Lori Vallow: Idaho woman accused of killing her two children, ruled unfit for trial

Bodies of Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow and Tylee Ryan found on Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020

Lori Vallow, the Idaho woman accused of killing her two children, has been ruled unfit for trial by a psychologist and a stay has been ordered in the case against her.

Prosecutors have contested a judge’s ruling that she is “not competent to proceed” and a hearing will be held to resolve the dispute.

Ms Vallow and new husband Chad Daybell are accused of murdering her two children, Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, in September 2019, and justifying the killing with their religious beliefs.

The couple fled to Hawaii in December 2019 as police announced the children were missing and potentially in danger.

Ms Vallow was arrested in February 2020 in Hawaii and brought back to Idaho.

The bodies of the two children, who were last seen alive in September 2019 after Lori moved from Arizona to Idaho to live with Chad, were found on his property in early June 2020.

Prosecutors earlier this week charged her with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder among other felonies, but her appearance in court on those was delayed.

She was previously charged with felony counts of concealment of evidence and conspiracy to conceal evidence.

Chad Daybell also is charged with first-degree murder over the death of his former wife, Tammy Daybell.

In his order Fremont County Judge Steven Boyce wrote that her case had been stayed, or temporarily suspended, since 8 March when the court ordered her to undergo evaluation.

Police in Arizona have also now submitted a new charge against Ms Vallow of conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Charles Vallow.

Mr Vallow is Lori’s ex-husband and he was shot and killed by her brother in 2019.

Court documents state that Ms Vallow told a friend during 2019 that her children had become “dark spirits” or zombies.

The friend told investigators that the couple believed that the only way to rid a person of the dark spirit was to kill them so they could rest in the afterlife.

They had reportedly been connected to the “Preparing a People” group, which her family has described as a doomsday cult.

If convicted, the couple faces life in prison or the death penalty.

Mr Daybell is next scheduled to appear on 9 June to enter a plea on the murder charges but his wife’s next court date has not yet been scheduled.