Law&Crime Sidebar - 7 Shocking Moments from Testimony of Lori Vallow Daybell’s Sister

Episode Date: April 26, 2023

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keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. You are dancing on a beach with a smile on your face. Take the brain photo. Lori Vallow Daybell talking to her sister on a recorded jail call. Summer Shifflet calling out her sister's behavior after the disappearance of her children, J.J. Valo, and Tiley Ryan. It's one of seven key moments from Summer Shifflet's testimony. I'm Anjanette Levy and welcome to Law and Crime's Sidebar podcast. Week three of the trial of Lori Valo-Daybell is well underway in Idaho. And on Tuesday, a major witness for the prosecution

took the stand, Summer Shiflet, the sister of Lori Valladaybel. And she provided some damning testimony that came in the form of conversations she had with her sister. Now, just a quick recap of how we got here. Lori Vallow Daybell is on trial in Idaho for the murders of her seven-year-old adopted son, J.J. Valo, and her daughter, 16-year-old Tiley Ryan. Their remains were found on the property of her husband, self-proclaimed Mormon prophet Chad Daybell in June of 2020. Lori is also accused of conspiring to murder Chad's late wife, Tammy Daybell.

Chad will be tried at a later date for the crimes. Now, back to the testimony of Summer Shifflet. Lori's sister took the stand and gave incredibly emotional testimony. Summer couldn't hold back tears as she recalled the changes she saw in her sister. Summer testified that she played an active role in both JJ and Tiley's lives. She was their aunt, after all. She said she didn't find out the children were missing until December of 2019. That's a little more than two months after they disappeared.

Summer was not in contact with Lori and didn't know where she was. Listen to Summer, tell the jury what Lori told her when she got in touch with her. And what did she tell you about JJ and Tiley? I don't remember the exact wording, but she basically told me that she was aware of where they were and that they were safe. Ms. Schifflett, fair to say that you trusted what she told you? Yes. You believe your sister when she stated to you that JJ and Tiley were safe? Yes.

Prosecutor Mark Rammel went on to ask Summer about a phone call that she had with her sister in June of 2020 after Tiley and JJ's remains were found on Chad Daybell's property. The jury actually got to hear that recorded conversation. I'm going to draw your attention to early June of 2020. when JJ and Tiley's bodies were found. You testified that you trusted your sister. After the discovery of J.J. and Tiley, did that change?

Yes. Why? I felt lied to, and my trust in my sister was broken. How are you? Not good. How are you? I don't know what to say? Why are you listening if you want to talk to me? I just don't know what to say.

I don't know what. like anybody you know, and I'm not a solution for two it's not like a point and so

I'm going to get up to hang with all we know that they don't know that they know in offense

in a day and did be married of just backyard and we don't understand how the

house there's what and say and you They're going to tell us. The conversation heats up between the two sisters.

Summer begins to scream at Lori for what has happened. And as the call goes on, Lori tries to play the victim and explains the pain that she has gone through. Summer then calls out Lori for posing on the beach for wedding photos when her kids were nowhere to be found. If you let that happen to them and didn't tell us if the being in the ground like a piece of trash

that I don't know you because you would never know anything like that's correct and if you knew it didn't tell us that's no thank you we lost them we want to take it that we would actually take care of them you could have gone up and done anything you wanted that's what you think I don't know what you think. You haven't told us anything. We believe you. We stood up for you. I can't hear nothing.

I would love to. You caught me and mom for four months and told everyone not to trust us because we tell Adam. And now we find that down and you expect me to just keep going on face when there's been zero explanation and you expect me to just keep leaving without ever having a question. I don't say that. That's what you're saying. Either explain it or don't expect me to not be upset. Don't you when the kids are on a trap's property? I'm not okay.

I love that with all I'm going to take an entire situation. It'll hurt me and everybody else would too. You know that. You don't think that's going to cause pain from our entire family? You don't think you're a great family. That's cigarette. You don't think I would say? No, I don't.

I think you were dancing on the beach having a great time. Getting married. And you took pictures and don't deserve marriage. You don't need to get wedding pictures? You don't think that's a same? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Then nobody knows, except for you and the Lord.

I have. And guess what? I don't have one scripture that says it's okay for children to be thrown away my garbage in the ground. And if that's okay, there is nothing in the scriptures that is godly about hurting to be child. nothing. And they deserve a proper burial with family that lost them in the least. Listening to this conversation is heartbreaking. It's absolutely gut-wrenching.

You hear the desperation, the hurt, the anger in Summer's voice. Many people in the courtroom were reportedly crying as the call played. You may have noticed that Lori said, quote, nobody knows after Summer called her out for taking those wedding pictures while her children were in the ground. Was that Lori admitting to killing the kids? That's obviously a question that the jury is going to have to answer. Toward the end of the call, Summer tells Lori that she loves her and that she has been deceived by Chad. And ultimately, she's heartbroken about how Lori treated both JJ and Tiley. You are dancing on a beach with a smile on your face.

Taking away photos. Trying to go on with life. You don't see. I'm trying to find some kind of happiness. You want to be alone? Do you think that your mother and your sister and your son don't deserve to know that the children are gone? I don't want to see you in them. I don't want you to be there.

I don't want people to misunderstand. If you would tell me the truth, I would stand up for you. for the rest of time. I know that I would. I love you so much. And there is nothing okay about this. Nothing. If you think it's okay,

and you know, you have to do it. It's okay. This is okay. Nothing about this is okay, summer. Lori, we have all registered. I know you've told me about a lot of your stories. spiritual experience. You know I'm trying to support you and all of them, but I am telling you

because I love you with all my heart. Please consider that Chad has lied and been deceived and that you have been deceived and that this is not what you think it is. There is nothing okay about killing children. Nothing. And even if you didn't kill them and Dad didn't kill them and Alex didn't kill them, and Alex didn't kill them. If you threw them away like the dormant in the real future, trying to phone the birds. You guys, and that's you. I can't handle them. After her and I'm scared.

You know that's such a great how you don't think of them. I don't understand. It's so painful I can't even study. The defense cross-examined Summer Shifflet. Lori's defense attorney, Jim Archibald, starts off by asking Summer about their childhood. He goes on to ask her about Tiley and about how Lori interacted with the kids. Do you recall when Lori separated from Joe Ryan? Yes. And did Lori protect Colby and Tiley from Joe Ryan? Yes. And so when you talk on this on this phone call with your sister Lori,

that you would have never done anything to harm your children. Is that the way you felt? Yes. Yeah. And that's because of seeing her raise Colby and Tiley and J.J. Yes. And were you able to see Tiley and Lori together? Yes.

And can you describe that? I think Lori was a loving mother and Tiley adored her mother. They had a, they fought sometimes, Tiley had a little sassy streak in her, but I always felt like Lori was very patient with her. Were you ever concerned about the safety of Tiley around Lori? No. wanting to kill her kids? No. Would you ever imagine your sister being involved in conspiring to kill her kids?

No. Jim Archibald is clearly trying to paint a picture of Lori through Summer's testimony that Summer trusted her and believed that she was a good mom and didn't think that she would ever hurt JJ and Tiley. Archibald then questioned Summer about Lori telling her, in 2018 about her previous lives and the ability to cast out evil spirits. Did you ever hear your sister talk about multiple lives? She's, she, she and Alex had both mentioned that to me, I think, in late 2018. Okay.

Was that something new? Yes. Was that something that you had been taught as children? No. Did you ask Lori where this new belief was coming from? I don't know if I asked her that directly. Did she talk about multiple creations? Yes.

Being reincarnated as different people over the eons of death. time. Is that what she was telling you? Not with the word reincarnated, but yes. Okay. So they weren't using the word reincarnated, but multiple probations, multiple creations. Correct. And is that something new that you had heard? It was new to me. Had you ever heard Lori talk about being someone in another life prior to late 2018? No. At this time in late 2018 or early 2019, did she tell you that she had been someone else in another life?

Prior to 2018? Prior to 2018? No. In late 2018 or 2019, did she tell you that? Yes. Did she tell you about her previous lives? Yes. Did any of that make sense?

you? Not really. Did you believe it? I tried to. I wanted to believe her, but it didn't make sense. Did she tell you in late 2018, 2019 about zombies? I don't recall her ever telling me about zombies, that word. I don't remember her ever using that terminology. Okay. Did she talk to you about her ability to cast out evil spirits? I believe so. Did she tell you about light and dark scales? Yes. And is that something that you had heard before that time period?

Never. Did she tell you that she was a goddess? I don't recall if she used that terminology. Did she tell you that she was a leader of the 144,000? No. Did she tell you that there was a new church called the Church of the Firstborn? I don't recall her ever telling me that specifically. Okay.

Were you concerned about your sister with her new beliefs? I don't know that I was concerned about safety of anybody. I just was concerned. I mean, of course I care about my sister, but I didn't really know what to think about it. Summer obviously wanted to believe her sister, but she was confused, and she never believed that her sister's newfound religious beliefs would lead to the deaths of both JJ and Tiley. Archibald finally asked Summer about their brother, Alex Cox. You'll recall that Alex Cox is the person who shot and killed Lori's fourth husband, Charles Valo, back in July of 2019. Cox claimed self-defense and wasn't charged with Charles Valo's death. There's been

speculation that Alex Cox was basically Lori's hitman and that he killed both JJ and Tiley. Listen to Summer describe what her brother was like. How was your relationship with Alex? I was close with Alex. Now, can you tell the jury what he was like? Well, he was my big brother, and sometimes he was hilarious and fun, and sometimes he was kind of crude or obnoxious in a way, but most of the time we got along really well, and he was at my house most weekends playing games with my kids. And did he have children of his own? No.

Did he suffer a brain injury as a teenager? Yes. Was that from a car accident? Yes. And did that brain injury in that car accident? Did that affect him? I believe it did. Was he different after that car accident than he was before?

He seemed almost stuck in making, like, teenage decisions. He got in his car accident at 16, and he kind of made decisions like a 16-year-old most of his life. So he was, that's what you observed is that he was stuck as a teenager. In his decision-making, yes. It seems like the defense may be trying to roll Alex Cox under the bus and cast him as the real killer of both JJ and Tiley. You'll recall that Alex Cox, before he died,

was really beginning to wonder whether or not Lori and Chad had set him up, as some type of fall guy for the things that they had allegedly done. We know that Alex Cox suffered that brain injury and that he was easily manipulated and persuaded to do things by both Lori and Chad. So it's clearly a possibility. We also know that Alex Cox believed in these teachings from Chad Daybell. Listening to Summer Shifflett's testimony, you can really hear the pain in her voice and you can tell that it was really difficult for her to testify. against her sister, but you can tell also that she felt an obligation to do so for JJ and Tiley. Right now, things are not looking good for Lori Velo-Daybell and we'll continue to follow the case as it moves forward.

I'm Ann Jeanette Levy and thanks for joining us for this latest edition of Law and Crime's Sidebar podcast. You can download and listen to Sidebar on Apple, Spotify, Google, and wherever else you get your podcasts. And of course, you can always watch it on Law and Crimes YouTube channel. Again, I'm Ann Jeanette Levy, and we will see you next time. You can binge all episodes of this long crime series ad-free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.