IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, June 12, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A candlelight vigil was held Friday night in Idaho Falls for J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan, the children of Lori Vallow Daybell, who were last seen in September and whose remains were found earlier this week on the Salem, Idaho, property of Chad Daybell, their mother’s husband.
The public vigil, which began at 8:30 p.m. in the field on the south side of Soda Tsunami, at 3460 S. 25th East, drew friends of the families of J.J. and Tylee, as well as many people from the surrounding area who wanted to pay their respects.
Organized by Idaho Falls residents D. Cooper Linde, Timanee Olsen, and Leslie Call, the vigil featured prayers and songs, such as Sarah McLachlan’s “In the Arms of the Angels.”
A heart-shaped arch was decorated with balloons in shades of blue, pink, and white, with “JJ” and “Tylee” in silver, and photos of the children were posted across the grassy area.
As the sun began to set, those in attendance lit candles, some of them in glass holders on which was written “In memory of Tylee and J.J.”
Chad Daybell was arrested Tuesday after the human remains were found on his property. He is being held in the Fremont County Jail on $1 million bail.
Lori Vallow Daybell has been incarcerated since February of this year when she was charged with two counts of desertion and nonsupport of a dependent child. She consistently refused to divulge the location of the missing children.
J.J.’s grandparents Larry and Kay Woodcock confirmed to East Idaho News that the human remains are J.J. and Tylee. They also released the following statement:
The Woodcocks and the Ryans are confirming that the human remains found by law enforcement on Chad Daybell’s property are indeed our beloved J.J. and Tylee. We are filled with unfathomable sadness that these two bright stars were stolen from us and only hope that they died without pain or suffering. Once officially confirmed, statements from the Rexburg Police, the Medical Examiner and the FBI will be released. We ask that you respect our family’s privacy while we grieve — we have only just been told of the loss of our loved ones and need time to process. We are not granting interviews at this time and hope you all understand that this is the worst news we will ever get in our lives and want to be left alone for the time being.
Lori and Chad Daybell married last November, two weeks after the death of his wife, Tammy. Police have since described the death of Tammy Daybell as “suspicious,” and exhumed her body from a grave in her childhood home of Springville, Utah. The report on her autopsy has not yet been released.
According to a report by East Idaho News, Lori and Chad Daybell were married with rings she had ordered online prior to Tammy’s death. Vallow Daybell reportedly used a credit card belonging to Charles Vallow, Lori’s previous husband, who in August 2019 was shot to death by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who claimed self-defense.
Cox died in December last year of what was determined to be natural causes.
Gephardt Daily will continue to follow this developing story as more information is released.
