Lori Vallow murder trial day 24: Ex-FBI special agent reveals text exchanges in testimony
BOISE, Idaho - A former special agent with the FBI was back on the stand Monday in the murder trial of Lori Vallow, the so-called "Doomsday mom" accused of killing her two children.
Doug Hart began his testimony on May 5, detailing text messages to Chad Daybell from Lori's iCloud account.
Lori Vallow is accused of killing her two children, J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan. She is also accused of conspiring to kill her husband's wife of nearly 30 years, Tammy Daybell.
Since Friday, he’s been going over a 160-page summary of his investigation into Lori. Specifically, iCloud data regarding her two kids who were missing from September 2019 until June 2020.
The jury heard dozens of texts between Lori and Chad Daybell, her husband and alleged co-conspirator.
Her and Chad's texts mainly discussed life insurance money in connection to the deaths of their spouses and planning their new life. Hart testified that records showed Lori and Chad attended the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints temple in Gilbert as early as November 2018.
This was several months before Lori's fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot and killed and nearly a year before Chad's wife Tammy died.
The term "death percentage" was a topic in the text messages – Lori would ask Chad about percentages for her kids and Tammy.
Hart said the closer the number was to zero or a hundred, the closer the person mentioned was to death.
In a text from Lori to Chad, she asked, "Do you think there is a perfectly orchestrated plan to take the children? And we just have to wait for it to be carried out? What should I be doing?"
After Sept. 8, 2019, Hart says there was no evidence of Tylee on Lori's iCloud, and after Sept. 23 that year, also no evidence of JJ.
Questions remain on who will Lori's defense call to the stand, and will she testify?
More texts revealed
Hart read texts from Lori to Chad, saying, "It’s making me so happy to read about our life that I’m finally going to dance. Missing you and loving you from afar, and, "It was great. I feel free again and can’t wait to be with you forever and ever."
Chad to Lori: "Yes, we might need to release a little steam when we talk. Anyway, this is the chart that checks what percentage mortals are still in their body. It worked for my friend’s wife who died, my neighbor, George Bush, Stan Lee, etc. I kind of forgot about it because we’ve been dealing with zombies and demonic entities, but this afternoon Tammy said she felt lightheaded as if her body and spirit weren’t connected."
Lori to Chad: "I feel lost like I should be doing something to help."
Chad to Lori: "There is a plan being orchestrated for the children. I was shown last night how it fit together, but it has been taken from my mind of course."
Audio from May 8's testimony:
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Murder, Money and the End of Days: The Lori Vallow story
Murder, Money & the End of Days. Why investigators believe religion, greed and an affair led an all-American mom on a trail of death. This is the Lori Vallow story. FOX 10’s Justin Lum walks us through the crucial timeline on the eve of Vallow’s trial.
For all previous and extensive coverage on this case, visit https://fox10phoenix.com/vallow + watch the in-depth special here.