Who is Charles Vallow?
Apr 3, 2023, 9:00 AM | Updated: Apr 1, 2024, 12:00 pm
Charles Vallow is the late husband of Lori Vallow Daybell. He was killed by her brother, Alex Cox, after the two fought in Arizona.
According to marriage records, Charles Vallow was Vallow Daybell’s fourth husband; the two married in 2006. In his brief obituary, he is called a loving father to sons Cole, Zach and Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow. It also said he was a fan of Austin music, University of Texas football and Austin’s outdoor activities.
Vallow Daybell brought in her son Colby and daughter Tylee from previous marriages into the relationship. In 2014, the couple adopted Joshua “JJ” Vallow, the biological grandson of Charles Vallow’s sister, Kay Vallow Woodcock.
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In 2014, Charles and Lori Vallow moved to the Hawaiian island of Kauai and started a small business there. The family moved back to the mainland sometime between 2016 and 2017 and lived in Arizona in 2018.
During this time, it’s believed Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow met up at a religious conference in St. George, Utah. They begin to appear on several “end of the world” styled podcasts, including “Time to Warrior Up.” Police said the two began talking about religious beliefs to justify killing Tammy Daybell, JJ and Tylee.
On Jan. 31. 2019, Arizona police body camera footage shows Charles Vallow pleading to officers for Lori Vallow to receive mental health help at Community Bridges. However, she was medically cleared and released.
According to court documents, Charles Vallow filed for divorce in February 2019. He claimed that his wife viewed herself as a god and she would kill him if he ever got in her way of preparing for the second coming of Christ.
During the divorce, Charles Vallow removed his wife from his $1 million life insurance policy and named Kay Woodcock as the sole beneficiary. Sometime later, the divorce proceedings stopped as Charles Vallow said he wanted to make the marriage work.
According to family members, his wife went to Hawaii for nearly two months, leaving their children with others.
On July 11, 2019, Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow, who died at age 62. Cox claimed self-defense in the shooting and he was not charged.
Soon after Charles Vallow’s death, police said Chad Daybell sent multiple texts to the recent widow to further their relationship. Chad Daybell was still married to Tammy Daybell.
In December 2019, Cox died of natural causes. In June 2020, an Arizona grand jury indicted Vallow Daybell for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Charles Vallow’s death.
A Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokeswoman said Vallow Daybell’s case in Idaho will run its course before she faces the charge in Arizona.
Vallow Daybell is on trial for the murder of her children JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. She was also charged and on trial for conspiracy to commit murder for her current husband’s late wife, Tammy Daybell. She faces the same conspiracy charges for her daughter Tylee and adopted son JJ.
Larry D. Curtis contributed to this report.
