So, Dateline Lori Vallow… I gotta be honest. When I first heard about this case, I thought it was some strange plotline from a mystery novel. But no—turns out, it was real life. And it’s one of the darkest, twisty-turny criminal dramas I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t been following this one, buckle up. The case is about Lori Vallow, who was at the center of a bizarre and tragic tale involving her kids, her marriages, and a guy named Chad Daybell, who, for lack of a better term, was a doomsday prophet. Yeah, you read that right.
This whole thing goes beyond just a simple whodunnit. It’s about faith, manipulation, and a whole lot of missing kids. In this article, I’m going to walk you through some of the wildest revelations from the case and what Dateline Lori Vallow has uncovered so far. Spoiler: there’s no shortage of jaw-dropping moments.
Lori’s Early Life: A Story That Looks Normal at First
Alright, so here’s the scoop on Lori Vallow: She was just like any other mom. Had three kids, married a few times, and lived the suburban dream for a while. Or so it seemed. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some seriously weird, sometimes creepy stuff bubbling under the surface.
Born in 1973, Lori’s personal life was a little like an episode of The Real Housewives—only instead of boutique shopping and wine parties, there was a lot of religion and self-help books. A lot. She got involved in these really intense, doomsday-prepping religious circles. Enter Chad Daybell, a guy with a knack for writing apocalyptic books and convincing people that the world was about to end. He called himself a prophet (red flag, right?), and well, Lori kind of fell for that mess. And I mean really fell.
You could say Lori was looking for a higher purpose—or maybe just someone who told her what to do. At least that’s how it looked when she started hanging around Chad, who was pretty vocal about “preparing” for the end of the world. His teachings went beyond just stockpiling food. There were zombies involved. Yep, you read that right: Zombies. According to Chad and Lori, some people were, like, spiritually dead, and they needed to be eliminated. They called them “zombies.” Yeah. It’s weird.
Tylee and JJ: Gone Without a Trace
Okay, so let’s get to the heart of the matter. Lori’s two kids, Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, vanished in September 2019, and that’s when the whole thing started unraveling. The thing is, their disappearance wasn’t a random event—it was the beginning of a whole series of things that didn’t add up.
Tylee, 16, and JJ, 7, were last seen on September 8, 2019, during a trip to Yellowstone National Park. After that, it’s like they disappeared into thin air. Lori’s story? It kept changing. First, she said they were with friends. Then, she claimed they were with relatives. But the more she spoke, the weirder it got. She and Chad fled to Hawaii, like, almost immediately after the kids were last seen. Y’all, who does that? My first instinct when something bad happens is to grab snacks and wait for a 1-800 number to call me, not book a flight to the middle of the Pacific. But Lori wasn’t like most of us.
And then, there was the situation with her ex-husband, Charles Vallow. In July 2019, Charles was shot and killed by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, in what was initially labeled a “self-defense” shooting. But, get this, later on, it turns out Alex had been involved in a lot of violent incidents. Like, a lot. Some folks think he might have been a pawn in a bigger, more sinister plan. But hey, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Dateline Lori Vallow: Shocking New Details
Now, Dateline Lori Vallow has peeled back the curtain on this whole mess, revealing some seriously chilling insights. It’s like the investigators have been playing a never-ending game of Clue, except there are no winners.
Chad Daybell: The ‘Prophet’ Who Just… Wasn’t
So Chad Daybell? He’s a character. I’d almost call him the supervillain in this whole mess, except that he probably thinks he’s a hero of some kind. Anyway, Chad’s whole deal was that he was a “prophet” with some wild theories about the end of the world. He wrote books about it, preached about it, and convinced a bunch of people to buy into it, including Lori. Together, they made this crazy duo that convinced each other, and apparently a lot of others, that they were destined for something divine—after they cleared out a few obstacles.
The theory of “zombies” was central to Chad and Lori’s worldview. People who “weren’t right” or who had become “possessed” were labeled zombies, and according to them, these people had to be removed from the picture. Yes, really. And apparently, Tylee and JJ fit that description in their eyes.
What we know now is that Tylee and JJ were killed not long after they were last seen. Their bodies were discovered on Chad’s property in June 2020, which led to some serious investigations. The whole thing was tragic beyond belief, and as the case unfolded, authorities found evidence suggesting that Lori and Chad had plotted the children’s murders together.
Lori: Was She Just Crazy or Something More Sinister?
You know, as much as I want to chalk Lori’s behavior up to “bad decisions,” this case isn’t so simple. What’s terrifying is that Lori doesn’t seem to have any sense of guilt. No remorse. It’s like watching a character in a horror movie who just refuses to leave the haunted house. Experts who’ve analyzed her actions say she shows signs of narcissism, delusion, and even psychopathy. It’s like she genuinely believed she was on some divine mission, but all the while, she was systematically eliminating those who didn’t fit her twisted view of the world.
Personally, I can’t decide what’s scarier: the fact that she believed she was saving the world or the fact that she seemed so cold about it. I’m gonna go with both. It’s like she was living in her own reality show, with a script written by someone who didn’t care who got hurt.
Alex Cox: The Man Who Shot Charles—and Died Mysteriously
Then there’s Alex Cox. Oh boy. The dude was like a walking red flag. Alex was the one who killed Charles Vallow, and the initial excuse was that it was in self-defense. But when investigators dug into Alex’s past, they realized there were a lot of other questionable things in his history. The guy was violent, and not just to Charles—there were rumors about other family members and some seriously strange behaviors that didn’t make sense.
What’s even weirder is that Alex himself died under mysterious circumstances in December 2019. The death was ruled natural, but some people believe Alex may have been silenced before he could talk. I mean, c’mon. This whole thing is more twisted than a pretzel at the county fair.
The Investigation: A Case of Too Many Twists
The investigation into Lori and Chad has been a hot mess, no doubt about it. It’s like a bad soap opera where every episode reveals a new bombshell. Investigators uncovered texts, phone calls, and social media posts where Lori and Chad discussed their apocalyptic beliefs and, more chillingly, their desire to “remove” people they considered spiritually dangerous. There were mentions of Tylee and JJ, too, and it became clearer that the children were part of the plan. Yikes.
When Lori was finally arrested in February 2020, it was like a moment of clarity—finally, someone was going to hold her accountable. But that was just the beginning. Chad didn’t get arrested until months later, in June 2020. The pair now face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and child abandonment. Not exactly the happily-ever-after ending we were hoping for.
Dateline Lori Vallow: What’s Next?
So, here’s where things stand: Lori and Chad are awaiting trial, and with each passing day, more secrets come out. I’m not a betting person, but my guess is that the next round of Dateline episodes will have even more mind-blowing twists. I can’t wait to see what new details come to light.
If you’re following this case, I think you’ll agree—this isn’t just about the murders anymore. It’s about why they happened, how they happened, and the role that belief, manipulation, and psychosis can play in a person’s decisions.
Impact on the Families
Beyond all the criminal drama, this case has had a profound effect on the families involved. Tylee and JJ’s grandparents have been vocal, and it’s heartbreaking to hear them talk about how much they loved those kids. It’s not just a legal case; it’s a real tragedy for real people. This whole thing has rocked not only their families but also a whole community of people who now have to reconcile with the fact that their daughter, sister, or friend may have been involved in something so horrific.
