Body camera shows aftermath of 2019 shooting that killed Charles Vallow
(Warning: This story contains subject matter or content that some may find disturbing. Discretion is advised.)
CHANDLER, Ariz. - On Monday, FOX 10 has obtained Chandler Police body camera video from the July 2019 shooting that killed Charles Vallow, the former husband of Lori Vallow.
Lori's children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, have not been seen since September in Rexburg, Idaho. Their disappearances have uncovered a complicated sequence of events related to Lori and Chad Daybell.
According to the AP, Chad and Lori are named as persons of interest because they never reported the kids missing, have repeatedly lied about where their children are — initially saying the boy with special needs was in Arizona — and aren’t cooperating with the investigation.
RELATED: Interactive timeline of the disappearance
The video shows officers making contact with Lori's brother, Alex Cox.
According to Chandler Police at the time, Cox shot Charles in "Self-defense" after being hit with a baseball bat. Cox told investigators that it didn’t occur to him to remain in the room and call police. Cox reported the shooting to 911.
"I got in a fight with my brother-in-law. and I shot him in self-defense," said Cox, in a 911 call obtained by FOX 10.
According to police records, Cox performed CPR on Vallow, and answered questions from investigators.
"What happened today? How did it get to this?" a police officer asked, in the video.
"I don't know. He was enraged," Cox replied.
In a police video, Cox told investigators that the two children and their mother had left the house shortly before the shooting occurred.
"It was over my sister. He was getting physical with her, so my niece came out with her bat and he took the bat away with her," Cox said.
"Wait a minute. I thought you said your niece left?" the officer asked.
"She did. this was before," Cox replied.
Moments later, Cox said he grabbed Charles from behind, and they fell to the ground. When Cox gets back up, he explains how he gets hit in the back on the head.
"I turned around and he hit me in the back of the head with the bat, so I went to my room and got my gun, 'cause I always carry it," Cox said.
Cox told officers he warned Charles to drop the bat before shooting him twice in the chest. Bodycam footage shows the investigation inside the home, as police find Charles' body on the ground
Lori returned to the scene in Charles' rental car and met with police. However, Chandler Police officials redacted the audio of the officer's interaction.
The report, however, said moments before the shooting, Lori heard the gunshot and walked from the kitchen to the living room to find Charles' body. Then she checks on the kids in the car. She almost went back inside before ultimately driving off.
Moments later, her brother called 911.
Four months before his death, Vallow filed for divorce from his wife, alleging that she had become infatuated with near-death experiences and claimed to have lived numerous lives on other planets before her current life.
He also alleged his estranged wife threatened to financially ruin and kill him, according to court records, which noted that Vallow sought an order of protection and a voluntary evaluation of his wife at a mental health facility.
Cox wasn’t arrested as a result of the shooting. He died in December of unknown causes. Gilbert police spokeswoman Brenda Carrasco said Cox’s death remains under investigation. Autopsy reports haven’t yet been publicly released.
Since Charles' death, Lori moved to Rexburg, Idaho, with the kids and married Chad Daybell, an author of several religious-themed fiction books about prophecies and the end of the world.
Two months after Lori Vallow moved to Idaho, Daybell’s then-wife, Tammy Daybell, died at her home. She was 49, and her obituary said she died of natural causes on Oct. 19. Police would later question that and have her body exhumed for an autopsy. Results haven’t been released.
Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow just two weeks after Tammy’s death.
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.