Lori Vallow Daybell declared unfit to stand trial; new charges filed in Arizona

REXBURG, Idaho — Lori Vallow Daybell, the mother of two children who were found dead last year at her husband’s property, on Thursday was declared unfit to stand trial by an Idaho judge.

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Daybell was declared not competent to stand trial according to an order filed in a Fremont County court, the Idaho Statesman reported. Daybell now needs restorative treatment and must be returned to competency before her case can move forward in Idaho, according to the newspaper.

Meanwhile, new charges were filed in Arizona against Daybell for her role in the death of her former husband.

>> Chad Daybell, Lori Vallow Daybell indicted for murder in deaths of 2 children

The Chandler Police Department announced it submitted a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Charles Vallow, KNXV reported. Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokesperson Jennifer Liewer said the charge was under review, according to The Arizona Republic. There was no timeline for when a decision would be made, the newspaper reported.

According to Arizona Revised Statutes, a conspiracy to commit a Class 1 felony is punishable by a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release until 25 years is served, the Republic reported.

The decision to find Lori Vallow Daybell unfit to stand trial was made by District Judge Steven Boyce after a psychological assessment performed by a clinical psychologist, the Statesman reported. The assessment was ordered on March 8, the newspaper reported.

“The completed assessment determined that at this time the Defendant is not competent to proceed, and recommends restorative treatment,” the District Court of the Seventh Judicial District of Idaho wrote.

On Monday, Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, were indicted in Idaho on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua “J.J.” Vallow, Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Chad Daybell is scheduled to appear in court on June 9 to enter a plea on the murder charges, East Idaho News reported. Lori Vallow Daybell’s next court date has not yet been scheduled.

In Arizona, the Chandler Police Department based its charge of conspiracy against Lori Vallow Daybell on a police report filed July 11, 2019, KNXV reported. According to the report, Lori Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow in Lori Daybell’s home in Chandler.

Charles Vallow went to his estranged wife’s home around 8:30 a.m. that day, and the two got into an argument, according to a statement from Chandler police. Police said Cox allegedly intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, but he and Vallow got into a physical altercation, KNXV reported.

Vallow struck Cox in the head with a baseball bat, and Cox retaliated by shooting the man in the chest two times, according to the police report.

Vallow was pronounced dead at the scene, and no charges were filed against Cox,

On Dec. 1, 2019, Cox was found unresponsive in his Gilbert, Arizona, home and was later pronounced dead, KNXV reported.

Lori Vallow Daybell was arrested on Feb. 20, 2020, in Hawaii and was extradited to Idaho while her children still were listed as missing, the Statesman reported. She later was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence after the children’s bodies were found on Chad Daybell’s property, the newspaper reported.

Chad Daybell was originally arrested on June 2, 2020, on two felony counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence, as well as two counts of conspiracy to destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence, according to court records. He is being held without bail at the Fremont County Jail.

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