BOISE, Idaho — Editor’s note: This story contains content many readers will find disturbing.
The fifth week of witness testimony in the trial of Lori Vallow, aka Lori Vallow Daybell, began Monday with details of text messages between Vallow and Chad Daybell that discussed doing harm to JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, children whom they believed to be possessed by evil spirits.
The messages were from July, August and September 2019, during the days and weeks before investigators believe the children were killed, and a few months before Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow got married.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow are both charged with murder and conspiracy in the deaths of JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan and Daybell’s late wife, Tammy Daybell. They're also charged with grand theft by deception and insurance fraud.
Lori Vallow’s trial began April 3. She could face life in prison if found guilty. The trial date for Chad Daybell has not been set, but in a scheduling conference last week, the court indicated it could begin in June 2024, based on discussion with prosecutors and Daybell’s defense. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Former FBI Special Agent Doug Hart, who began testifying as part of Lori Vallow's trial on Friday, May 5, said he has reviewed thousands of pages of cell phone data indicating Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell discussed the deaths of her children.
The following is a thread from Aug. 10, 2019, when, according to Hart, the couple discussed “a plan to take the children”:
Lori Vallow: "Please check JJ. He just woke up saying crazy stuff and won’t go back to sleep. He is talking to Blake. It's weird."
Chad Daybell: "JJ is still JJ. I am told his spirit recognizes Blake as evil and is unsettled by him."
Chad Daybell: "Hey, my love. How is JJ now?"
Lori Vallow: "He’s better. He was just up talking nonsense for like 2 hours last night, I'm sure they were bugging him. Is he at zero yet? I miss you."
Chad Daybell: "Yes, he’s at zero. He probably was partly through the veil, talking to people both light and dark."
Lori Vallow: "Maybe he was talking to the real Blake."
Chad Daybell: "Yes, that was the real Blake."
Lori Vallow: "Do u think there is a perfectly orchestrated plan to take the children? We just have to wait for it to be carried out? I feel lost. Like I should be doing something to help."
Chad Daybell: "There is a plan being orchestrated for the children. I was shown last night how it fit together, but it has been taken from my mind of course."
Lori Vallow: "What should I be doing?"
Chad Daybell: "You are doing everything right, my love. The Lord told me she is right on track… He said to just keep resolving the telestial issues so you are unbecombered and fully free.”
Lori Vallow: "That actually feels good that JJ was talking to the real Blake.. Getting close... I sensed he was barely attached to his body."
Chad Daybell: "You're so incredible in many ways, your mission has barely begun."
Lori Vallow: "As long as it ends with you… It's all good."
Chad Daybell: "Yes, cheek to cheek, loin to loin. It isn't very far away my love."
Lori Vallow: "Wish I could see with you and be cheek to cheek."
Chad Daybell: "I seriously cannot stop crying. I was allowed to feel my own emotions I will experience as you sing to them, and the love, admiration and reverence I have for you is indescribable. Everything we do is going to be spectacular."
Lori Vallow: "I can’t wait. Literally can't wait. I have no patience. I want you now."
Chad Daybell: "I’m certainly your biggest fan! I love you Lili! Hold on sweet angel, we are so close to the finish line."
Lori Vallow: "I’m trying."
Chad Daybell: "We’ll make it."
“Blake” refers to Blake Boudreaux, the son of Melan Pawlowski, Lori’s niece. In text messages read by Hart, Chad Daybell talks about ripping and burning the "aura" of Blake Boudreaux.
The prosecution asked Hart what this means.
"It's pretty self-explanatory," he replied.
On July 29, 2019, during a trip to California that Lori Vallow took with Melani Pawlowski, Pawlowski's children and JJ Vallow, Chad Daybell texts Lori Vallow:
"One question. Do you want me to cause pain yet to those two 3s you're riding with?"
Lori Vallow replies, "Probably hold off on them until we arrive. They will be a mistake to deal with. But I’ll text you if they start acting up and we can zap them."
"Sounds great," Chad Daybell texts back. "Yes, if they are going to act up, we’ll at least give them a reason to scream. I love, cherish and adore you. The wonderful memories keep coming back. You are mesmerizing. Raphael is one lucky guy.”
Hart said he's unsure if Tylee Ryan was on this trip.
Fast forward to Sept. 3, 2019. That's when Hart said Alex Cox texted his sister, Lori Vallow, about new WiFi login information. the new username is "anti-laman" and the password is "2manykids," Cox writes.
Vallow replies, "Funny!!"
Cox writes that he is proud of his sister and "no more Z's," which Hart said referred to zombies.
While Hart was still on the stand, jurors and others watching the trial watched a video of Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow and Alex Cox at Yellowstone National Park, dated Sept. 8, 2019, on Lori Vallow's iCloud account. That was the last known image showing Tylee Ryan alive.
Texts between Lori Vallow and Sidney Woodbury, JJ Vallow's babysitter for a short time, were shown to the jury Monday afternoon.
On Sept. 24, 2019, Woodbury asks Lori Vallow if she is still able to care for JJ that day. Lori Vallow replies that JJ's grandparents took him for a few weeks to give her a break.
"I'm not sure when he'll be back but I'm going to do some traveling while he's gone," Lori Vallow wrote, "Probably to see my friends in Hawaii but I'll let you know for sure when we are both back in Rexburg. You are great!"
Those texts were sent two days after JJ Vallow was last seen alive.
Hart testified that there was no evidence of Tylee Ryan on Lori Vallow's iCloud account after Sept. 8, 2019, and no evidence of JJ Vallow on that account after Sept. 22, 2019. Prior to that, he said, there were pictures, texts and emails of, to and about the children.
Following that testimony, the prosecutor asked Hart, "Why did you never stop looking for JJ and Tylee?"
Hart replied: "You always hope for the best outcome and work as tirelessly as possible until the case is resolved."
The death of Charles Vallow, 'Gadiantons' and 'percentages' for JJ and Tylee
In texts from July 18, 2019, one week after Lori Vallow's brother shot and killed her then-husband Charles Vallow, Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow discuss Charles Vallow's life insurance. Those texts are also the first in which the couple makes references to the deaths of Tylee and JJ.
"I just got the letter from the insurance company saying that I am not the beneficiary. It's a spear thru my heart. Who do you think he changed it to? Brandon (Boudreaux)? Or probably Kay (Woodcock)? He left nothing for JJ," Lori Vallow writes.
Chad Daybell replies, "Wow. That's terrible. There's no way to find out?"
In response, Lori Vallow writes, "I might be able to see when I get his computer on Sunday. I could check the emails sent to the insurance company..."
Chad Daybell tells Lori Vallow he loves her and "it's terrible" but it's "another step in bringing down the Gadiantons, especially Brandon."
According to Hart, the Gadiantons were a "secret society" of evil people in the Book of Mormon.
Lori Vallow tells Chad Daybell the beneficiary must be Kay Woodcock, Charles Vallow's sister and grandmother of JJ Vallow.
"It will be interesting to see if it got changed after he had two bullets in his chest," Chad Daybell replies.
Lori Vallow writes that Charles Vallow changed his insurance beneficiary in March of 2019 and says it "was Ned before we got rid of him."
"Ned" is what the couple called an evil spirit they say possessed Charles Vallow.
The two go back and forth about who could have become the beneficiary to Charles Vallow's life insurance. The two say they love each other.
Turning to texts from that day discussing JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, Hart said “Hillary” was the spirit the couple believed was inside Tylee.
"I have been instructed to focus my efforts on Hillary, so I will," Chad Daybell texts to Lori Vallow.
"OK. Find out her percentage for me -- and JJ’s," Lori Vallow wrote.
"She is at 0.13. I turned up the pain to 10 and placed a spiritual virus in her. He is at 99.99... Raphael visited him and told him to follow Amy into the light. I also assured him that James would love and take care of his mommy, which he will with all of his heart and soul."
Hart also testified that the "percentages" Chad Daybell is referring to is regarding someone's death. The closer someone was to the number 0, the closer they were to death.
After this conversation, more texts are shown from later in the day:
Chad Daybell: "Just grab me by the storm and I will follow you to the end of the universe."
Lori Vallow: "When might that be?"
Chad Daybell: "Wednesday evening, and then repeatedly and gloriously until Friday."
Lori Vallow: "And then what? Back to crying and saying goodbye? Back to the box?"
Chad Daybell: "This trip to Utah had a lot of finality to it. I was told extreme changes are coming for me and for Utah. I welcome them both."
Hart said "the storm" is how the couple referred to Chad Daybell's genitals, according to his review of the texts between them.
KTVB digital investigative and courts reporter Alex Duggan was in the courtroom Monday. Read more from Day 24 of the trial in her live blog.
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