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Police call on parents to come forward in ongoing missing Rexburg children case

Police call on parents to come forward in ongoing missing Rexburg children case

(Rexburg Police Department)


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REXBURG, Idaho — Police released a statement on Monday publicly calling Lori Vallow Daybell to come forward with information on her missing children, Joshua “J.J.” Vallow, age 7, and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan, who were reported missing on Nov. 26.

Rexburg police said they have reason to believe that Joshua’s adoptive mother and Tylee’s biological mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, has information on where the two are, or what happened to them.

But Daybell “has completely refused to assist this investigation,” police reiterated in Monday’s release.

The top priority for police is finding the missing children, whose lives are believed to be in danger. Charges have not been filed in the case, which police explained Monday was due to the priority on locating the children as well as evidence available.

“If we find that harm was done to these children within our jurisdiction, we will prosecute whoever caused that harm,” the release stated.

Police know the children are not with their mother or her new husband Chad Daybell.

Chad Daybell’s late wife, Tammy Daybell, was found dead in her Fremont County home on Oct. 19, according to an earlier release from Rexburg police. Her cause of death was initially believed to be from natural causes, but authorities later said her death was suspicious and her remains were exhumed on Dec. 11.

Shortly after her death, Chad Daybell told witnesses that Lori Daybell’s daughter had died one year before the death of her father, which police said is untrue. He also told another witness that Vallow had no minor children, according to police.

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Police believe Lori and Chad Daybell were married sometime after Tammy Daybell’s death.

While the children were reported missing in November, they were last seen on Sept. 23.

"It is astonishing that rather than work with law enforcement to help us locate her own children, Lori Vallow has chosen instead to leave the state with her new husband," police said in Monday's release.

Joshua has brown hair and brown eyes, is 4 feet tall and weighs 50 pounds. Tylee has blond hair and blue eyes, is 5 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds.

Lori Vallow Daybell is 46 years old, and has blond hair and blue eyes. She weighs 125 pounds and is 5 feet, 6 inches tall. Chad Daybell is 51 years old, has brown hair and blue eyes. He weighs 230 pounds and is 6 feet, 3 inches tall.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the children is asked to contact the Rexburg Police Department, at (208) 359-3000, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), at (800) THE-LOST.

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Lauren Bennett is a reporter with KSL.com who covers Utah’s religious community and the growing tech sector in the Beehive State.

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