ROB H. WOOD 8229 Madison Coumy Prosecuting Aflomy 02/18/2020 2/ 23 15 rwuod mfldisoanus Seventh Judie/al Mad/son county Kim Mum Clerk onus Court 159 East Main Strum By Deputy Clerk ~Wood' Angle PI 0' Box 350 Rexburg, Idaho 83440 (208) 35677768 (208) 356-7839 IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF IDAHOY IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF MADISON MAGISTRATE DIVISION STATE OF IDAHO. CR33-20-0302 Plaintifli Case No: v. PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT OF LORI NORENE VALLOW. AKA LORI DETECTIVE RON BALL NORENE DAYBELL 4141 Queen Emma Drivc. #3 Princcville, Hawai196722 DOB. 06/26/1973 SSN: 558, STATE OF IDAHO I Cuunly of Madimn 1. Det. Ron Ball. ofthe Rexburg Police: being firsl duly sworn under cam dcpose and slam as foIIows: I. I he infum'auon hcrein is true and correct In [he of my knowledge and heliefl AH IDAVIT I 2. 1 am a Detective with the Rexburg Police Department and have been employed in Law Enforcement for more than 27 years. I am currently the lieutenant over investigations for the Rexburg Police Department. I currently hold an Advanced Certificate and a Management Certificate from the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training Academy and have over 2500 hours of training. I have attended multiple trainings and classes throughout my career, including graduating from the FBI National Academy in 2015. I have received multiple hours of specialized training in investigations. I have also conducted numerous investigations and interviews with suspects, victims and witnesses involving narcotics, sex crimes and fraud. I have also received numerous hours of training on traffic stops and detection of criminal behavior. 3. 0n the afiemoon of November 25, 20l 9. the Rexburg Police Department (hereinafler RPD) was contacted by the Gilbert, Arizona Police Department about a missing child. hereinafler designated as J.V., (DOB: 05-25-2012). J.V. is a 7-year-old boy will: autism who was supposed to be living with his adoptive mother, Lori Norene Vallow, AKA Lori Norene Daybell (Hereinafier Lori Vallow or Lori.) J.V.'s grandmother, Kay Woodcock, had contacted the Gilbert Police Department about J.V for a welfare check. 4. Lori Vallow also has a daughter. TIR. (DOB: 09/24/2002). As described further in this atfidavit, while RPD was investigating the disappearance of the investigation grew to include a search for who is also missing and has not been seen since September 8, 2019, 5. I am aware that Lori Vallow moved to Rexburg with J.V. near the first week of September, 2019. I am aware that J.V. was enrolled for three weeks at Kennedy Elementary School in Rexburg. Idaho. I am further aware that he was seen by neighbors at and near his apartment in Rexburg. Through the investigation, RFD has learned that the last day was seen alive was on September 23. 2019, at Kennedy Elementary School. On September 24, 2019 Lori Vallow informed the school that would no longer be attending Kennedy Elementary and that Lori would homeschool him. Kennedy Elementary has informed RPD that no other school has made requests for J.V.'s school transcripts. AFFIDAVIT 6. We have not been able to find any witnesses who have seen 1.V. since September 24, 2019. 7. I was familiar with Lori Vallow because the RPD had previously been contacted by the Gilbert. Arizona and Chandler. Arizona Police Departments who requested help to obtain search warrants for a vehicle in Lori's possession, Said vehicle was related to a possible at1empted murder of Lori's niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux in Arizona, I am aware that Detective Ray Hermosillo had also performed intermittent surveillance on Lori Vallow at the request of the Gilbert Police DepartmenL starting on November 1, 2019. Detective Hermosillo reports that he never once saw when he was performing surveillance during the month of November, 2019. 8. The vehicle mentioned in paragraph 6 of this Affidavit is a 2018, grey Jeep Wrangler. bearing Texas license plate no. LWD0997, Said vehicle is registered to Charles Vallow, who is the deceased husband of Lori Vallow. (Lori Vallow and Charles Vallow were in the process of getting a divorce when Charles Vallow died.) The Gilbert Police Department was interested in this vehicle because it had been identified in an attempted shooting of a Brandon Boudreaux in Gilbert Arizona on October 2. 2019. Brandon had previously been married to Lori Vallow's niece, Melanie Boudreaux, At the time of his attempted shooting, Brandon witnessed the Jeep (which he recognized as being the same vehicle that T.R. regularly drove.) Brandon observed a rifle with a silencer come out of the rear window of the Jeep and then Brandon's vehicle was shot once in the front driver's doorframe. As Brandon drove away, the Jeep followed, but eventually turned a different direction. This same Jeep observed by Brandon ms seized pursuant to a search van-ant in November of 2019 in Rexburg. Idaho, It is significant that the vehicle T.R. reponedly regularly drove was still in Rexburg nearly two months afier the last known sighting of TR. 9. I am aware. through contact with the Gilbert and Chandler Police Departments, that Lori's husband, Charles Vallow, was shot on July 11. 2019. by Lori's brother, Alex Cox. Lori Vallow is now married to Chad Daybell, from Fremont County, ldaho. Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell. died in Fremont County, Idaho on October 19, 2019. I was informed that Chad and Lori married approximately two weeks afier the death of Tammy Daybell. I later confirmed they were married on November 5, 2019, on the Island of Kauai in AFFIDAVIT 3 Hawaii. Through our investigation, RPD discovered photographs of their wedding on a beach in Hawaii. Neither IN. or T.R. are seen in any of those photographs. 10. On November 26, 2019. Detective Hermosillo and Detective Hope from the RFD went to Lori's home located at 565 Pioneer Road, #175. Rexburg, Idaho, to conduct a welfare check. Detectives Hermosillo and Hope met with Lori's brother. Alex Cox. and Chad Daybell outside the residence. Chad acted as if he didn't know Lori very well and stated he didn't know her phone number. Alex told the detectives that IV. was with his grandma, Kay Woodcock, in Louisiana. which was not likely to be true due to the fact that Kay was the individual who first called in a missing child report to the Gilbert Police Department. Alex said Lori may be in apartment #107. Hermosillo and Hope went to apartment #107, but the apartment was completely empty and vacant. At this time, they called me and asked me to come to the premises to help search for JrVi ll. Shortly after calling me, Detective Hermosillo called me again and indicated that he saw Chad Daybell driving a black Chevrolet Equinox away from the residence. Detective Hermosillo stopped Chad and asked him again if he had seen J.V. Chad responded that the last time he had seen iv. was in apartment #107 in October. He also admitted he knew Lori Vallow's phone number and provided it to Detective Hermosillo. 12. On that same day, myself and Detective Stubbs of the RPD located and spoke with Lori Vallow in her apartment, #1175. We identified ourselves as RPD officers Lori told us that J.V. was in Gilbert, Arizona with a friend named Melanie Gibb, We obtained Melanie's phone number from Lori. We ended our Contact with Lori and immediately attempted to call Melanie Gibb, We were unable to Contact her, 13. Because Detective Stubbs and I were unable to Contact Melanie Gibb we immediately contacted Lori Vallow again and we requested that she call Melanie Gibb. At this time Lori told us that Melanie and J.V. were at the movie "Frozen 2" so it was unlikely Melanie would answer the phone. We instructed Lori to call Melanie Gibb and have her call us so we could verify the location ofJ.V. AFFIDAVIT 4 14. By the evening of November 26, 2019, we had still not heard from Melanie Gibb, so RPD informed Detective Ryan Pillar of the Gilben Police Department of the information we had received regarding the children being with Melanie Gibb. I was informed later that evening around 9:30 pm. that Gilbert Police went to the home of Melanie Gibb. Melanie was not home but Detective Pillar contacted her by phone and she stated that J.V. was not staying at her Arizona house and had not been there for several months 15. On December 6, 2019, RFD was contacted by Melanie Gibb and informed that both Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow called Melanie on November 26. 2019 at separate times and asked her to tell the police that she had J.V. even though J.V. was not with her. Melanie informed RPD that she declined Chad's and Lori's requests. This further establishes that the statement made to law enforcement by Lori Vallow on November 26. 2019 was false and that Lori Vallow knew it was false. 16. The statement Lori made to RFD about J.V. being with Melanie Gibb delayed the investigation into the whereabouts and safety of J.V. by requiring us to take time to investigate a lead that was verified as false. 17. On November 27, 2019, RPD obtained search warrants to search: 1) Lori Vallow's apartment, located at 565 Pioneer Road, #175, Rexburg. Idaho, 2) Melanie Boudreaux/Pawlowski's (Lori Vallow's niece) apartment located at 565 Pioneer Road. #174. Rexburg. Idaho and 3) Alex Cox's (Lori's brother) apartment located at 565 Pioneer Road, #107, Rexburg, Idaho. (This apartment had nothing in it other than a couple of small items in its garage.) All three apartments are part of the same complex. J.V. was not located at any of the residences. It appeared to me that most of the clothing in Lori's apartment had been removed. Other fumiture was still inside the residence RPD believed that she Iefi Rexburg with Chad Daybell the night of November 26. 20l9. Melanie Boudreaux later confirmed that Chad and Lori did leave Rexburg the night ofthe AFFIDAVIT 5 18. During the search of Lori Vallow's apartment, we found evidence that was prescribed Risperidone in the form of a pill bottle labeled with J.V.'s name and the prescribed Risperidone. I have learned through research that Risperidone is a tranquilizer prescribed to treat irritability caused by autism. That prescription was filled for J.V. in January 2019 in Arizona. The Risperidone bottle still contained 17 pills. We have verified throuyi the Idaho State Pharmacy Board that said prescription has not been filled in Idaho. 19. On November 27, 2019 RPD also served a search mnant on Lori Vallow's storage unit located at Self-Storage Plus in Rexburg, Idaho. Inside of the storage unit we found a blanket with pictures of J.V. on it, a blanket with pictures of TR. on it, a backpack with .V.'s initials on it, toys that appeared appropriate for a young boy, winter clothing, other children's clothing. bikes, a scooter and a photo album. 20. RPD was funher made aware that the credit/debit card Lori Vallow provided to Self- Storage Plus was declined on January 2 of 2020. The owner of Self-Storage Plus has reported to law enforcement that as regular operating procedure he has reached out to Lori Vallow by phone, text. and email but has not heard back from her. At this time, Lori Vallow has not attempted to provide another debit/credit card to Self Storage-Plus. 21. Soon afier we executed the search warrants to find J.V. at the apartments in Rexburg, Gilbert Police asked us if we had any record of a T.R. (DOB: 09/24/2002), being in Rexburg. TR. is Lori Vallow's biological daughter from her marriage to Joseph Ryan, who is deceased. 22. TR. has a brother named Colby Ryan. lam aware that Gilbert Police Department has been in contact with Colby. Colby reports that the last time he spoke with T.R, ms on August 30, 2019, Via FaceTime. He informed Gilbert Police that when he tried to contact T.R. afler August 30, 2019, Lori would give excuses as to why TR. could not talk with him. 23. Through our investigation, RPD has been informed that T.R. moved to Rexburg with Lori on or about September 1" or 2019. We have been informed that Lori told Melanie Gibb that T.R. was attending classes at BYU--Idaho. However. a records check at BYU-I AFFIDAVIT 6 indicates that TR. was never enrolled at BYU~Idaho or any other school affiliated with BYU. 24. RPD verified Lori Vallow moved into the apartment located at 565 Pioneer Road, No. 175 in Rexburg with and J.V. on or around September or 2019. This information was corroborated by Lori Vallow's neighbors who lived in the same complex in the next- door apartment. They saw T.R. at or around the residence when she moved in with Lori. These same neighbors actually helped Lori Vallow move into her apartment. They saw T.R. briefly a couple of times afier she moved in but have not seen her since the first couple of weeks of September. Their son played with J.V. multiple times. These same neighbors have further informed us, through Detective Stubbs of the RPD, that one of their children went to Lori's apartment sometime in late September to play with J.V. and the child ms informed by Lori Vallow that J.V, was not there and that he had gone to stay with his grandma. 25. Another neighbor of Lori Vallow. who lived directly across the courtyard from Lori at 565 Pioneer Road had a doorbell camera that recorded J.V. outside playing on September 17, 2019. 26. Throughout our investigation, we were able to determine, through phone records, that accompanied Lori Vallow, Alex Cox, and .V. on a day trip to Yellowstone National Park on September 8, 2019. We have obtained a photograph of T.R. at the park entrance through the National Park Service. Also, through service ofa Search RFD has obtained a photo from Lori Vallow's iCIoud account ofT.R. in Yellowstone National Park that is time stamped on September 8. 2019. This photo is the last time we can find any record of TR. being with Lori Vallow. We have found no witnesses who can verify they have seen T.R. since September 8. 2019. 27. RFD has verified that Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow flew from the Los Angeles, California Airport to Kauai on American Airlines on December 1. 2019. This information was obtained through a search warrant served on American Airlines. RPD cannot find any information suggesting they have returned to the mainland of the United States since that AFFIDAVIT 7 time and it appears they have been in Hawaii since they arrived on December 1, 2019. Those same records establish that J.V. and m. were not with their mother Lori Vallow when she flew to Kauai. 28. I am aware that Chad and Lori are currently living at 4l4l Queen Emma Drive. Unit 3, Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii. I am in contact with the Kauai Police who are monitoring the condo in which Chad and Lori are staying The children have not been sighted with Chad and Lori. Further. I am aware that on multiple occasions, Chad and Lori checked into the Kauai Beach Resort and that no children checked in with them. That information was provided by an employee of the Resort, 291 Detective Chad Catalunn, of the Kauai Police Department. has performed surveillance on Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow in Kauai. He has informed us that he has seen Lori Vallow with Chad Daybell at least three times since he was made aware that Chad and Lori were residing on Kauai. Detective Cataluna has informed us that not once has he seen J.V. and TR. with Chad and Lori. 30.0n December 20, 2019, the Rexburg Police and the FBI published a press release announcing that J.V. and T.R. were missing, that RPD was looking for them, and asking for the public's help in locating them. 31. Since December 20. 2019, this case has received national media attention Lori Vallow has refused to provide law enforcement with any information regarding the location of her children TR and J.V. 32. Through this investigation RFD has learned that Lori Vallow used the website to find a babysitter for J.V. Through service of a search warrant on We were able to verify the identity of the babysitter who Lori Vallow hired to watch J.V. We contacted this babysitter and she informed us that she watched J.V. on the of September. She had met Lori Vallow and IV the day before (September IS, 2019.) The babysitter understood that her employment was to be ongoing. The babysitter reports that on September 24' 2019 she reached out to Lori Valluw and Lori told her that AFFIDAVIT J.V. had gone stay with his grandma for several weeks and that the babysitter's services were no longer needed. 33. On January 16. 2020. a Child Protection Action was filed by the State of Idaho in Madison County on behalfofJN. and T.R. The case number is The Court ordered Lori Vallow to produce J.V. and TR, within 5 days of service ofthe order to the Rexburg Police Department or the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in Rexburg. Lori Vallow was served that order on Saturday, January 25, 2020, by Detective Chad Cataluna of the Kauai Police Department. Lori did not produce the children within five days of being served and has not produced the children to this date. 34. Other than any current orders in a pending Child Protection Action in Madison County. Idaho, RPD has not found any court record or order establishing guardianship or parentage of TR. with anyone other than Lori Vallow. There is a Final Decree of Adoption from the 14'" Judicial District Court, Parish of Calcasieu, State of Louisiana establishing Charles and Lori Vallow as the adopted parents of J.V.. dated July 25, 2014. As such. the only known living parent ofJ.V. and IR. is Lori Vallow. 35. On the dates between January 24, 2020 and January 29, 2020, I was in Hawaii with Detective Hermosillo and the Kauai Police Department I reviewed video of Lari Vallow being served with the Order in the child protection case, which was filmed by the Kauai Police Department. J.V. and TR. were not seen in the video. While we were there, two FBI agents. Rory Johnson and Douglas McLand, assisted us in performing surveillance on Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow. On the morning of January 26, 2020, they observed Chad and Lori on a beach. J.V. and TR. were not with them. 36. During the afiemoon of January 26, 2020, I observed the Kauai Police Department serve search warrants on the persons of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow and on a black Ford Explorer they had rented. Said Wanants were served on them in the parking lot of the Kauai Beach Resort. J.V. and T.R. were not with Lori and Chad. The following items were located in their possession: a. birth certificates for TR. and J.V., AFFIDAVIT 9 b. T.R.'s financial transaction card issued by BBVA, c. J.V.'s iPad (identified by his initials on the back), d. another iPad which was logged into J.V.'s Apple account, e. J.V.'s school registration receipts from Kennedy Elementary in Rexburg Idaho. 37. Through our investigation, RPD learned that T.R.'s BBVA financial transaction card which was found with Lori Vallow is still active and has been used since the last sighting of Tylee. 38. On January 26. 2020, alter the search warrants were served on the persons and vehicle of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, a search warrant was sewed on the condominium located at 4141 Queen Emma Drive, Unit 3. Princeville, Kauai. Hawaii, where Chad and Lori were residing. I personally observed the Kauai Police perform the search. In the garage of the condominium, there were two beach/lawn chairs, two yoga/fitness mats, and two beach towels. There were no items in the garage that appeared to belong to a minor child. There was nothing found in the condominium that appeared to belong to TR. or J.V. Further, there was nothing found in the condominium that would indicate that a seven year old boy had been there, such as children's clothing, toys. children's books, children's medication, etc. There was a second room, other than the master bedroom, in the condominium. That second room had no signs of being lived in or otherwise occupied. 39. Through this investigation RFD discovered that J.V. had a service dog for his autism. This dog was named Bailey and was trained by Dog Training Elite. Al. On July 22'" she sent Dog Training Elite, AZ an email asking about finding another family for Bailey due to a change in life circumstances. Dog Training Elite, AZ picked up the dog on August 30. 2019. 40. Through this investigation I interviewed Chad Daybell's parents, Jack and Sheila Dayhell, in Springville. Utah. They informed me that Chad and Lori told them in November that Lori Vallow was an "empty-nester." AFFIDAVIT lD 41. Through this investigation RPD has interviewed Jason and Samantha Gwilliam, Samantha Gwilliam is the sister ofthe deceased Tammy Daybell. Jason and Samantha informed RFD that Chad told them that Lori had nojuvenile children. 42. On February 16. 2020, RPD received a tip from a named individual in Maui, Hawaii that Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow were renting car from the Hertz car rental at the Maui air-pan. The informant provided a picture of Chad and Lori. J.V. and T.R. were not with Chad and Lori in the picture. 43. Throughout this investigation, RFD and the FBI have reviewed Lori Vallow's bank and financial information. No information has been found which would suggest that Lori Vallow is providing money to anyone to care for J.V. and TR. 44. RPD has found no evidence or verification of anyone providing for the housing, food, clothing. education, or medical care of J.V. since September 24. 2019 and TR. since September 8. ZOI 9. 45. As of the date of this affidavit .V. and T.R. are still missing. 46. Due to: a. Lori Vallow is the legal parent and guardian ofTR. and J.V. b. Nobody has seen or verifiably heard from T.R. since September 8. 2019; c. Nobody has seen or heard from J.V. since September 23, 2019; Lori Vallow has verifiably been living on the island of Kauai. Hawaii since the beginning of December 2019, with her new husband, Chad Daybell. and that not once have they been seen with J.V. or e. The condominium currently occupied by Chad Daybell and Lori Vallcw contains no evidence that any person other than Chad and Lori is living there; f. That medication prescribed to has not been refilled in the State of Idaho at a time when J.V. was verifiably with Lori Vallow; g. T.R.'s financial transaction caid was in the possession of Lori Vallow even though TR. is not with Lori Vallow; AFFIDAVIT ll h. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell have represented to Chad's family that Lori has no juvenile children; i. Lori Vallow claimed that she was going to homeschool LV. but she is not with IV. and no other educational facility has requested in's school records; j. No verification of another caregiver for .V. or IR has been found: and k. That as of January 30, 2020, Lori Vallow failed to comply with a Court Order to produce the minor children to the Rexhurg Idaho Police Department or the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare within five days of being served with an order to do so. I believe probable cause exists that Lori Vallow has deserted T.R. and pursuant to Idaho Code 18--4010). which states it shall be a felony for "Every person who: Having any child under the age of eighteen (18) years dependent upon him or her for care, education or support, deserts such child in any manner whatever. with intent to abandon Ill" I further believe probable cause exists that Lori Vallow intentionally and willfully abandoned IV. and TR. pursuant to Idaho Code l8-403 and 18405. 47. Due to: a. The fact that Lori Vallow provided verifiably false information to RPD by telling [be RPD that JIV. was located in Arizona with Melanie Gibb: b. That said false information obstructed and delayed the investigation into the location ofJ.V. by requiring RPD to investigate a false lead: and c. That fact that Lori Vallow solicited Melanie Gibb to corroborate the false information Lori gave lieve probable cause exists that Lori Vallow did resist. delay, or obso'ucl a public officer in the discharge or attempt to discharge a duty of his office. specifically investigating a report of a missing child, pursuant to Idaho Code 18-705. 48. Due to: AFFIDAVIT a. The fact that Lori Vallow did solicit or request Melanie Gibb to provide false information to RPD regarding the location of J.V.. which would have further obstructed and or delayed RPD's investigation; 12 I believe probable cause exists that Lori Vallow did commit the crime of Solicitation to Commit a Crime pursuant to Idaho Code 18-2001r 49. Due to: a. The fact that Lori Vallow did refuse to obey a lawful order from the Court in case number by failing to produce J.the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in Rexburg on January 30th. 2020; I believe probable cause exists that Lori Vallow did Violate Idaho Code "4801(4). 50. Due to the following facts I believe that Lori Vallow is a flight risk: a. Within the day of when we met with Lori Vallow on November 26, 20I9 to ask about the whereabouts of the children, Lori Vallow had left the state and was in Hawaii within a week. The charges being filed against Lori Vallow are serious. Two of the charges are felony abandonment of a child which any up to years in prison. c. Lori Vallow has no significanl ties to Madison County, She no longer has a home here and she has abandoned a siyiificant amount of property here. d. Lori Vallow has already displayed a willingness to disobey and ignore a court order by not producing J.V. and TR. in Rexburg even though she was specifically ordered by the com to do so and had adequate time to do so. e. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell have significant financial resources. I am aware that Chad Daybell received at least $430,000.00 in life insurance proceeds upon the death of his wife Tammy. As such, Lori and Chad have resources sufficient to help them travel and hide from law enforcement and the Court. 51. Based upon the above. I hereby request a Warrant be issued for the arrest of Lori Norene Vallow, AKA Lori Norene Daybell for: a. two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of Children, Idaho Code 18-4010), b. one misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing officers, Idaho Code l8--705, e. one misdemeanor count ofcriminal solicitation. Idaho Code 18-2001. d. one misdemeanor count of criminal contempt, Idaho Code AFFIDAVIT 13 52. I respecifully requesl, based upon the above, that bond be sel in this maner in the amount of five million dollars to secure Lori Vallow's appearance in Court in Madison County, Idaho. Further your afliam sayeth not. DATED this day ofFebmary, 2020. 94%51/ . Ron Ball Rexburg Police Department SUBMITTED TO ME this if day of February, 2020. 1. 775940564, Notary Public Residing at: Commission Expires: AFFIDAVIT 14