Lori Vallow Daybell: Everything to Know About the Idaho Mom Convicted of Killing Her 2 Kids

Dec. 5, 2018: A Fateful Connection

In their first documented appearance together, author and speaker Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, a follower of Chad's religious doomsday writings, appear Dec. 5, 2018, on a podcast promoted by an entity called Preparing a People, which is run by a multimedia company that purports to host lectures and videos focused on "helping to prepare the people of this earth for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ," according to its website.

Feb. 8, 2019: A Marriage Broken?

On Feb. 8, 2019, Lori's then-husband Charles Vallow files for divorce. He seeks custody of their adopted son Joshua Jaxon "J.J." Vallow, and in his divorce papers cites Lori's growing embrace of extreme religious views. He alleges Lori believes "she was a God assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ's second coming in July 2020 and that if Father [Charles] got in her way of her mission, she would murder him."

July 11, 2019: Estranged Husband Fatally Shot

While estranged from Lori, Charles is shot to death in Lori's Arizona home on July 11, 2019, by Lori's brother Alex Cox. Cox claims self-defense in the shooting, which occurs while he, Lori, and J.J., 7, and Tylee, 16, are inside the residence. Cox is not charged.

July 22, 2019: J.J.'s Service Dog Returned

WTHR-13 reports that on July 22, Lori sent an email asking to return J.J.'s service dog to the company that trained it.

Neal Mestas, who trained the service dog Charles and Lori acquired the previous year for J.J — who had an autism diagnosis — tells PEOPLE that with J.J.'s father now deceased, he finds her request "really puzzling, because now you think, doesn't J.J. need the dog more than ever? That's a traumatic thing to have happen." Lori tells him the family is moving to Idaho. "It's just too hard," Mestas says she tells him.

Sept. 5, 2019: Lori's Sudden Move

Lori explains in a Sept. 5 email to J.J.'s school, the Laurens Institute for Education in Gilbert, Arizona, at right, that he won't be re-enrolling because the family had to "move quickly" so she could accept an out-of-state job. By then she has enrolled him at Kennedy Elementary School in Rexburg, Idaho, near Daybell's home base.

Sept. 8, 2019: Tylee Disappears

The last known image of Tylee was taken Sept. 8, 2019, while she was on a day trip to Yellowstone National Park with her mother, brother and Vallow's brother Alex Cox, according to a court filing. She was 16 years old when the photograph was taken.

Sept. 23, 2019: J.J. Disappears

7-year-old J.J. was last seen Sept. 23, 2019 at his Rexburg school before Vallow withdrew him and told the principal she was considering home-schooling. This is also one day before his sister Tylee's 17th Birthday.

Oct. 19, 2019: Another Shocking Death

On Oct. 19, Chad Daybell reports the death of his wife Tammy, pictured with him at right, saying she had gone to bed with a cough and didn't wake up. The manner of death is initially ruled as "natural causes," and there is no autopsy. But as concerns start to arise about Lori and Chad tied to the children's disappearance, police later say they consider Tammy's death "suspicious."

Nov. 5, 2019: Wedding Vows

Four months after the shooting death of Lori's husband Charles, and two weeks after the mysterious death of Chad's wife Tammy, Lori and Chad are married on Nov. 5, 2019, in Kaua'i, Hawaii.

Nov. 26, 2019: Missing Persons Case Opened

After getting a call from J.J.'s grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock, at right, police in Rexburg, Idaho, conduct a welfare check and realize that J.J. and Tylee haven't been seen since September. Police open a missing persons investigation. The grandparents later offer a $20,000 reward for helpful tips.

Nov. 27, 2019: Couple 'Abruptly' Vacates Home

As police begin to investigate the children's apparent disappearance after disproving Lori's initial claim that J.J. is with a friend in Arizona, they show up Nov. 27 at the Rexburg residence of Lori and Chad Daybell, at right, with search warrants. Police discover the couple has "abruptly vacated" the home and left the area, they say. A later statement says police "strongly believe that Joshua and Tylee's lives are in danger" and alleges that Lori "has refused to work with law enforcement to help us resolve this matter."

Dec. 12, 2019: Another Death

Lori's brother Alex Cox, 51 — who had fatally shot her previous husband, Charles, in Lori's home during an alleged altercation and then claimed self-defense — is discovered unresponsive in the bathroom of the residence he shares with his wife of 12 days in Gilbert, Arizona. A medical examiner eventually ruled in May 2020 that Cox's cause of death was bilateral pulmonary thromboemboli and the manner of death was natural.

Dec. 2019: Tammy Daybell's Body is Exhumed

In December, authorities labeled the death of 49-year-old Tammy Daybell as suspicious, CBS News reports. Her body is exhumed and an autopsy is conducted to determine her cause of death. The results were not immediately released.

Jan. 2020: A Son's Plea

Colby Ryan, an older half-brother to J.J. and Tylee, posted a 7-minute video plea on YouTube, asking his mom to safely return the missing children and end the uncertainty "for everybody, for the kids, for yourself, for all of us." He says: "I know you know [what] the right thing to do is and I know you have a good heart. It's time to do the right thing."

Jan. 25, 2020: Hiding in Paradise

On Jan. 25, 2020, authorities locate Lori and Chad in Kaua'i, Hawaii, at right, where local police say the couple had been staying for an "unconfirmed period of time." Rexburg police said the two children were not with the couple, "and there is no evidence" the kids were ever in Hawaii. Lori is presented with a court order demanding that she turn over the two kids to police or child welfare authorities in Idaho within five days. The deadline passes with no sign of the children.

Feb. 20, 2020: A Mother's Arrest

Police in Kaua'i arrest Lori and charge her with two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children. She also is charged with arrests and seizures — resisting or obstructing officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime, and contempt of court — as well as willful disobedience of court process or order. Bond is set at $5 million. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, according to the prosecutor's office.

March 2020: Chad Says 'Kids Are Safe'

In brief comments given to ABC News, Chad said, "The kids are safe." However, he refused to provide more details.

Chad made the pronouncement while leaving Hawaii for Idaho ahead of Lori's extradition. According to ABC, Chad also told his neighbors in Hawaii the kids were safe.

March 5, 2020: New Photos of Kids Surface

In early March 2020, the FBI released new photos they hoped would aid in the search for the children.

The photos, taken on Sept. 8, 2019, showed Tylee and J.J. at Yellowstone National Park, where authorities say they were accompanied on a day trip by their mother, Lori Vallow, and Lori's brother Alex Cox. The photos were notable because they are the last known photographs of Tylee, who hadn't been seen since the family visited the park.

March 6, 2020: Lori's Bail Is Reduced to $1M — But Kids Still Missing

During a March 2020 court hearing, an Idaho judge reduced Lori's bail to $1 million.

Her then defense attorney, Edwina Elcox, asked for a bail amount no higher than $50,000, claiming Lori "poses no flight risk whatsoever."

Prosecutor Rob Wood countered that Lori previously defied a directive from law enforcement to produce her two children, saying, "She cannot be trusted to obey a court order."

March 13, 2020: 2 of Lori's Lawyers Withdraw

Two of Lori Vallow's attorneys withdrew from defending her against charges related to the disappearance of her two kids, according to a videotape of the court proceedings obtained by East Idaho News.

Lori's remaining attorney, Mark Means, also filed a motion seeking the removal of Judge Farren Eddins, who agreed to remove himself with no reason given for the change, according to the video.

March 19, 2020: Lori Allegedly Believed Children Were 'Zombies': Court Docs

According to court filings from March 2020, Lori allegedly expressed a belief that her children were "zombies."

The court documents were filed in an Arizona court by Vallow's niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, in a child custody case against his ex, Melani Boudreaux Pawlowski, the East Idaho News reports.

In the filing, Melani Pawlowski allegedly told her current husband Ian Pawlowski that she "had been told by Chad and Lori that her children had been possessed and had become zombies."

"She shared concerns that she's been told Brandon needed to die and that may indicate that Tylee and J.J. needed to die as well," NBC reports.

June 9, 2020: J.J.'s and Tylee's Remains Are Found

By tracing cell phone records of Vallow's deceased brother, Alex Cox, who was on Chad Daybell's Idaho property on two dates that align with the last time the children were seen, authorities on June 9, 2020, discovered their remains buried on Chad's property. J.J. was wrapped in plastic and bound by duct tape; Tylee was dismembered and burned, the East Idaho News reported, citing court documents.

June 10, 2020: New Charges Against the Couple

After the discovery of the children's remains on Daybell's property, Chad is arrested and charged with two counts of destruction, alteration and concealment of evidence, and two counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. He pleads not guilty. Lori is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. She later pleads not guilty as well.

June 22, 2020: Sister Says She 'Was Wrong' to Support Lori

In a Facebook post, Lori's sister Summer Cox Shiflet, who had been one of Lori's staunchest defenders, says she "was wrong" to come to Lori's defense. "Losing our precious Tylee and JJ in this horrific way is more than we can bear," she wrote. "We had prayed our hearts out for them and hoped with all of our hearts they were safe. But we sadly have to face this new reality and our family will never ever be the same."

Nov. 2020: Authorities Look into the Death of Lori's Third Husband

After the children's bodies were found, police in Arizona said in November 2020 they were reviewing the death of Lori's third husband, Joseph Ryan, 59, pictured with her at right. His death had been ruled a heart attack after he was found in his apartment in April 2018. A recording provided to police by Ryan's sister reportedly captured Lori talking about wanting to kill Joseph, by then her ex, and citing the Bible as justification.

"He told everybody that I was this lying, crazy Mormon and got up in court and said all these horrible things about me," she is heard saying in the tape. "I was going to kill him, like the scripture says. Like Nephi killed — just to stop the pain and to stop him coming after me and to stop him coming after my children."

Police have since ruled out foul play in Ryan's death and no charges against Lori have been filed in connection with his death.

January 2021: Lori's Former Sister-in-Law Speaks Out

Before the string of mysterious deaths, Lori had been a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who attended church regularly and raised her children in the same faith. But in 2018, after meeting Chad, an author of doomsday scenarios and self-proclaimed prophet who focused on the end times, "there was a tectonic shift in her, and she went over the edge," her former sister-in-law, Annie Cushing, told PEOPLE in January 2021.

May 24, 2021: Lori and Chad Charged with Murders of 2 Kids

An Idaho grand jury indicted Lori and Chad on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of Lori's children, Tylee and J.J. Chad also was charged in the murder of his previous wife, Tammy, whose death had drawn added attention after the children went missing.

The couple's religious beliefs allegedly drove their actions, according to the indictment, which said Lori and Chad "did endorse and espouse religious beliefs for the purpose of encouraging and/or justifying" the murders. They have since pleaded not guilty to the charges.

June 29, 2021: Lori Charged With Murdering Ex-Husband

Weeks after she and Daybell were indicted on murder charges in the deaths of her two children, Lori was indicted by an Arizona grand jury on a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, who was fatally shot in 2019.

An indictment from a Maricopa County grand jury dated June 24 alleges that Vallow had "agreed" with her brother, Alex Cox, that "at least one of them or another would engage in conduct constituting the offense of First Degree Murder."

Cox was not charged on Thursday since he died on Dec. 12, 2019 from what the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office previously determined were natural causes.

Aug. 6, 2021: Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Chad Daybell

In August, prosecutors announced they plan to seek the death penalty against Chad Daybell.

"[W]e determined that the nature and magnitude of these crimes warrant the possibility of the highest possible punishment," prosecutors said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

In court documents, prosecutors said the murders were "especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity" and that Daybell "exhibited a propensity to commit murder, which will probably constitute a continuing threat to society."

Daybell has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him.

Sept. 1, 2021: Chad's Children Defend Their Father

The adult children of Chad Daybell defended their father after he was charged with murdering their mother as well as children of the woman, Lori Vallow, that he swiftly married after his wife died.

Chad's five children told CBS News' 48 Hours that they believe in their father's innocence.

"He was framed," Chad's daughter Emma Murphy told correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti, who accompanied her to the site where J.J. and Tylee's bodies were recovered. "This is his property. If there's bodies buried here, it would be attributed to him."

"Who framed your father?" Vigliotti asks her.

"I think it's pretty clear it was Lori and Alex," Murray replies. "Alex came ... and left for periods of time. ... We don't know ... exactly what he was doing."

April 11, 2022: Lori is Deemed Fit to Stand Trial

Lori Vallow Daybell is mentally fit to go to trial and face charges over the deaths of her two children, an Idaho District judge declared in 2022.

Vallow was committed to a psychiatric ward in June 2021, however, Judge Steven Boyce has now determined that she is "restored to competency and fit to proceed," NBC News reported.

March 21, 2023: Lori Will Not Face Death Penalty, Judge Rules

A judge ruled that Lori Vallow would not face the death penalty in her murder trial.

According to Fox 13, in the motion to remove the death penalty, Vallow's lawyers said that the media attention on this case would possibly contaminate the juror pool and called Vallow a "mentally ill person."

Shortly after the ruling, prosecutors in this case — Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood and Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsay Blake — released a joint statement, the East Idaho News reports.

April 3, 2023: Lori Goes on Trial

Jury selection began on April 3, 2023 for Lori Vallow's murder trial. Lori is accused of killing J.J. and Tylee, along with Tammy Daybell.

Chad Daybell, who is also accused of murder in all three deaths, will be tried separately.

Lori is separately charged in Arizona on accusations she murdered her ex-husband, Charles Vallow.

April 10, 2023: Opening Statements Begin

Monday, April 10, was the first day of opening statements in Lori Vallow Daybell's murder trial. Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake revealed Tammy Daybell's cause of death and claimed that Lori would use "money, power and sex or the promise of those things to get what she wanted."

Chad Daybell's first wife was killed by asphyxiation, Blake said.

"[Lori] will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wanted and she wanted Chad Daybell," Blake added.

April 11, 2023: A Grisly Testimony

Content warning: This section contains disturbing details.

Rexburg, Idaho, police detective Ray Hermosillo revealed chilling details about the day in 2020 he found the remains of J.J. and Tylee on Chad's property.

"A few of us got on our hands and knees and began digging around this moist section of dirt," Hermosillo testified, adding that investigators began to smell a decomposing body.

"We eventually uncovered bits and pieces of Tylee — whom we assumed it was Tylee — that had been burned. There were pieces of bone, charred flesh, just globs of flesh that were falling apart," Hermosillo continued.

April 14, 2023: Alex Cox's Wife Testifies

Alex Cox's wife, Zulema Pastenes, testified during Lori's trial and said her husband was speaking to Lori and Chad on the phone the night before he died.

That night, Pastenes said she came home from work around 7:30 p.m. and found Cox on the phone with Lori and Chad, who were telling Cox that Tammy's body was being exhumed.

"I was very confused about the reason why they would be exhuming Tammy's body, and I was asking why would they be exhuming her body if she died of natural causes," Pastenes testified. "And I asked [Cox] if he was involved in anything to do with Tammy's death. He said no."

"He was very quiet and unresponsive," Pastenes continued. "He said, 'I think I am being their fall guy.' I said, 'Fall guy for what? What have you done that you would be the fall guy?' I kept pressuring him because he wasn't answering me."

The next day, Dec. 12, 2019, Cox died in the home he shared with his wife of less than two weeks.

April 18, 2023: Lori's Surviving Son Cries on the Stand

Colby Ryan took the stand during the second week of testimony and shed tears when prosecutors showed photos of Tylee and J.J.

When Tylee's face came across the screen, Ryan said: "That's my sister Tylee." He also confirmed that J.J. was his adopted brother and that he had a good relationship with his siblings.

Ryan testified that throughout his childhood, he loved his mother and didn't think she could hurt someone — until she met her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, an author who wrote about religious doomsday scenarios.

"My mom has spent her whole life protecting us kids," Colby said on the stand. "After she met Chad Daybell, she changed."

An emotional jailhouse phone call between Ryan and his mother was also played for the jury.

"My siblings, my whole family, my dad — everyone is gone except my mom and you're in jail because of it," Ryan says during the call, which took place after J.J. and Tylee's remains were found.

April 19, 2023: Chad Said Couple Had 'No Pets or Children' in House Inquiry

In Nov. 8, 2019, email was sent to a realtor in Hawaii about a property that was on the market, Chad said that he and Lori had "no pets or children" — despite the fact that J.J. and Tylee had vanished just weeks before and were not confirmed dead by authorities.

"We are interested in seeing this property," Chad wrote. "Would the owners be interested in leasing this property to a clean couple with no pets or children?"

The email was sent three days after Lori and Chad got married in Hawaii. Their marriage followed soon after the Oct. 19 asphyxiation death of Chad's first wife, Tammy.

April 20, 2023: Testimony About Charles Vallow's Death

Chandler homicide detective Cassandra Ynclan took the stand and said Lori didn't show emotion at the scene where her fourth husband Charles Vallow was killed by her brother Alex Cox.

Ynclan was the one who gave the death notification to Lori, she testified.

"She didn't have much of a reaction," Ynclan said.

On July 11, 2019, Cox shot and killed Charles, 62. Cox claimed self-defense and was never charged.

"She appeared calm, very non-emotional ... At one point she was laughing," the detective added.

"She was calm," Ynclan said, referring to Lori's behavior as she and Tylee were escorted to the police station. "Unemotional. I would say, not upset. The conversation revolved around Tylee and her school and Tylee's future plans. She was almost nonchalant about the conversation."

Lori has since been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Charles' death in the state of Arizona. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her.

April 26, 2023: J.J.'s Cause of Death Revealed

Forensic pathologist Dr. Garth Warren revealed at Lori's trial that J.J. was asphyxiated with a plastic bag and duct tape over his mouth, according to East Idaho News, KTVB reporter Alexandra Duggan and Fox 10. J.J.'s autopsy was conducted two days after the children's remains were found buried on Chad Daybell's Idaho property.

Tylee's cause of death was undetermined, Warren said, according to East Idaho News, KTVB and CBS2 Boise reporter Angela Kerndl.

Warren said that they looked for bullets and knife fragments in her remains to determine her cause of death, but was unsuccessful in finding anything, according to East Idaho News. He determined her cause of death was "homicide by unspecified means."

April 27, 2023: Tylee's DNA Found on Tools on Chad's Property

Idaho State Police Forensic Biologist Katherine Dace told the jury on Thursday that Tylee's DNA was found on a pickaxe and a shovel on Chad Daybell's property, East Idaho News and KTVB reports.

April 28, 2023: Alex Cox's Fingerprints Found on Plastic With J.J.'s Remains

A forensic scientist who testified during Lori Vallow Daybell's ongoing murder trial revealed that Alex Cox's fingerprints were found on a piece of plastic that was recovered with J.J.'s remains.

Cox is Lori's brother who died on Dec. 12, 2019.

Tara Martinez, a forensic scientist with Idaho State Police, testified that she tested plastic and duct tape that were found with J.J.'s remains and located the usable prints on a piece of the plastic, East Idaho News and KTVB report.

May 1, 2023: Lori's Hair Allegedly Discovered on Duct Tape Found with Her Son's Remains

A DNA expert who testified during Lori's murder trial claimed that a piece of the Idaho mom's hair was stuck to tape recovered with her son's remains.

Keeley Coleman, a senior DNA analyst with Bode Technology, testified on that she examined the hair sample discovered on the duct tape found with 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow's remains against three DNA profiles including Lori, her 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan and family friend, Melanie Gibb, East Idaho News, KTVB and Fox 13 report.

"The partial DNA profile matched the DNA profile provided from Lori Vallow Daybell," Coleman said in court, per East Idaho News. "The probability of randomly selecting a random individual in relation to that profile one is 71 billion."

May 12, 2023: Lori Vallow Daybell Found Guilty

Lori Vallow Daybell has been found guilty of murdering and conspiring to murder her son Joshua "J.J." Vallow and her daughter Tylee Ryan and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell.

In addition to the murder and conspiracy charges, Lori was also found guilty of grand theft.

May 16, 2023: Lori Indicted on Another Murder Conspiracy Charge

Less than one week after her conviction, Lori Vallow Daybell was indicted on another conspiracy to commit murder charge, according to Fox 10 reporter Justin Lum.

The indictment is for allegedly conspiring to murder Brandon Boudreaux, who was married to Lori's niece. Lori was charged in February 2022. Boudreaux survived the alleged plot.