Son of woman missing along with new husband, children speaks amidst ongoing search
PHOENIX - The oldest son of a woman who went missing along with her new husband and two of her children are speaking out for the first time, as authorities in Idaho are signalling a sense of urgency.
Seven-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan have not been seen since September. On November 26, police in Idado did a welfare check on the family, and at the time, Lori Vallow said JJ was staying with a family friend in Arizona, and there were no signs of anything unusual.
Joshua Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, are being sought by police in Rexberg, Idaho. (Photo credit: Rexberg Police Department)
On the next day, however, investigators came back with a search warrant, and Vallow, along with her new husband, Chad Daybell, were gone.
"I love my family more than anything. I love Tylee. I love JJ," said 23-year-old Colby Ryan, in a video posted to YouTube. "I don't think people understand that a lot of stuff has been going on for us personally this year and then with my family. So obviously, things really got out of hand, and things started happening more a couple months ago."
Daybell's path to marrying Vallow began after his with of three decades, Tammy Daybell, suddenly died in October.
"There were a number of issues that just didn't look right," said Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries.
That led authorities in Fremont County, Idaho to exhume Tammy's body. It is clear that locals in Rexburg haven't made any sense of what's happened.
The Rexburg Police Department asked for the public’s help in locating Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow wanted for questioning in connection with the disappearance of Vallow’s children. (Photo credit: Rexberg Police Department)
"Most of them are quite shocked. Thought very highly of them. They're concerned. Quite a sense of disbelief that something like this could have happened," said Humphries.
Meanwhile, an attorney by the name of Sean Bartholick, who claims to represent the couple, issued a statement on the incident.
"Chad Daybell was a loving husband and has the support of his children in this matter. Lori Daybell is a devoted mother and resents assertions to the contrary. We look forward to addressing the allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor," read the statement.