For months, those who have followed the devastating story of missing Idaho siblings JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan have wanted someone to be held accountable for their deaths. We're closer than ever to that moment, according to new information made public.
Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell have both spent some months in jail. Thus far, Vallow's been charged with 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. Daybell has been charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence and two felony counts of destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence. The children's remains were found on his property nearly nine months after their disappearance.
While murder charges haven't come yet, we now know that some variety of them is on the way. New information came forth in a hearing accusing prosecutor Rob Wood of misconduct. The accusation against the prosecutor involved his conversations with Vallow's sister, Summer Cox Shiflet. Audio of the interview was played and shared with the public by East Idaho News, in which he plainly states that Vallow and Daybell will face conspiracy to commit murder charges.
We are getting closer to a moment of justice for JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. The remains of the 7-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister were found on the property of Chad Daybell, a figure in the Latter-Day Saints community who began engaging others in dangerous beliefs.
Among those he engaged was Lori Vallow, the children's mother. The two married just weeks after Chad Daybell's wife of 28 years, Tammy Daybell, died suddenly.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this case, which includes a network of people who may or may not have been in a cult, a lot of family feuds, and quite a few broken marriages.
The process of getting justice in the case has been equally windy. Recently, Vallow and Daybell's attorneys, John Prior and Mark Means, accused the prosecutor on the case, Rob Wood, of misconduct.
The subject of the potential misconduct was a conversation between Wood and Summer Cox Shiflet, Lori Vallow's sister. The defense attorneys believed the prosecutor attempted to "coerce, unduly influence, coach, and/or intimidate" Shiflet during the conversation. A hearing on the matter was scheduled to determine whether or not Wood could stay on the case.
During that hearing, a recording of the conversation between Wood and Shiflet was played, revealing some interesting details previously unknown by the public. In one segment, the prosecutor reveals that Lori Vallow almost confessed where the children's remains were.
"We hope she does [talk to us]," Wood says.
"She actually was talking about with Chad about talking with us about before we found the bodies. Just a few days before. And he talked her out of it."
Later in the recording, Wood is direct about the fact that Vallow and Daybell will face charges in the children's deaths.
"I'm just going to tell you right now that we, we are going to be filing conspiracy to commit murder charges for both Chad and Lori, and we're not shy about that," he said.
Later, Wood shares some perspectives on the couple.
"He is highly manipulative," he told Shiflet, to which she agreed.
"I'm not going to say he's highly intelligent, but you don't have to be highly intelligent to be highly manipulative. He is extremely manipulative."
"You know, your sister manipulated him in some ways too but the, the context for everything that happened came from Chad," he continued.
"And uh, unfortunately we do. We have enough evidence to prosecute him, we do. But, the case against your sister is stronger."
Wood goes on to reveal that the difference in intention is also something investigators are figuring out.
"But I just, I kind of just want to give you like that background," Wood told Shiflet.
"That's the kind of the context that we see this guy. Came in here. And you know not making excuses for anyone, but kind of blew up this situation. And he did not care who died, who got hurt. He did not care at all.
"And the other thing I can tell you is, your sister truly believes that everything she's done, she's done in righteousness."
Ultimately, it was determined that the conversation was sharp and biting, but not inappropriate in the ways John Prior and Mark Means accused.
"The court cannot find at this time that the interaction between Mr. Wood and the witness would render Mr. Wood's continued participation, in this case, unfair and cannot determine that the prosecutor's pretrial activity will be a material issue in this case," the judge ruled, per East Idaho News.
As of now, Daybell and Vallow are slated to face trial in July, together, for the charges against them so far.
With murder charges on the horizon, that could change. Additionally, investigators are continuing to look at the two in the death of Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell, and Lori Vallow's ex-husband, Charles Vallow. There's no telling what could happen next in this case, which has left so many mourning the premature loss of these beautiful lives.
