Lori Vallow Daybell faces felony charges related to the disappearance and deaths of her two children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16.
Lori Vallow Daybell's arraignment on felony charges related to the disappearance and deaths of her two children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, has been postponed until September, and both her defense attorney and the prosecutor in the case have filed new requests for discovery to obtain documents and evidence.
Lori is facing felony charges of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence in Fremont County, Idaho, after the remains of JJ and Tylee, were found in her new husband's backyard on June 9.
Lori's arraignment is now scheduled to take place on Sept. 10 before Judge Dane Watkins. In addition to his latest request for discovery, Lori's attorney, Mark Means, also filed a document asking for more time to file a motion to transfer her trial, signaling he may potentially ask that Lori be tried outside of the county in which she and her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, have been accused.
Chad is set to go on trial in January after pleading not guilty to felony charges of willfully destroying, concealing or altering evidence and conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence of JJ and Tylee's remains. Chad and Lori have both previously denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Both remain in jail on $1 million bond.
In his latest request for discovery, Fremont County special prosecutor Rob Wood again gave Means 14 days to inform the state if he "intends to raise any issue of mental condition" while defending Lori. In a June 1 court filing, Means previously declined to provide that information, writing that it "violates [Lori's] Constitutional rights," but explaining that she would comply "in the event determination is made that said section is applicable to this case" as required under Idaho law.
Lori's mental health has been discussed in the case after police body cam footage from Jan. 31, 2019 showed her late husband, Charles Vallow, telling police in Gilbert, Arizona that Lori had "lost her reality" and expressing his concern about whether she would harm their children.
"I don’t know what she’s going to do with them. I don’t know if she is going to flee with them, if she’s going to hurt them," Charles said in the footage in response to a police officer's question about whether Lori poses a threat to JJ and Tylee.
In the footage, Charles also told police he filed a petition for an emergency mental health evaluation for Lori. A Gilbert Police Department report indicates that police ultimately determined that Lori should be allowed to go and speak with the mental health facility staff voluntarily. The report said an officer confirmed that she had checked herself in there and been discharged "a few hours later."
Charles was shot and killed by Lori's brother, Alex Cox, months later on July 11, 2019. Cox claimed he fired in self-defense and was not charged in the incident. Cox himself was found dead at his home on Dec. 12.
The Chandler Police Department said Lori remains a person of interest in Charles' death, and could be charged with conspiracy to commit murder in that case.
Lori also faces misdemeanor charges of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt in nearby Madison County. A trial has been set on those charges for Jan. 25 to Jan. 29, 2021 before Judge Michelle Radford Mallard, according to court documents. Lori has previously pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Separately, Chad and Lori are currently under investigation by the Idaho Attorney General's office for "conspiracy, attempted murder and/or murder" in the death of Chad's first wife, Tammy, who died in October 2019, weeks before Chad and Lori married.
Chad's attorney, John Prior, has not responded to Inside Edition Digital's request for comment.
Means, Lori's attorney, declined to comment at this time.
The Rexburg Police Department asks anyone with information regarding the case to contact them at 1-208-359-3000.
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