A Forensic Pathologist Reveals the Passing of J.J., the Son of Lori Vallow Daybell, While the Cause of Death of Her Daughter Remains Unclear.
The mortal remains of Lori Vallow Daybell’s two children were unearthed on a property owned by her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, in June of 2020.
Nearly three years subsequent to the revelation of the remains of Lori Vallow Daybell’s offspring, namely 7-year-old Joshua “J.J.” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, the reason behind J.J.’s passing has been unveiled.
During Lori’s trial, Dr. Garth Warren, a forensic pathologist, testified on Wednesday that J.J. succumbed to asphyxiation through the use of a plastic bag and duct tape placed over his mouth, as reported by East Idaho News, KTVB reporter Alexandra Duggan, and Fox 10. J.J.’s autopsy took place two days after the discovery of the children’s buried remains on Chad Daybell’s property in Idaho.
Warren also noted scratch marks on J.J.’s neck, along with bruises on his wrists and ankles where he was confined with duct tape, as per KTVB reports.
“Might these scratch marks on J.J.’s neck indicate a struggle to remove the bag from his head?” Warren speculated, according to the outlet.
Regarding Tylee’s passing, Warren mentioned that it remains undetermined due to the condition of her remains, as reported by East Idaho News, KTVB, and CBS2 Boise reporter Angela Kerndl.
Warren elucidated that the autopsy on Tylee took several days due to the fragmented state of her remains.
“This specific autopsy was unlike any other,” he remarked, as cited by East Idaho News. “Ordinarily, when I conduct an autopsy, I receive an intact body and follow a standard procedure. However, Tylee’s case presented differently. Her remains arrived in three separate sealed bags.”
Despite efforts to discover bullet or knife fragments that might clarify her cause of death, nothing significant was found, leading Warren to determine her passing as “homicide by unspecified means,” according to the outlet.
Lori faces charges of murder in connection with the deaths of J.J. and Tylee, as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the case of her fifth husband Chad’s late wife, Tammy Daybell.
During the opening statements, Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake disclosed that Tammy’s passing was also due to asphyxiation. Chad is also charged in relation to the deaths of Tylee, J.J., and Tammy, but his trial will be conducted separately.
Earlier in the protracted trial, Ray Hermosillo, a detective from Rexburg, Idaho, took the stand and provided haunting details about the discovery of J.J.’s remains on June 9, 2020, almost nine months after the children went missing.
“I witnessed a young boy clad in red pajamas,” testified Hermosillo. “His head was enclosed in a white plastic bag, with multiple layers of duct tape securing it from his chin to his forehead. Both of his arms were bound with numerous layers of duct tape, folded across his chest. His feet were also taped and restrained.” Hermosillo added that a white and blue child’s blanket was placed over J.J., while he wore black Skechers socks on his feet. During the autopsy, the coroner removed the bag that covered J.J.’s head.
“Underneath the white plastic bag, there was an additional layer of duct tape across his mouth, extending from one jawline to the other,” Hermosillo revealed.
Hermosillo noted visible bruising on J.J.’s arm, and his pajamas were soaked in decomposition.
Tylee’s remains were found in a separate location on Chad’s property on the same day.
“Only fragments of Tylee were found—a charred mass of bones and tissues. That was all that remained of this exquisite young woman,” Blake stated during the trial’s first week. “Her DNA was detected on a pickaxe and shovel, later found in Daybell’s shed.”
Hermosillo also described the recovery of Tylee’s dismembered remains.
“A few of us knelt down and began excavating this moist section of soil,” he recounted, noting that investigators detected a decomposing body odor. “Eventually, we unearthed fragments of Tylee—presumed to be Tylee—burned pieces of bone, charred flesh, and disintegrating flesh.”
Authorities found J.J. and Tylee’s remains after tracing the cell phone records of Lori’s deceased brother, Alex Cox, who was present on Chad’s property during two occasions that coincided with the last sightings of the children.
Law enforcement has alleged that the so-called “doomsday” couple, who embraced apocalyptic prophecies, utilized their “religious beliefs” as justification for the killings. Following the children’s disappearance, Lori and Chad—where Chad, an author, wrote about doomsday scenarios tied to religion—came under police scrutiny, which exposed a history of mysterious deaths, including that of Chad’s late wife Tammy, who passed away in October 2019—weeks after Lori’s children vanished and weeks before Chad and Lori’s marriage.
0 Post a Comment: