The high-profile trial of “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is underway in Boise, Idaho.

Ms Vallow, 49, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven.

Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019. Their bodies were found buried on Ms Vallow’s new husband Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy, who died suddenly in October 2019.

She has pleaded not guilty in a dramatic case spanning murders, unexplained deaths and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies.

On Thursday, her former best friend Melanie Gibb testified about the bizarre cult beliefs and rituals the couple engaged in, how she unwittingly became a key part of the search for JJ, and how they called people they wanted out of their lives “zombies” who had been taken over by Satan.

The court then adjourned after listening to an audio file of a 15-minute blessing Mr Daybell conveyed upon Alex Cox, Ms Vallow’s brother, whom he described as her “protector”. Mr Cox died just over two weeks later.

Key points

• Lori Vallow confronted by best friend about JJ lies and relationship with Chad Daybell

• Shocked court hears how JJ was found buried in red pyjamas

• Lori Vallow ‘upset’ after trial hears grisly details about crime scene

• Detective reveals alarming items found in Lori Vallow’s home

• Lori Vallow trial hears how Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy was killed

CATCH-UP: Lori Vallow’s ex-best friend Melanie Gill takes the stand

11:18 , Rachel Sharp

Chad Daybell warned Lori Vallow of police search for children’s remains

10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A jailhouse phone call captured the moment Chad Daybell warned “cult mom” Lori Vallow that police were closing in on the day that her children’s remains were discovered buried on his property.

In the call, made on 9 June 2020 and played in court during Ms Vallow’s high-profile double murder trial on Wednesday, Mr Daybell is heard telling his new wife that law enforcement were on the scene searching his property in Rexburg, Idaho.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Lori Vallow trial hears jailhouse call with Chad Daybell on day bodies found

Lori Vallow trial hears horror of her children’s murders

08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Graphic photos shown at “cult mom” Lori Vallow’s murder trial revealed how her slain son JJ was still wearing his red pyjamas and a nighttime diaper when his remains were found buried in a shallow grave on Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho.

Rachel Sharp has been following the case for The Independent.

Lori Vallow’s son JJ was found buried in red pyjamas and diaper

Brandon Boudreaux breaks down speaking about identifying JJ’s remains

06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow’s former nephew-in-law broke down in tears on the witness stand as he testified about the moment he had to identify the remains of her murdered seven-year-old son.

During an emotional first day of testimony in Ms Vallow’s murder trial on Monday, Brandon Boudreaux told jurors about the moment that he learned Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan’s remains had been found buried on Chad Daybell’s property.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Lori Vallow’s nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux breaks down at murder trial

Everything we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It looked every inch the fairytale wedding.

Dressed in white with pink flower garlands around their necks, the bride and groom couldn’t have looked happier as they exchanged vows on a paradise beach in Hawaii.

Photos captured the apparently blissful day as they toasted their nuptials, embraced and she danced to him playing the guitar.

But, behind the photos, something much more disturbing was going on.

Her two children had not been seen alive in two months.

His wife of three decades – the mother of his five children – had died suddenly just two weeks earlier.

And her husband had been shot dead by her brother (who would also soon be dead) not long before.

In the three years since the November 2019 wedding of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, a deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies has come to light.

Five people close to the couple have wound up dead.

And the couple are now charged with murder.

What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial

Timeline of ‘doomsday cult mom’s’ mystery case

03:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Here’s a timeline of the tragic and bizarre case being heard in Boise, Idaho:

Timeline of the Lori Vallow case

ICYMI: Vallow abruptly leaves court after trial hears of discovery of JJ and Tylee’s bodies

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow suddenly left the room where she is standing trial for the murders of her daughter and son after the court heard graphic details on how the children’s remains were recovered in a pet cemetery.

Ms Vallow’s ongoing trial in Boise, Idaho, was delayed on Tuesday when her defence attorneys asked Judge Steven Boyce for a moment to speak with their visibly upset client, KUTV reported. Ms Vallow and the rest of the court had just returned from a lunch break after hearing disturbing details about the way her children JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, were discovered buried on her doomsday preacher husband Chad Daybell’s property.

Andrea Blanco has the story.

Lori Vallow abruptly leaves court after trial hears grisly details about crime scene

Tammy Daybell murder revealed as asphyxiation

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The cause of death of Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy has finally been revealed as “cult mom” Lori Vallow’s high-profile murder trial gets underway in Idaho.

In opening statements in Ada County Courthouse on Monday morning, Fremont County prosecutor Lindsey Blake told jurors that Tammy, 49, died by asphyxiation – and not peacefully in her sleep as was originally claimed.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Lori Vallow trial hears how Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy was killed

Vallow was driven by ‘money, power and sex’ to murder kids, prosecutor says

Friday 14 April 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow was driven by “money, power and sex” to murder her two children and her new husband’s then-wife, prosecutors told her murder trial – as jurors were shown graphic images of the children’s charred and buried remains.

Read more:

Lori Vallow was driven by ‘money, power and sex’ to murder kids, prosecutor says

Secret recording: Vallow confronted by best friend about JJ lies and relationship with Chad Daybell

Thursday 13 April 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A phone call between “cult mom” Lori Vallow and her former best friend was played in court during her ongoing trial for the murders of two of her children.

The trial of Ms Vallow, 49, continues at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, almost three years after she was charged with killing her son Joshua “JJ” Vallow and daughter Tylee Ryan and conspiring to murder her doomsday preacher’s husband Chad Daybell’s first wife.

On Thursday, prosecutors played a phone conversation between Mr Daybell, Ms Vallow and her then-best friend Melanie Gibb, who was on the stand testifying for the state. In the early December 2019 call, which she recorded secretly, Ms Gibb delved into the couple’s bizarre cult beliefs and later confronted them for asking her to lie to the police about JJ’s whereabouts.

Andrea Blanco reports.

Lori Vallow confronted by best friend about JJ lies in secret recording

Court adjourns for the day

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Det Duncan clarifies that this blessing was recorded on 24 November 2019.

Alex died on 12 December 2019.

Questioning of the detective will continue tomorrow at 8.30am MT.

Judge Boyce adjourns the court for the day.

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:29 , Oliver O'Connell

The blessing closes with a promise to Alex that he is moving toward translation and transfiguration and an “Amen” from both Chad and Lori.

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Some of the language appears to shock members of the jury.

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:22 , Oliver O'Connell

The record features sniffles from Alex and Chad begins to cry as he recites the blessing.

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Full transcript of the blessing Chad Daybell gave to Alex Cox:

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Further to the call in which Chad gets a $2,000 quote to have Charles cremated and shipped to his family in Louisiana, the day after he was murdered, there is also audio of a blessing from Daybell and Lori for Alex Cox.

It is referred to as the patriarchal blessing and Det Duncan notes that he is informed that in the LDS church, Daybell is not approved to give this blessing.

The blessing is played for the court. It is 15 minutes long and was given on 24 June 2019. In it, Daybell whispers eerily.

“We will give Alex Lamar Cox a patriarchal blessing.”

“You are a member of the house of Israel, of the 12 tribes and you are a descendant of Joseph…”

“Powerful goddesses were needed to be protected.”

“You were always right there beside her.”

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

With just 30 minutes of the day left, the jury is brought back in.

Questioning turns to Det Duncan being contacted about a call placed to Valley Of The Sun mortuary In Chandler.

The call was placed by Chad Daybell inquiring about cremation and shipping costs for Charles’s remains.

Here’s the call:

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:56 , Oliver O'Connell

However...

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Boyce returns to the bench.

Both the defence and prosecution have agreed to move on with additional questioning and the defence team will look over the Powerpoint presentation tonight.

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:21 , Oliver O'Connell

The prosecution asks to admit a PowerPoint presentation as evidence to show information retrieved from Charles’ phone.

The defence team objects that they have not seen it before as the presentation was only put together this week. Judge Boyce says he is concerned they have not had time to view it.

Attorney Lindsey Blake says that the messages and data contained in the presentation have been available to the defence team since discovery and summaries of evidence are allowed.

Judge Boyce calls the afternoon break.

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It was established that the second shot would have occurred when Charles was on the ground based on the entry and exit wounds.

They brought Alex back into the house to get him to walk through and show his position when the shots occurred.

Det Duncan says they also looked at data from Charles’s phone, iCloud and Gmail accounts, phone records and other electronic data. Lori’s iCloud account was also looked at.

Police learned Charles’s phone was the catalyst for an argument. Lori took Charles’ phone with her in his rental car. That phone was later returned to the Chandler Police Department where an extraction was done.

They looked for accusations of infidelity and that Charles had become a “dark spirit”.

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex said he shot Charles twice in the chest while standing and acted in self-defence.

Initially, there was only one visible gunshot wound but another was found under a defibrillator pad.

There were two 45-caliber shell casings nearby and, oddly, a single bullet on the floor next to his left shoulder.

Alex claimed to have given CPR but there was no indication of that as there would have been more blood from the body via the chest compressions.

This spurs an objection from the defence team which is overruled.

Also of note, Charles had abrasions to his knees and there was blood on a faucet in the kitchen. There was also a projectile in a baseboard which was cut out for evidence.

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Returning to the call out to the shooting of Charles Vallow, Det Duncan says everyone was assigned a role at the homicide scene with the original lead investigator Detective Nathan Moffatt. He was then promoted in June 2020 when Duncan became the lead.

He explains that a crime scene technician photographed the scene before evidence is seized. Det Duncan says the body is considered evidence and the Maricopa County Medical Examiners’ Office was called to assist and take control of the body.

The victim was identified as Charles Vallow and was lying on his back on a wood planked floor in a room with no furniture and mirror across the walls, which he thought was odd.

Charles had one visible gunshot wound on the left side of his abdomen. There was not much blood present.

Det Duncan says he has never responded to another shooting death with so little blood. There was not any blood spatter.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:52 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Boyce returns to court and tells the jury that during the trial evidence will be shown regarding other acts allegedly committed by the defendant outside of this case.

The jury must be conscious of this information in their deliberations.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Boyce has left the courtroom to look over a technical legal issue in his chambers.

Court is on a brief recess.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:42 , Oliver O'Connell

There is a sidebar regarding the admission of evidence.

Two things to note about the 911 call by Alex:

New witness: Detective Nathan Duncan, Chandler PD

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:34 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness to take the stand is Chandler Police Department detective Nathan Duncan.

In 2020, Detective Duncan took over the investigation of the death of Charles Vallow on 11 July 2019. On that day he was one of the officers who responded to the scene.

A 911 call came in from Alex Cox saying he had shot his brother-in-law.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Gibbs says she recalls prosecutors telling her that all they asked was for her to tell the truth.

Blake says: “Is that what you have done today?”

Gibbs responds, “Yes.”

With no further questions, Gibb’s testimony concludes.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:31 , Oliver O'Connell

Blake asks Gibb about the term “zombie” and if there was a pattern as to how it was used.

Gibb says yes. If people started questioning Lori or thought something was suspicious, that person became dark or a zombie. She adds that Lori referred to Tylee, JJ and Charles as zombies. Lori said Tammy was possessed.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Lindsey Blake begins redirect for the prosecution by asking about Tylee’s attitude which is described by Gibb as “ornery and disrespectful”. Despite this, Lori was calm around her and tried to be her friend.

Gibb says she flew to visit Lori in Hawaii in February 2019.

Lori was in daily contact with Chad and she would often sit on the balcony and chat with Chad for a while. They would go to the beach and Lori would talk with Chad on the phone. Both of their spouses were still alive at this point.

Lori told Gibb she had been on earth before. Gibb said she sometimes wanted to believe Lori. She was very convincing.

After the recorded phone call, Gibb says she no longer believed in Lori and Chad’s teachings and says it was easier to believe them before because of their origins in the LDS faith.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Thomas asks about Alex Cox, who at some point 100 per cent bought into the zombie beliefs of Lori and Chad, which Gibb confirms.

Thomas asks Alex what happened to JJ and Alex said you don’t want to know what happened to JJ.

Gibbs said Alex then told her that police came and took all his guns and they are “very evil people”. He said police also visited Melani P’s house and took all of her money.

Alex never told Gibb where the kids were, and so later she asked Zulema, his wife, if she knew. Zulema said Alex told her the kids could not be found.

No further questions from the defence team.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:12 , Oliver O'Connell

We’ve had zombies and castings and Jesus showing up, now the court hears about “dark portals”.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:11 , Oliver O'Connell

Questioning jumps around as Thomas clarifies parts of Gibb’s testimony.

They cover Charles’ life insurance; that Chad would lose his exaltation if divorced; and she lied to the Gilbert police about having had JJ for a time — which she admits.

The court hears that David Warwick is now her husband.

Gibb also says after she recorded the call with Lori and Chad, she contacted Det Pillar with Gilbert Police and said she would send him the call.

Thursday 13 April 2023 20:03 , Oliver O'Connell

John Thomas asks Gibb about her relationship with Tylee.

Gibb sas Tylee didn’t like her from the beginning and so she tried to be kind to the teenager, adding: “I’m always kind to everyone”.

When she met Tylee she rolled her eyes and didn’t really talk to her. Gibb said at a restaurant she tried to brush Tylee’s hair off her shoulder and she didn’t like that.

Court back in session

Thursday 13 April 2023 19:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Court is back in session and Judge Steven Boyce is back on the bench.

The jury is brought back in to hear the rest of former Vallow-friend Melanie Gibb’s cross-examination.

Thursday 13 April 2023 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Timeline of the Lori Vallow case

Thursday 13 April 2023 19:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Similarly, Gibb says she only somewhat believed the light and dark scale.

Thomas asks her to describe “castings” which Gibb says involves everyone standing in a circle and reciting a prayer led by Lori. It sounds remarkably like something a group of teenage girls might do for fun at a slumber party.

Thomas moves on to “zombies” and asks Gibb if she believed it mean people were going to die.

Gibb says: “No. It was a bizarre teaching and Lori thought it was bizarre too in the context to how it was explained to her by Chad.”

Chad told Lori, who then told Gibb, that Tylee became a zombie when she was 12 or 13 years old but they only knew this when she was 16.

Gibb said Brandon was deemed dark by Lori and Chad and evolved to a higher level of darkness — being in Hitler’s army. She met Brandon before Charles’s murder.

Asked if she ever prayed for Tylee and JJ (in a casting?), Gibb says no.

Judge Boyce calls the lunch break and Court resumes at 12.45pm MT.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Thomas asks Gibb if she thought it was odd that Jesus Christ and Moroni had sealed Chad and Lori in the temple.

She agrees it was but never asked Lori to show her the place in the temple where Lori married Chad.

Gibb says Lori and Chad tried to convince her she was part of the 144,000 but she never felt that was her calling.

Thomas describes “casting” as sounding like witchcraft but Gibb says it wasn’t as they used prayer, not spells.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:46 , Oliver O'Connell

Thomas asks about the meeting at Lori’s house when Chad first spent the night there and asks if Gibb did too. The court hears that as many as five or six people spent the night which Thomas characterises as not romantic.

Gibb says she didn’t know what their desires were, but there was an attraction. The others did not know what was going on.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Thomas moves on to after Charles Vallow was shot and asks Gibb if she saw Lori that day or the next day. She replies no.

The court hears that part of the morning routine with JJ was to buy him chicken fries before school at Burger King.

Gibb says that Lori believed she [Gibb] had been on earth four to five times, and sometimes she bought into the idea.

Gibb says she wasn’t sure but Lori was very convincing and tried to encourage her to believe it.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The jury is brought back into the courtroom and cross-examination of Gibb continues.

Thomas asks how she met Lori. Gibb says it was at an LDS evening event Lori attended with her niece Melani. She got to know about Tylee and JJ and their relationships with Lori as she became a close family friend who would see them often.

They would often meet up at temple or at lunch.

Asked how she knew about the normal temperament of a seven-year-old with autism, Gibb says she has seen children with autism and knows the symptoms. She says she does not know much about JJ’s morning or evening routines but that he went to a special private school.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Boyce denies the motion to strike Melanie Gibb’s testimony.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Thomas wants Melanie Gibb’s testimony struck from the record because he says the prosecutor did not furnish statements from Gibb to the defence team.

He says the state received statements from Gibb and she said she met with the state and the state didn’t turn them over.

The state responds that this was previously litigated and the defence is interpreting things differently — all statements have been turned over and if any new statements are made they would be too, but nothing new was learned.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:23 , Oliver O'Connell

Cross-examination of Gibb is conducted by defence attorney John Thomas who asks her about how she met with prosecutors and when.

He asks about a seven-page document she created with her testimony and she says she completed it in 2020.

Thomas asks to strike the witness. The prosecution objects and a sidebar is called.

Judge Boyce says the motion will be argued outside the presence of the jury who are then dismissed.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Gibb says Lori had also told her about “vibrations” that rated your level of spirituality. If you were at 1,000, you were at the terrestrial level. The more your vibrations increased, the closer your body was to being “translated” and it would change. Lori claimed she would not have to eat, would get younger, but would still experience the menstrual cycle.

All of these teachings were also shared with Alex Cox, Gibb says, and he believed the people Chad and Lori were hoping would die were zombies, including Charles, Tylee, JJ, and Tammy.

Gibb says she didn’t 100 per cent believe in the zombie teachings, but Alex did.

When she asked him what happened to JJ, Alex replied: “You don’t want to know.”

No further questions in direct examination.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Gibb learned about Tammy Daybell’s death the day after it was reported when a friend sent her a screenshot from Chad’s Facebook account announcing the death.

She called Lori and told her. Lori said she knew through other friends. Gibb asked what happened and Lori said Tammy had a dark entity in her and they [Chad and Lori] had to do what they could to get the spirit out of her.

Gibb says Tammy had been suspicious about an affair between Lori and Chad for less than two weeks and during that time had turned dark.

Tammy died on 19 October 2019 and Lori indicated she was eager to move to Idaho to be with Chad. Gibb says Lori never expressed any sorrow or sadness about Tammy and had the same demeanour as when Charles was killed on 11 July that year.

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:03 , Oliver O'Connell

In the call, Lori says of Gibb “for someone who know so much as you” referring to the teachings of Chad and her.

Gibb tells the court that these are things that are not taught in the LDS faith and she believes the “multiple probations”, light and dark etc all came from Chad.

She said there was deception and lying from Lori and her behavior with Chad didn’t tally with someone who would know Christ on a higher level.

Lori said she actually saw Jesus in the temple.

Court resumes

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:59 , Oliver O'Connell

The trial resumes after the morning recess and Melanie Gibb, former best friend of Lori Vallow is back on the stand.

Gibb says she recorded the call with Chad Daybell and Lori on 8 December because she wanted to know where they were and where JJ was.

Lori has never told her where JJ was from the night she stayed over at their house onwards (22 September).

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Boyce calls the morning recess.

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:26 , Oliver O'Connell

The call ends with Lori saying Jesus is protecting her.

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:22 , Oliver O'Connell

On the call, Lori and Gibb quote scriptures at each other with Gibb challenging her with “God doesn’t work in darkness” and Lori saying she is “hiding in the cavity of a rock”

Gibb then says: “If you really loved me, you would not have told the police I had JJ with me.”

She tells Lori that she think she has been deceived by Satan, with Tammy and Charles dead, and that she has felt weird about it.

Lori responds: “You know me, Mel. This sounds like you have been influenced by somebody dark and obey dark things.”

Chad comes on the call and says that his own children said Tammy had been getting weak and sick and that her heart was failing her.

Gibb says, “You can understand my concern, can’t you?”

Chad says from an outsider’s perspective, he can but Dave, her boyfriend, seems to be putting doubts in her mind.

The verbal back and forth continues with more scriptures about who has been true to them and who has succumbed to natural desires.

Gibb says Lori’s salvation is in trouble.

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:11 , Oliver O'Connell

The call is played to the court and Gibb asks why they told the police JJ was with her in the first place.

Lori says it was because Kay threatened to kidnap him and that people are after her.

Gibb asks if JJ is safe and is told he is “safe and happy”.

She then asks how it could hurt her to know where JJ is and is told: “I’m just not telling anybody so that nobody has to say where he is or get questioned where he is so I can keep him as safe as possible.”

Gibb says that she hopes he is OK and that Chad and Lori are OK. They won’t tell her where they are.