'Cult' mum 'glares' in court as jurors grilled ahead of double child murder case
Jurors in the highly anticipated trial of 'cult mum' Lori Vallow are being grilled on what they already know about the chilling case which was made into a Netflix hit.
Jury selection has stretched into the third day ahead of the tiral of alleged 'doomsday cult' mum Lori Vallow Daybel, 49, charged with the murder of her two children, Tylee and JJ, conspiracy to commit murder of JJ, Tylee and Tammy Daybell, and grand theft in connection with social security benefits following Tylee and JJ's deaths.
The mum-of-three, who lives in Idaho, has also been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the deaths of JJ and Tylee, as well as husband Chad Daybell's ex-wife Tammy. She has also been charged with grand theft in connection with social security benefits following the deaths of Tylee and JJ.
Tylee, 17, and JJ, seven, were discovered in a pet cemetery on the property of Vallow Daybell's 'doomsday cult leader' husband, Chad Daybell, during a police search on June 9, 2020. The discovery came after months of concern from grandparents, Larry and Kay Woodcock, having had no contact with the children.
Lori Vallow Daybell glances at the camera during her hearing in Rexburg, Idaho., on March 6, 2020 (John Roark/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The next step in Vallow Daybell's trial started on Monday, April 3, as jury selection got underway.
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By the end of proceedings yesterday, 30 potential jurors were selected, Fox 10 reports.
The last juror to be chosen was asked if he would have an issue with Vallow's "interesting" beliefs, as he reportedly holds religious studies qualification. He said that, ultimately, he would not.
Many potential jurors were asked what news reports they had consumed to see if they had previous knowledge of the case or had watched the Netflix documentary, Sin of Our Mother, about it.
Vallow with missing daughter Tylee, 16 (Chandler Police Dept)Vallow reportedly glared at a juror when he mentioned that he knew about Chad Daybell's late wife Tammy, local reporters claimed.
The juror said he did not know the specifics of Vallow's case, though his wife watches Dateline.
Other potential jurors said they did not keep a close eye on the news about the case, but did recall initial reports about the children going missing.
East Idaho News reports thet Vallow has seemed "intently focused" on proceedings and has been taking notes during jury selection.
Both Vallow Daybell and Daybell were due to be tried together in Rexburg, near where the children's bodies were found.
Chad Daybell in court in 2020 (John Roark/AP/REX/Shutterstock)However, Judge Steven Boyce made a decision to sever the two cases, originally due to be tried together, and to move the case to Boise - in order to increase the likelihood of finding jurors who were not overly familiar with the case.
Cameras have been banned from the courtroom by the judge, which means any information as to what's happening or how Vallow Daybell is reacting is coming from those physically inside the courtroom. Fox 10's Justin Lum is one of those in court watching things unfold.
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In a series of tweets he has described the jury selection process, which saw 30 jurors making it through panels and questioning at the end of the second day, Tuesday April 4.
He described Vallow Daybell's appearance saying she was wearing "a black top and coat or blazer. She is talking to Jim Archibald and smiling. She had her notepad ready and a cup of coffee, it appears."
Lori Vallow Daybell sits in a police car after a hearing at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 16, 2022 (Tony Blakeslee/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Jim Archibald was appointed by District Judge Steven Boyce in August 2021. He is a seasoned public defender and one of the few death-penalty certificed attorneys in eastern Idaho - an important detail considering Vallow Daybell was, at one point, looking at the potential of the death penalty.
He went on to say she was 'whispering' to Archibald, and looked "focused" as she watched jurors face selection. A number of jurors have been excused, whether that's due to hardship, bias, or their ability to deal with the evidence of two childrens' alleged murders.
Juror 1161 was excused for cause, as she is apparently a mother of five who would struggle with autopsy photographs of children. Another juror was repotedly excused as they were in a bad accident as a child and is still traumatised by graphic images.
'Zombie' beliefs
One of the key aspects of the case comes from the 'doomsday' teachings of 'cult leader' Chad Daybell, who Lori Vallow Daybell became infatuated with. Friends and family of the couple described the belief system followed by the group, including Daybell and Vallow Daybell.
The group, which consisted of roughly 10 members, met to pray, drive out evil spirits and look for revelations from "beyond the spiritual veil". It's thought that the belief system was loosely based on theology from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) - though it appeared to have evolved into a belief system which took on a world-view some would call extreme.
Vallow was arrested in HawaiiThere was reportedly a special scoring system, used to indicate whether people were good or evil. People were assigned numbers to indicate how many times they had lived before, as well as whether they had made contact with God or Satan on their journey.
This led to the 'zombie' concept - that there were people who had died, with their bodies being possessed by evil spirits, according to a police report. The group would spend time praying in an attempt to eradicate zombies, and believed that their success would be proven if the possessed person physically died - freeing their soul from "limbo".
Tylee and JJ vanish
Tylee Ryan was last seen alive on September 8, 2019, at the entrace to Yellowstone National Park. Images obtained by Rexburg Police show her with Lori, Lori's brother Alex Cox, and JJ. Photos later recovered from Lori's iCloud account showed Tylee with JJ and Alex at the park on that same day.
Phone records obtained by police showed the next day, September 9, Lori's brother Alex was on the Daybell property in Salem, around the area where Tylee's remains were later discovered.
However, the alarm was not raised for the missing children until November 26 of that year, after grandparents Larry and Kay Woodcock asked authorities to perform a welfare check, as they had not had contact with the children in months. Police checked the Idaho townhome, but could not see any signs of the children staying there.
Lori Vallow Daybell has been charged with the murder of her two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ VallowLori told police JJ was staying with her friend, Melani Gibb, in Arizona. Melani initially covered for the couple, telling police that JJ was staying with her. However, later on she asked Vallow Daybell and Daybell why she had been asked by them to lie about JJ's whereabouts - even recording the conversation due to her growing suspicions.
The following day, November 27, the Rexburg Police Department obtained a search warrant to enter Lori and Chad's home while they were out. This search uncovered no signs of the children or their whereabouts.
It was on December 6 that Melani Gibb contacts police, telling them Lori and Chad had asked her to lie about JJ's location, and recanting her statement. Two weeks later, December 20, JJ and Tylee were formally announced as missing.
Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell trial
On May 24, 2021, Vallow Daybell and Daybell were charged with the murders of Tammy Daybell, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow. On June 29 of that year, Lori was indicted by an Arizona grand jury on conspiracy to commit the murder of her former husband, Charles.
The pair were originally due to face trial together, however, the judge severed the cases. The trial against Vallow Daybell will progress once a jury has been selected. Chad Daybell's trial has been pushed back, with a date yet to be set.
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