On June 10, the remains of Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found on Chad Daybell’s property, according to a report from Fox 10’s Justin Lum. JJ and Tylee were Lori Vallow’s children, who were last seen on September 23, 2019, in Rexburg, Idaho. Shortly after the children went missing, Lori married Chad Daybell in Hawaii. Lori was ordered to present her children to the court by January 30, which she failed to do. She was then arrested and extradited from Hawaii, where she was living with her new husband, to Madison County, Idaho.
Prior to the children’s remains being found and identified on Daybell’s property, Lori was charged with two felonies, desertion and nonsupport of dependant children, and she is in prison on a $1 million bail. In addition to the two felonies she was charged with, Lori has also been charged with criminal solicitation to commit a crime, contempt of court and willful disobedience of court process or order for failing to produce them, according to PEOPLE.
After the children’s remains were found, Daybell was charged with two counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence and is also in prison on a $1 million bond, Lum reported.
Lum shared a statement from JJ and Tylee’s family:
Here’s what you need to know about Lori Vallow’s children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan:
1. Tylee Was the Biological Daughter of Lori & Joseph Anthony Ryan
Tylee was the daughter of Lori and her late husband, Joseph Anthony Ryan. She was born on September 24, 2002, and she had one biological brother, Colby Ryan. Her brother described how Tylee was like a second mom to JJ after Lori adopted him and she “started taking care of him.” Tylee’s aunt, Anne Cushing said that she had a “strong sense of right and wrong.”
Tylee and Colby’s father Joseph died from a presumed heart attack in 2018. According to MissingKids.org, Tylee was five feet tall, weighs 160 pounds and she has blonde hair and blue eyes.
2. JJ Was Adopted By Lori & Her Late Husband Charles Vallow
JJ was seven years old, born on May 25, 2012. He was adopted by Lori and her late husband Charles Vallow in 2013. His biological father is Charles’ nephew. Four months ago, Charles’ sister and JJ’s grandmother, Kay Vallow Woodcock, wrote that JJ was autistic. She said:
He’s a beautiful, intelligent 7 [year old] with the biggest heart, most beautiful smile & has life challenges of a level 2 boy on the Autism spectrum. Early intervention allowed him to flourish beyond all expectations.
According to MissingKids.org, JJ was 50 pounds, four feet tall, and has brown hair and brown eyes.
3. JJ’s Adopted Father Charles Was Shot & Killed By Lori’s Brother, Alex Cox
JJ’s adopted father, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed on July 11, 2019, by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox. At the time of his death, Charles and Lori were separated. Charles went to Lori’s house in Chandler, Arizona, to pick up his son JJ and bring him to school.
According to Fox10 News, while he was at the house, Charles and Lori got into an argument, and Cox stepped in to defend his sister. An altercation between the two men ensued, and Cox ended up shooting Charles in the chest twice, killing him.
Cox told the police that he shot Charles in self-defense after Charles hit him in the head with a baseball bat. Cox was never charged with Charles’ death. Shortly after Charles’ death, Lori moved to Rexburg, Idaho, with the kids.
4. JJ & Tylee Were Officially Listed as Missing a Day Before Tylee’s 17th Birthday
JJ and Tylee were officially reported missing as of September 23, 2019. According to police, JJ went to school that day, but both children hadn’t been seen since. Tylee was last seen on September 8 on a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. They were last known to be living in Rexburg, Idaho, with their mother.
On December 30, 2019, the Rexburg Police Department stated that they had information indicating Lori knew where the children were, but she was refusing to work with law enforcement.
We know that the children are not with Lori and Chad Daybell and we also have information indicating that Lori knows either the location of the children or what has happened to them. Despite having this knowledge, she has refused to work with law enforcement to help us resolve this matter. It is astonishing that rather than work with law enforcement to help us locate her own children, Lori Vallow has chosen instead to leave the state with her new husband.
5. Lori & Chad Told People That Tylee Died a Year After Her Father & Chad Also Said That Lori Didn’t Have Any Minor Children
On December 30, 2019, the Rexburg Police Department posted a statement on Facebook about the search for Tylee and JJ. In the statement, the police said:
Lori Vallow/Daybell and Chad Daybell told witnesses that Lori’s daughter had died a year before the death of her father, which is untrue. Around that same time Chad told another witness that Lori had no minor children.
In the same statement, the police department also said:
We publicly call on Lori Vallow/Daybell and Chad Daybell to do the right thing and come forward with the information they have about the location and welfare of Joshua and Tylee. This entire investigation could have been avoided if Lori and Chad had simply been honest with law enforcement. We further continue to ask that anyone with any information regarding the location or welfare of Joshua and Tylee share that information with law enforcement.
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Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow & Tylee Ryan: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know