Timeline
Notable early developments
March 9, 1990 — Chad Daybell and Tamara Douglas are married.
2001 — Lori Norene Cox marries Joseph Anthony Ryan Jr.
September 24, 2002 — Tylee Ryan is born to Lori and Joseph, who later divorce.
February 24, 2006 — Lori Ryan marries Charles Vallow.
2007 — Alex Cox (Lori's brother) attacks Joseph Ryan with a taser and threatens his life; Cox sentenced to 90 days in jail and 5 years of probation
December 2011 — Alex Cox's probation ends more than one year before it was originally scheduled to end (May 2013).
May 25, 2012 — Joshua Jaxon "J.J." Vallow is born, the son of Charles Vallow's nephew. His birth name was Canaan Todd Trahan.
July 2014 to February 2019
July 2014 — Lori and Charles officially adopt Joshua Jaxon "J.J." Vallow.
End of 2014 — Charles and Lori move to Kauai, Hawaii, with Tylee and J.J.
Mid-2017 — The Vallows move to Arizona.
April 3, 2018 — Joseph Ryan dies of apparent heart attack.
December 5, 2018 — Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow meet.
February 2019 to March 2019 — Lori Vallow disappears for 58 days.
February 8, 2019 — Charles Vallow files for divorce from Lori. In the filing, Charles claims that, in late January 2019, Lori threatened to murder him if he got in the way of her preparations for Christ's second coming in July 2020.[44]
July 2019 to August 2019
July 11, 2019 — Charles Vallow is shot dead in Chandler, Arizona, by Lori's brother, Alex Cox, who claims self-defense. Local police close the case.
July 12, 2019 — Lori Vallow notifies Charles' sons from another marriage of his death via text message. She repeatedly dodges their questions regarding his cause of death.[66]
July 2019 — Days after Charles Vallow's death, Lori learns her late husband had changed the beneficiary of his million-dollar life insurance policy from Lori to his sister, Kay Woodcock, who is also J.J.'s paternal grandmother.[67]
August 10, 2019 — The last time grandparents Larry and Kay Woodcock reportedly speak with J.J.
August 30, 2019 — Lori returns J.J.'s service dog, citing "a change in life circumstances".[68]
September 2019 to November 2019
September 2019 — Lori, with Tylee, and J.J., moves to Rexburg, Idaho, to be with Chad Daybell.
September 8, 2019 — Tylee is last seen in Yellowstone National Park, along with Lori, Alex and J.J.[68]
September 23, 2019 — J.J. is last seen at his new school, Kennedy Elementary in Rexburg, Idaho.
September 24, 2019 — Lori informs J.J.'s school that he will no longer be attending and will be homeschooled instead.[68]
October 1, 2019 — Lori rents storage locker in Rexburg in which children's belongings are later found.
October 2, 2019 — Brandon Boudreaux, Lori Vallow's nephew-in-law, is the target of a failed drive-by shooting in Gilbert, Arizona, by someone driving a green Jeep Cherokee still registered to Charles Vallow.[69]
October 9, 2019 — Tamara "Tammy" Daybell calls police after a masked assailant attempted to shoot her in her garage with what she believed was a paintball gun.
October 19, 2019 — Tammy Daybell is found dead in her home in Salem, Idaho,[70] approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) away from Rexburg.[71] The death was initially ruled to be due to "natural causes," but, as of February 11, 2020, was reopened and under investigation.[72]
October 2019 — Lori's brother, Alex Cox, believed to be seen on video security footage using Lori's storage unit numerous times during this period, usually alone.[73]
October 31/November 1, 2019 — Alex Cox and Lori's niece, Melani Boudreaux, reportedly seen by Melani's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, packing up in Chandler, Arizona, "before driving up to Rexburg," and discarding children's items on the curb. Some of the information comes from a private investigator hired by Brandon Boudreaux after the October 2 shooting.[74]
November 4, 2019 — Alex Cox and Melani Boudreaux arrive in Rexburg.
November 5, 2019 — Lori Vallow marries Chad Daybell in Hawaii.
November 26, 2019 — Rexburg Police Department conducts a well-being check on J.J. Lori claims J.J. is with relatives in Arizona and Tylee is away at Brigham Young University-Idaho.
November 27, 2019 — Chad and Lori are seen packing. They abandon everything in Rexburg, including the contents of Lori's storage unit, and disappear until found in Kauai in late January.
November 27, 2019 — Rexburg police search for children, to no avail, with search warrants to the three apartments of Lori Vallow Daybell, Alex Cox (aka Alex Pastenes) and Melani Boudreaux.[75]
November 29, 2019 — Alex Cox marries Zulema Pastenes of Gilbert, Arizona in Las Vegas.[18][42]
November 30, 2019 — Newly divorced Melani Boudreaux marries Ian Pawlowski of Rexburg in Las Vegas, one day after Alex Cox (Melani's uncle) weds Zulema Pastenes. Cox legally changed his name to Alex Pastenes just before his marriage.[18]
December 2019 to March 2020
December 11, 2019 — Authorities decide to further investigate the death of Tammy Daybell.
December 12, 2019 — Alex Cox[c] dies in Gilbert, Arizona. A 911 call is made by someone who identifies Alex as their mother's "boyfriend" and to report his collapse in the bathroom of the home of his new wife, Zulema Pastenes. His death is later attributed by autopsy to natural causes, i.e. blood clots and high blood pressure.[76]
December 20, 2019 — Rexburg Police Department officially announce an investigation into the disappearances of Tylee and J.J.
January 3, 2020 — Rexburg Police Department and FBI search Chad and Tammy's former home in Idaho.
January 25, 2020 — Local authorities locate Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow in Kauai, Hawaii and serve Lori with court order requiring her to produce the children within five days.
January 30, 2020 — Lori misses court-ordered deadline to produce J.J. and Tylee.
February 10, 2020 — CBS News reports police found Tylee's cell phone with Lori's belongings in Hawaii.[77][78]
February 20, 2020 — Lori Vallow is arrested in Kauai and charged with two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children.[79]
February 24, 2020 — In child custody court documents,[80] Brandon Boudreaux says that Ian Pawlowski told law enforcement that Melani conspired with her uncle Alex Cox to kill Brandon. Brandon also alleges in these papers that police are investigating Melani's role in the disappearance of the children as well as Brandon's shooting.[81]
February 26, 2020 — In extradition hearing, judge refuses to lower Lori's $5 million bail. She remains incarcerated in Kauai awaiting extradition to Idaho.[citation needed]
March 6, 2020 — In first hearing after being extradited from Hawaii to Idaho, court lowers bail from $5 million to $1 million.[citation needed]
March 9, 2020 — Lori remains in jail, and some local bail bond companies reportedly have refused to assist her.[57]
June 2020 to August 2020
June 9, 2020 — Human remains are found on Chad Daybell's property in Salem, Idaho. Daybell is arrested later that day.[14] He is charged with two felony counts of "Destruction, Alteration or Concealment of Evidence"[82] and held in the Fremont County Jail.
June 10, 2020 — Kay Woodcock, the biological grandmother of J.J. Vallow, announces that one of the sets of human remains belongs to J.J. Vallow.[8] The Ryan family confirm that the second set of remains belong to Tylee Ryan.[10]
June 13, 2020 — Authorities officially confirm the remains are those of the children. Court documents later show that Tylee's body was dismembered and partially burned, while J.J.'s body was wrapped in black plastic bags and secured with duct tape.[83]
June 29, 2020 — Police execute another search warrant at the home of Chad Daybell.[84]
July 17, 2020 — Lori Daybell's jury trial was set in Madison County for January 25–29, 2021, on three misdemeanor charges.[58]
August 7, 2020 — It is reported that Chandler, Arizona Police are planning to file a conspiracy to commit murder charge against Lori Daybell for the death of Charles Vallow.[85]
August 21, 2020 — Chad Daybell pleads not guilty to all four of his felony counts against him.[86]
January 2021 to March 2021
January 11, 2021 — Chad Daybell's trial was scheduled to begin.[86]
January 25–29, 2021 — Lori Vallow's trial for the misdemeanor charges was scheduled to begin.[58]
February 4, 2021 — Prosecutor Lindsey Blake takes over the Fremont County case involving Tamara Daybell's death.[87]
March 22, 2021 — Scheduled court date for Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell. Their cases have been merged and their team has moved to dismiss the charges and obtain a change of venue.[88]
May 2021 to August 2021
May 25, 2021 — Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell are charged with the murders of Tamara Daybell, Tylee Ryan, and JJ Vallow.[89]
May 27, 2021 — Lori Vallow is deemed incompetent and unfit to stand trial. Due to this, there is a stay in her case in Idaho.[60]
June 29, 2021 — Lori Vallow is indicted by Arizona grand jury on conspiracy to murder her husband Charles Vallow.[90]
July 29, 2021 — Prosecution drops charges for counts of conspiracy to destroy, alter, or conceal evidence against Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow.[91]
August 5, 2021 — Prosecution announces they are seeking the death penalty for Chad Daybell.[83]
August 6, 2021 — James Archibald, a death-penalty-certified attorney, is appointed as co-counsel for Lori Vallow.[92]
August 26, 2021 — Chad Daybell waives his right to a speedy trial.[93]
August 30, 2021 — Lori Vallow still found to be incompetent, due to incomplete status update from mental health facility. Another hearing set for September 8, 2021. On the same day, Chad Daybell had a closed hearing.[94]
September 2021 to December 2021
September 8, 2021 — Judge Boyce found Lori Vallow to still be incompetent based on the progress report from the mental health facility. She was given another 180 days to attain competence.[95]
October 8, 2021 — Judge grants Chad Daybell's request for a change of venue.[96]
December 28, 2021 — Judge removes Mark Means from Lori Vallow's defense team because there is a conflict of interest relating to having previously represented her husband Chad Daybell.[97]
March 2022 to June 2022
March 3, 2022 — Prosecutors in Arizona announce that they will not file conspiracy to commit murder charges against Chad Daybell in the attempted shooting case of Brandon Boudreaux.[98]
March 21, 2022 — Judge denied Chad Daybell's request to separate his case from Lori Vallow's case.[99]
April 11, 2022 — Judge Boyce declares that Lori Vallow is now competent to stand trial. She was released from the mental health facility into the custody of the Fremont County Sherriff.[100]
April 19, 2022 — Lori Vallow is arraigned. She was silent as her lawyers put in a plea of not guilty for her. The trial was set for October 11, 2022 to December 16, 2022.[101][102]
April 28, 2022 — Judge Boyce denied request from Chad Daybell's attorney to drop his charges. The judge also denies a request from prosecutors to have a jury transported from Ada County to Fremont County for the trial and re-affirms that the trial will happen in Ada County.[103]
May 2, 2022 — The prosecution announced that they will be seeking the death penalty for Lori Vallow,[104] asserting that she qualifies for capital punishment because the killings were exceptionally depraved and financially motivated.[105]
May 26, 2022 — The start date of Lori Vallow's trial was changed from October 11, 2022 to January 9, 2023. This was to make sure that she and Chad Daybell will be tried together.[61]
July 2022 to December 2022
July 15, 2022 — Lori Vallow’s attorneys ask Judge Steven Boyce to clarify language in charges, separating potentially joined counts.[106]
September 28, 2022 — Chad Daybell's lawyers again ask for his case to be separated from that of his wife, Lori Vallow. His lawyers also asked that the trial be pushed back to the fall of 2023.[107]
September 29, 2022 — For the second time, Lori Vallow's trial has been suspended due to competency concerns. There has been no new trial date set.[108]
November 15, 2022 — District Judge Steven Boyce ruled that Lori Vallow was competent and fit to stand trial. A new trial has not been scheduled. Because of the second ruling of incompetence, the January 2023 trial date was canceled.[62]
December 8, 2022 — New trial date has been set for April 3, 2023.[109]
March 2023 to present
March 3, 2023 — Judge has severed the case of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow.[110]
March 21, 2023 - Judge removed the death penalty for Lori Vallow due to the fact that new DNA evidence had been uncovered. This new evidence was discovered too close to the trial to be able to be tested and admitted into court.
April 3, 2023 - Trial begins for Lori Vallow.
