Lori Vallow Daybell: Prosecutors Plan to Call Defense Witnesses to Refute 'Doomsday Cult' Mom's Murder Alibis

Lori Vallow; JJ and Tylee
FBI/HO

In a notice of alibi filed by the defense counsel in January, Vallow Daybell claims she was with friends on both occasions and not at the scene of the alleged murders. The prosecutors announced they will call these friends to the stand.

Lori Vallow Daybell is three days away from the start of her murder trial, but prosecutors are already going after her alibis.

The "Doomsday Cult" mom is facing charges of murder, conspiracy and grand theft after law enforcement discovered the bodies of 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow and his 16-year-old sister Tylee Ryan buried in the yard of her fifth husband Chad Daybell's home months after the children were first reported missing.

Vallow Daybell and husband Chad Daybell are also charged with the death of his wife Tammy.

In a notice of alibi filed by the defense counsel in January, Vallow Daybell claims she was with friends on both occasions and not at the scene of the alleged murders.

Inside Edition Digital obtained the notice, which states:

  • "Lori Vallow was in her own apartment in Rexburg, Idaho, when J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan died in the apartment of Alex Cox in Rexburg, Idaho. Defendant was with Melanie Gibb, David Warwick, and/or Chad Daybell."
  • "Lori Vallow was in Hawaii when Tammy Daybell died at the home of Chad Daybell in Salem, Idaho. Defendant was with Melani Boudreaux and/or Audrey Barattiero."

Prosecutors are now responding to Vallow Daybell, saying that she had failed to provide alibis for a number of charges and have announced plans to call her own friends and family to refute her claims.

RESPONSE TO LORI VALLOW ALIBI

"As alibi does not apply to a conspiracy charge the alibi disclosure is misplaced as to those charges," prosecutors write. "An alibi is similarly misplaced in charges where the Defendant is charged with murder as a principal."

That comment is in response to Vallow Daybell saying she was not physically present when the three victims were allegedly murdered, since that does not provide an alibi or defense for the prosecution's allegations that she allegedly plotted all three murders.

Prosecutors allege Vallow Daybell instructed her brother Alex Cox to murder her children.

Vallow Daybell spent the weeks before her arrest in 2020 with Chad Daybell in Hawaii, while authorities searched for her missing children, Tylee and J.J.

The probable cause affidavit submitted in the case reveals that the bodies of the two children were located using the location of Cox's phone, which was traced to Daybell's property.

The probable cause affidavit also claims that soon after Cox left Daybell's property on the morning in question, Daybell allegedly texted his then-wife, Tammy, saying: "Well, I've had an interesting morning! I felt I should burn all of the limb debris by the fire pit before it got too soaked by the coming storms. While I did so, I spotted a big raccoon along the fence. I hurried and got my gun, and he was still walking along. I got close enough that one shot did the trick. He is now in our pet cemetery. Fun times!"

Cox is not able to provide testimony in the case, nor can he confirm Vallow Daybell's claim, because he died of a blood clot soon after Vallow Daybell's children were reported missing. He had previously confessed to killing Vallow Daybell's husband Charles Vallow by shooting the man in what he claimed was self-defense.

The prosecution has said they will be calling three individuals close to Vallow Daybell to testify at the trial: Melanie Gibb, Melanie Pawlowski and David Warwick.

Vallow Daybell claims in her alibi that she was with Gibb and Warwick when the children were allegedly murdered, and with Pawlowski at the time of Tammy Daybell's alleged murder.

"[T]he State intends to call the named, and previously disclosed, witnesses or admit the following, previously disclosed evidence in its case in chief and in rebuttal to refute the Defendant’s claim of alibi," prosecutors write.

LORI VALLOW ALIBI

Vallow Daybell and Daybell's alleged beliefs were described in a 2021 probable cause affidavit filed by the Chandler Police Department in Arizona, detailing Vallow Daybell's alleged involvement in her husband Charles' death.

"It was discovered that Lori Vallow believed she was an exalted Goddess and she and Chad were directed to lead 144,000 people in preparing for the end of the world," reads the affidavit.

It goes on to say: "It was discovered that Lori and Chad believed that they had extraordinary abilities. Some of these abilities included the power to teleport and cause harm to others, the ability to call up natural disasters, the ability to pray away demonic spirits attached to others and also visionary capabilities. Because of these abilities provided to them, they felt that they were qualified to tell whether someone had a 'light' or 'dark' scale associated with them. This scale would indicate whether or not they had demonic spirits attached to them."

Among those Vallow Daybell is alleged to have said had a "dark" scale were her ex-husband Charles and children J.J. and Tylee, according to the affidavit.

Vallow Daybell is also facing charges in Arizona related to her ex-husband's Charles death, but those are on hold while she stands trial in Idaho.

Vallow Daybell and Daybell have denied having anything to do with the deaths of the two children and have pleaded not guilty to all charges. "Defendant believes that she will be acquitted of all charges," Vallow Daybell's attorneys said in earlier filing.

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