent" for trial in Idaho
Last month, just days after new charges were announced for Lori and Chad, court documents were filed saying Lori Vallow Daybell was "not competent" to
Records show the psychological assessment was taken before Lori and her current husband, Chad Daybell, were indicted on new murder and conspiracy charges earlier this week connected to the deaths of her children, Tylee and JJ, along with Chad's first wife, Tammy Daybell.
"She is simply not competent to go forward and proceed at this time” David Leroy, former Idaho Attorney General said.
The trial is paused for 90 days as doctors try to get her competent enough to stand trial. If they are not successful, her time admitted could be expanded a further 180 days.
The case against Chad Daybell is still ongoing. His trial for the murder and other related charges is scheduled to start in November 2021.
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