On Wednesday, authorities confirmed that the remains found on the property owned by Chad Daybell, Lori Vallow‘s husband, belonged to Vallow’s two missing children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17. In light of this development, JJ and Tylee’s family members have issued a statement about the tragic news, as EastIdahoNews.com reported. The family’s statement expressed just how “deeply saddened” they are about this terrible update regarding the case.
In the statement, which came by way of attorneys Robert Jarvis and Garrett Smith, it was related that members of the Cox family, which includes Janis, Barry, Summer, Melani, and Ian, are “deeply saddened” by the latest development in JJ and Tylee’s case. The statement continued, “The family has maintained a strong hope and belief that they were alive and well. With that hope and belief apparently shattered, they struggle to find comfort and hope in this potential new reality. They miss J.J. and Tylee very much.”
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The statement then shared that the family is grateful to those who worked on this investigation. They went on to stress that they will forever hold JJ and Tylee in their hearts. The Cox family’s message continued, “The family expresses their deep and abiding love for J.J. and Tylee. The family will continue to closely watch the developing situation and will anxiously await the pending conclusions with heavy hearts. The family extends their gratitude to all those who have expressed their love and concern for J.J. and Tylee and feels the strength of their faith and prayers.”
The Cox family’s most recent statement aligns with what JJ and Tylee’s family members said previously regarding this update in the case. Fox 10 Phoenix reporter Justin Lum reported on Wednesday that authorities officially announced that the remains found on Daybell’s property were those of JJ and Tylee, and that announcement came alongside a statement straight from the Woodcock and Ryan families. Their statement read, “We are filled with unfathomable sadness that these two bright stars were stolen from us, and only hope that they died without pain or suffering.”
They added that the Rexburg Police Department, the medical examiner, and the FBI would release statements about the case shortly. The families continued to express their sorrow over the loss of both JJ and Tylee and added that they hope that the public can respect their privacy as they deal with this tragedy. The statement continued, “We ask that you respect our family’s privacy as we grieve — we have only just been told of the loss of our loved ones and need time to process.”
