After two sets of human remains belonging to children were found on the Idaho property of Chad Daybell, one is confirmed to be 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and the other set is believed to be his 17-year-old sister, Tylee Ryan. On Wednesday, Daybell was formally charged with two felony counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence, USA Today reports. He is in holding on a $1 million bond.
“This is the beginning of an investigation into the deaths of children who were found on his property,” prosecutor Rob Wood said, adding how the alleged manner of concealment for one set of the remains was particularly disturbing. Court documents allege that Daybell concealed or aided in concealing human remains on or between dates that line up with when JJ and Tylee went missing and today.
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Daybell is the husband of Lori Vallow, JJ and Tylee’s mother, who was arrested in February after she failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to bring her children to authorities. On Tuesday, police executed a search warrant at Daybell’s home, and he was arrested. ABC News reports that investigators announced that they had found human remains while searching Daybell’s property, and the FBI and local authorities erected canopies, draped tarps on the ground, and brought in equipment to dig in a field near the home.
Vallow is currently in jail and charged with felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children, resisting or obstructing officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime, contempt of court, and willful disobedience of court process or order for failing to produce her children, PEOPLE reports. She has pleaded not guilty and in holding on a $1 million bond.
In 2019, Vallow was still married to estranged husband Charles Vallow, who filed for divorce, claiming that he was afraid his wife would kill him and that she claimed to be “a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ’s second coming in July 2020.” In July, Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles and claimed that it was self-defense. Though police investigated, Cox died of a blood clot in December. Lori moved to Idaho with her children, where she began spending time with Daybell, who she had sometimes participated in podcasts about preparing for biblical end times. Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell, who died in October. Her obituary stated that she died of natural causes in her sleep. Still, after Lori and Chad married two weeks later, officers had Tammy’s body exhumed for an investigation, the results of which have not been released.
Family members began worrying about Lori’s children when they suddenly had less and less contact with them. Tylee was last seen in September 2019 at Yellowstone National Park with her mother and other family members, and JJ was last seen at school later that month before Vallow withdrew him from school. JJ’s grandparents asked police to check on the children, and when they did, officers allege Lori and Daybell lied about JJ and Tylee’s whereabouts. Investigators returned the next day and the Daybells were gone. They had moved to Hawaii, and after Lori was court-ordered to bring her children to officials but did not do so, she was charged and extradited to Idaho.
