Arizona Police Say They Plan To File Charges Against Lori Vallow

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Officials with the Chandler Police Department said they plan to file additional charges against Lori Vallow in connection to the death of her former husband, Charles Vallow.

Sgt. Jason McClimans told KSL detectives would likely file a conspiracy to commit murder charge against Lori Vallow, who is currently in custody in Idaho.

“I can confirm the charges — if and when they go over to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office — one will be conspiracy to commit murder,” McClimans said. “Other charges, if any, are unknown at this time.”

Arizona detectives were still going through 100,000 pieces of digital evidence and McClimans said they still have outstanding subpoenas and search warrants in the case.

He estimated any charges would be filed near the end of the year or in early 2021, but they “are in no rush at this time.”

@ChandlerPolice confirms detectives plan on filing charges against #LoriVallow in death of #CharlesVallow – in next 4-6 mos. They say charges will likely be Conspiracy to Commit Murder because Lori was not the shooter. Charles was shot by #AlexCox last July in Arizona. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/M6OLZckQib

— Garna Mejia KSL (@GarnaMejiaKSL) August 6, 2020

Vallow’s husband was shot and killed by her brother, Alex Cox, in July 2019. Cox said he fired in self-defense.

McClimans said police would opt for a conspiracy to commit murder charge over other charges because Vallow did not pull the trigger herself.

Body camera video released by Arizona police showed Charles Vallow warning officers about his wife’s strange behavior months before he died and 7-year-old JJ Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan went missing.

On Jan. 31, Charles Vallow called 911 requesting an emergency mental health petition for his wife. 

In the video, Charles told officers he had just returned to Arizona from a business trip and claimed Lori Vallow took his truck from the airport, emptied their bank account, locked him out of their house and stopped answering his calls.

He also told police she said she didn’t want anything to do with the children and he was afraid she would flee with Ryan and JJ Vallow because she had threatened to destroy him.

“She has lost her mind, I don’t know how else to say it,” he told officers. “She thinks she’s a resurrected being and a god. She threatened to murder me, kill me.”

Charles Vallow filed for divorce a few days after and died after a confrontation a few months later. Cox died on Dec. 12 in Gilbert, Arizona. Authorities said autopsy results show he died of natural causes.

Cox was also mentioned extensively by police in a probable cause statement providing new details into the investigation and disappearance of JJ Vallow and Ryan.

Their remains were found on Chad Daybell’s property on June 9, and Daybell was taken into custody.

An Idaho judge bound over Daybell’s case on Tuesday, meaning probable cause was established during his preliminary hearing. He is scheduled to appear before a district court judge in Idaho on Aug. 21 at 9 a.m.

At that hearing, Daybell may enter into a plea. If he does not or pleads not guilty, the judge will set the case for trial.

Lori Vallow has waived her preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11. She is expected to enter a plea deal in front of a district court judge.

#Breaking: #LoriVallow waives her preliminary hearing scheduled for next Monday Aug 10-11. She is now expected in District Court to enter a plea. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/SHuxfMpkTP

— Garna Mejia (@GarnaMejiaKSL) August 6, 2020

See KSL TV’s full coverage of the case here.