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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 9 OctOber 2021

Police detail cultish beliefs of mom charged in kids’ deaths

dio recordings were released by the cult-like religious beliefs, accord- deemed to be “translated,” holding
police department on Wednesday. ing to investigators. Several family special powers.
members and friends interviewed by
In the main investigation report, detectives described them as having The Daybells believed “zombies”
Chandler police detectives wrote they a strange doomsday-focused belief were people who had died and their
believed Charles Vallow was mur- system, and some of the friends ac- bodies had been possessed by evil
dered and that his suspected killers knowledged adopting the beliefs as spirits. The group would spend time
were motivated by greed for Vallow’s well. At times as many as 10 people praying to get rid of the zombies,
life insurance money, lust for each were part of the loose religious group and believed that if they were suc-
other and strange religious beliefs. that met to pray, drive out evil spirits cessful the possessed person would
(AP) — Newly released docu- and seek revelations from “beyond physically die, freeing their soul from
ments from the complex inves- “All of these overt acts were done so the spiritual veil.” “limbo.”
tigation of a woman accused of Lori could eventually be with Chad
conspiring to kill her children Daybell and reportedly complete Though the beliefs Lori Daybell’s Lori Daybell told some of her friends
and husband reveal sordid de- their mission here on earth,” the po- friends described to detectives were that her estranged husband Charles
tails of a cult-like belief system of lice department wrote in the report. loosely based in theology from The Vallow was a zombie, according to
“zombies” and “vibrations” plus “This belief system, lust and greed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day investigators, and some in the group
a disintegrating marriage and an would also lead to the deaths of Tylee Saints, they veered into the extreme. regularly joined her in praying for
affair. Ryan, JJ Vallow and Tammy Daybell.” Vallow’s demise. After Vallow was
The report said Lori and Chad Day- shot and killed by Alex Cox during
Documents from the Chandler Po- Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty bell believed in reincarnation, and an argument, Cox reportedly told an-
lice Department in Arizona offer a to the charges. Lori Daybell has not that Lori Daybell was a “Goddess” other follower that he didn’t feel bad
detailed look at the lives of Lori and yet entered a plea — she’s being treat- sent to bring the second coming of because he killed a zombie.
Chad Daybell via text messages, com- ed at a mental health facility because Christ. The pair also allegedly be-
puter files and interviews with close a judge has determined that she’s not lieved they had special powers, with The group also believed that once
friends and family members. yet competent to stand trial. Attor- Lori Daybell telling one friend that a person became “exalted,” they
neys for the Daybells did not respond she could teleport between Arizona couldn’t be held responsible for their
Both are charged in Idaho with con- to phone messages requesting com- and Hawaii. Chad Daybell reportedly actions on earth.
spiracy to commit murder in the ment. told the group that he had a “portal”
deaths of Lori’s children, 7-year- in his home where he could receive “Because Lori was already ‘exalted,’”
old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 17-year- Chad Daybell met Lori Vallow in revelations and travel to other realms, Pastenes told the investigators, ac-
old Tylee Ryan. They face the same 2018 and the two quickly became the report said. cording to their report, “she would
charge in the death of Chad’s previ- close, according to the investigation. often slam her hand on the counter
ous wife, Tammy Daybell. Tammy Within a short time they were trav- Lori Daybell’s close friend Melanie and state, ‘Doesn’t count for me!’”
Daybell died unexpectedly at the eling to meet each other, and at one Gibbs told investigators Chad and
home in eastern Idaho that she shared point Chad Daybell wrote a steamy Lori Daybell drew people into their The police investigation also uncov-
with Chad Daybell and investigators short story for Lori Vallow based on circle of believers by giving them bits ered computer documents that indi-
became suspicious after Chad Day- two characters who, like Chad and of information and flattered follow- cated Charles Vallow discovered his
bell married Lori two weeks later. Lori, met at a religious conference. ers by telling them they were part of wife was having an affair with Chad
the select few who were supposed to Daybell just weeks before his death.
The children were missing for By May of 2019, Lori Vallow was carry out a special spiritual mission.
months, but their bodies were even- looking at gemstones online simi- Charles Vallow confronted Lori
tually found buried in the yard out- lar to the ones that would later be in Those who questioned the beliefs Vallow in a text message, and then
side Chad Daybell’s eastern Idaho their wedding rings. were pushed out of the group, inves- reached out to Tammy Daybell to
home. tigators said. let her know that their spouses were
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow com- cheating.
And Lori Daybell is also charged in municated with each other using The Daybells used a special scoring
Arizona with conspiring to kill her code names or pet names like Lili, system to determine whether people The investigators didn’t determine if
former estranged husband, Charles Bubby, Raphael and sometimes es- were good or evil, Gibbs said. Each Tammy Daybell ever read the email
Vallow, with the help of her now- chewed standard text messaging, in- person was assigned a number to in- from Vallow or deleted it without
deceased brother, Alex Cox. It was stead using “burner” phones or mes- dicate how many times they had lived reading. Eleven days after he sent the
Charles Vallow’s death on July 11, saging systems inside of a popular before, as well as a “light” or “dark” email, he was shot to death by Cox.
2019 that launched the Chandler Po- karaoke phone application, according rating to indicate if they had made a
lice Department investigation. More to computer and phone files found by contract with God or Satan. People Cox died in December of 2019 after
than 50 files from the investigation, investigators. were also given “vibration” scores and collapsing in his home. Medical ex-
including hundreds of pages of police trustworthiness ratings, and those aminers later determined he died of
reports and dozens of video and au- As their relationship grewso did their with high-enough “vibrations” were blood clots in his lungs.

Biden to restore 3 national monuments cut by Trump

(AP) — President Joe Biden is restoring two day night ahead of a White House ceremony Friday The White House said in a statement that Biden
sprawling national monuments in Utah, afternoon. was “fulfilling a key promise” to restore the monu-
reversing a decision by President Donald ments to their full size and “upholding the long-
Trump that opened for mining and develop- The monuments cover vast expanses of southern standing principle that America’s national parks,
ment some red-rock lands sacred to Native Utah where red rocks reveal petroglyphs and cliff monuments and other protected areas are to be
Americans and home to ancient cliff dwell- dwellings and distinctive buttes bulge from a grassy protected for all time and for all people.”
ings and petroglyphs. valley. Trump invoked the century-old Antiquities
Act to cut 2 million acres (800,000 hectares) from
The Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante the two monuments, calling restrictions on mining
monuments encompass more than 3.2 million and other energy production a “massive land grab”
acres — an area nearly the size of Connecticut — that “should never have happened.”
and were created by Democratic administrations
under a century-old law that allows presidents to His actions slashed Bears Ears, on lands considered
protect sites considered historic, geographically or sacred to Native American tribes, by 85%, to just
culturally important. over 200,000 acres (80,900 hectares). Grand Stair-
case-Escalante was cut by nearly half, leaving it at
The White House announced the changes Thurs- about 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).