FBI issues nationwide search for two children believed to be in extreme danger
Rexburg, IDAHO (WLOS) — The FBI has issued a nationwide search alert for two missing children from Idaho who might be in extreme danger.
The Rexburg Police Department, in Rexburg, Idaho, says the mother and stepfather of Joshua Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, are wanted for questioning in connection with their disappearance. The children have not been seen since September 2019.
The children’s mother, Lori Vallow, who may now be using the last name Daybell, and their stepfather, Chad Daybell, both went missing during a police investigation in November. At the time, the couple had told police that Joshua Vallow was staying with a family friend in Arizona. Authorities later learned that information was false.
The search for the children began in November when police attempted to do a welfare check on Vallow. Officials say the boy was adopted and has special needs. The family reported to the police that they hadn’t seen or spoken with him since September. It was during that investigation when authorities say Lori Vallow gave them false information about the boys' whereabouts.
Chad Daybell is under investigation after his former wife, Tammy Daybell, was found dead in their home in October. Initially thought to be a natural death, Tammy Daybell's remains have since been exhumed in Utah where she was buried. An autopsy is being conducted in December as authorities now investigate what may be suspicious circumstances behind the woman's death. Shortly after her death, Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow.
During the course of the death investigation, authorities learned the two Rexburg children were missing.
Lori Vallow's husband, Charles Vallow, died on July 11, 2019, in Chandler, AZ, when Lori's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed him in what he said was self-defense. Months later, Cox also died, but authorities have yet to provide any details surrounding his death.
Police are asking anyone with information about the children to call Rexburg police at 208-359-3000 or report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Lori Vallow is 46, is 5 feet 6 inches tall, and has blond hair and blue eyes. Daybell is 51, is 6 feet 3 inches tall, and has brown hair and blue eyes.
Joshua Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, have not been seen since September 2019. Vallow has brown hair and brown eyes and is 4 feet tall. He sometimes goes by the nickname JJ. Ryan has blond hair and blue eyes and is 5 feet tall.
