Graphic images shown in Lori Vallow trial; TikTok influencer acquitted of murder’ Kelly Hyman joins host Joshua Ritter to break down the biggest cases making headlines across the nation. They discuss the reveal of crime scene photos in Lori Vallow’s murder trial, a TikTok star’s acquittal following a deadly conflict with his neighbours, and the role of Scientology evidence in Danny Masterson’s retrial.
Graphic images shown in Lori Vallow trial; TikTok influencer acquitted of murder
BOISE, Idaho — Jurors in the triple murder trial of a woman accused in the deaths of her two children and a romantic rival were shown gruesome photographs of the slain children Tuesday afternoon, as the grandfather of one of the kids sobbed in the back of the courtroom.
Seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and his big sister Tylee Ryan were last seen in September of 2019, sparking a nationwide search. The search ended in tragedy the following year when their bodies were found buried in an eastern Idaho yard.
Lori Vallow and her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, are both charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, murder and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee, the latter of whom was last seen shortly before her 17th birthday in 2019. The children were buried on Chad Daybell’s property. Prosecutors also charged the couple in connection with the October 2019 death of Chad Daybell’s late wife, Tammy Daybell.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and are being tried separately. Vallow’s trial began this month, and Chad Daybell’s trial is still months away. Vallow faces up to life in prison if convicted.
A police detective from Rexburg, Idaho, was the only witness to take the stand Tuesday. Detective Ray Hermosillo explained how the investigation started — with a call from an Arizona law enforcement agency seeking help to track down a vehicle that was suspected in an attempted shooting — as well the condition of the children’s bodies when they were unearthed eight months later.
At one point, Vallow’s defense attorneys asked the judge if she could be excused from the rest of the day’s testimony, saying the graphic evidence that was to be shown would be detrimental to her already fraught mental health.
Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce has twice ordered Vallow to undergo mental health treatment after finding her incompetent to assist in her own defense at various points since her arrest. Still, Boyce rejected the request, saying her presence in the courtroom was needed to ensure a fair trial for all involved.
The evidence that followed was exceedingly graphic and included a series of photographs showing the children’s remains as they were excavated from Daybell’s property and pictures taken during the subsequent autopsies.
In one, JJ was wearing red pajamas and socks, duct tape covering his mouth and binding his arms and legs together. His arms were visibly bruised, Hermosillo said, and his body had partially decomposed. Black plastic covered his remains, which were buried near a tree on Daybell’s property.
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