Chad Daybell, the man accused of killing and concealing the remains of Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow — is facing new charges. Daybell was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. He and his wife Lori Vallow are currently in police custody as both await their new hearings.
The new charges follow Lori’s appearance in court on Tuesday after being accused of the same crimes. In early June, Daybell was charged with two felony counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence, which are different from his current charges according to East Idaho News. On June 9, both Vallow and Ryan’s remains were found in Daybell’s backyard and investigators believe the married couple conspired to dispose of the children’s remains.
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As a result of the new charges, Daybell appeared before a judge on Wednesday via Zoom amid the coronavirus pandemic. Daybell, dressed in a white shirt and blue tie, sat next to his attorney, John Prior, while both were inside the Fremont County Jail. Both sat before Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins and Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood. After Eddins read a summary of each charge, he followed up with Daybell by asking if he understood what was presented before him, and he replied with “yes.” In the video shared by the outlet in a separate story, the hearing lasted for 12 minutes and Daybell showed very little emotion throughout.
Just one day before, Lori appeared before the same judge on two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. She’s currently in the Madison County Jail. Both are booked on a $1 million bail.
The new charges accuse Daybell of conspiring with Lori to “willfully and knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.” Police have stated the two lied about where both kids were at and refused to cooperate with law enforcement during the investigation. Daybell’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3 and 4, while Lori’s is scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11. If he is found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison with a $40,000 fine.
Both of Vallow and Ryan’s families have issued a joint statement to thank those who have sent their love their way following the devastating news. “To the countless people who have loved and come to love our angels, JJ and Tylee, we Thank You for the endless prayers and kind words of encouragement,” the families wrote. “You have truly uplifted and carried us through this nightmare. For that, we can never express the depth of our gratitude. We are humbled by the kindness of strangers and unity shown in hopes of finding the kids.” They also stated that they are unable to make funeral arrangements because the kids’ remains have not been released yet.
