Prosecutors who are seeking justice for the families of Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan will be going all the way with that pursuit.
On May 2, 2022, Madison and Fremont County prosecutors announced that they will seek the death penalty against Lori Vallow should she be found guilty in the murders of her two children, 7-year-old JJ and 16-year-old Tylee. The children's remains were discovered buried on the property of Vallow's current husband, Chad Daybell. The two were married less than a year prior, after the sudden and suspicious death of Daybell's wife Tammy Daybell, for which both Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow also face charges.
According to motions filed by Fremont County prosecuting attorney Lindsey Blake and Madison County prosecuting attorney Rob Wood, if Vallow is convicted "for any of the counts of first degree murder and/or any of the counts of conspiracy to commit first degree murder," they will seek the death penalty. They cited several reasons why Vallow is eligible for this sentencing option.
Prosecutors allege that Lori Vallow committed the murders for remuneration, meaning she would financially gain from her children's deaths. They also said that the murders were "especially heinous, atrocious, cruel, or manifesting exceptional depravity" and that Vallow exhibited "an utter disregard for human life."
These prosecutors also believe that Vallow will continue to pose a danger to society, should she be released, saying she has "a propensity to commit murder and will probably constitute a continuing threat to society."
Vallow's team was apparently anticipating the intention to pursue the death penalty, having added a death-penalty-qualified attorney to her team just months ago.
In addition to making their intention clear, prosecutors have also filed a motion asking for Vallow's trial date to be moved to January 2023, as her and Chad Daybell's cases are conjoined and he has already been assigned a date for that time. While Daybell waived his right to a speedy trial, Vallow has not, meaning she would face trial in October 2022 unless the judge rules otherwise. The two maintain their innocence in the crimes they're accused of.
