Lori Vallow Facing Murder Charge in Death of Her Fourth Husband Charles

Lori Vallow, the Idaho mother charged with the deaths of her two children, has been indicted in connection with the 2019 killing of her fourth husband. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday that a grand jury has charged Vallow with one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Charles Vallow. Charles Vallow died on July 11, 2019, after Lori Vallow's brother, Alexander Cox, called 911 to report he had shot and killed his brother-in-law following an altercation.

According to the two-page grand jury indictment, Lori Vallow "agreed" with her brother, who died in December 2019 of natural causes, that "at least one of them or another would engage in conduct constituting the offense of First Degree Murder." The indictment notes that on July 11, 2019, Cox called 911 to report that he had shot his brother-in-law, who died at the scene. Cox claimed self-defense at the time, telling police that Charles Vallow had been arguing with Lori Vallow and Cox when the fight turned physical.

"Complex, difficult cases of this nature take time to properly investigate and solve," Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said in a statement on Tuesday. "I appreciate the tremendous number of hours the dedicated officers of the Chandler Police Department have invested, and my office is equally committed to bringing those responsible for Charles Vallow's death to justice."

The charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder comes in addition to several other charges Lori Vallow is already facing in connection to the deaths of her two children, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ. The two children were last seen on different days in September 2019, with their remains later being discovered on Vallow's husband's Chad Daybell's Idaho property in June 2020. Daybell and Vallow are both charged with first-degree murder. Daybell was also indicted of first-degree murder in the death of his former wife, Tammy Daybell, who died in October 2019. Both are also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder against all three victims as well as grand theft by deception for the deaths of JJ and Tylee.

In May, Vallow was deemed unfit to stand trial and committed to an Idaho Department of Health and Welfare mental facility. Officials will determine whether she is competent to proceed to trial or whether she needs additional treatment following 90 days in the facility. Daybell, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. USA Today reports that authorities in Phoenix are currently reviewing the death of Vallow's third husband, Joseph Ryan, after new evidence cast doubt on whether he died of natural causes.