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Lori Vallow Trial day 11: updates from daily testimony

Week two of testimony in the murder trial started Tuesday.

ADA COUNTY, Idaho — Week two of testimony in the Lori Vallow, or Lori Vallow Daybell trial, began Tuesday morning. The day began with testimony from Vallow's son Colby Ryan, and ended with testimony about Vallow's financial records from Rexburg Police Det. Chuck Kunsaitis.

Cameras are not allowed in the courtroom, but KTVB investigative and courts reporter Alexandra Duggan was there:

Live Updates

3:25 p.m.: Jury saw the list of credit cards Chad Daybell had and what things his finances were tied to, like a book publisher. He shared an account with his wife, Tammy Daybell. We are ending for the day.

3:15 p.m.: Alex Cox purchased 40+ weapons based on his account. We are now looking at an outline of Chad Daybell's finances.

2:49 p.m.: We are now looking at Alex Cox's financials. Lori Vallow ended up on this account later. There was a plane ticket purchased on this account for Chad Daybell in March 2019, before Charles Vallow was killed and while Chad Daybell was still married to Tammy Daybell.

2:47 p.m.: Lori Vallow made a payment to Valley of the Sun Mortuary. Remember, Chad Daybell called this mortuary pretending to be someone else and asking about prices for cremation.

2:40 p.m.: Money was coming in from Lori Vallow's account. It was immediately Venmoed out and went to Colby Ryan (Colby talked about this on the stand today). 29 deposits from Lori Vallow's account to Tylee Ryan's were made. Note: Venmo is tied to your own bank account, so yes, Tylee Ryan would have had to have money in her bank account to Venmo it.

2:38 p.m.: The officer says Tylee Ryan makes some purchases in Arizona. As they're moving to Rexburg, she makes some purchases on Sept. 1. The officer also says there were two purchases in person — one in late September and one in October, after Tylee Ryan is presumed dead.

1:54 p.m.: Sept. 20, 2019, after Tylee Ryan was last seen, records are showing that Lori was transferring money to her own account from Tylee's, meaning it could be possible Tylee Ryan was dead while her mother was allegedly moving money around. Tylee Ryan's bank account was empty nearly two months after she disappeared.

Bank accounts can actually show death benefits even with a transfer. Kusaitis said Lori Vallow called to have the benefits moved to her account in August 2019. On Sept. 18, there were two deposits into her account — Charles Vallow benefits and then JJ Vallow benefits.

1:19 p.m.: Rexburg Police Det. Chuck Kunsaitis is on the stand. 

He began assisting the search of Lori Vallow's apartment in Rexburg on Nov. 27, 2019. He found an invoice for a search warrant at a storage unit belonging to Lori Vallow, Kunsaitis said. They obtained a search warrant for that, along with a P.O box in Sugar City.

100+ pieces of mail were addressed to her, Alex Cox and Charles Vallow in that box. Kunsaitis said there was IRS mail and mail from the SSA.

"You can glean a lot of information from financial records," Kunsaitis said.

He is going over multiple bank accounts and financial records belonging to Lori Vallow. Lori Vallow's joint account with Charles Vallow slowly ran out of money, the records appear to show, until overdrafting.

Records also show money was transferred frequently from Tylee Ryan's account to Lori Vallow's account.

12:40 p.m.: State calls Mark Saari to the stand. He is a special agent who investigates crimes for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Saari was contacted by the FBI in Arizona to assist with the investigation into the missing children to see if there was any fraud being committed with their social security benefits.

JJ Vallow was receiving $1,950 per month due to Charles Vallow's death. Tylee Ryan was receiving $1,859 per month from her father's death, Saari said. These payments ceased when the whereabouts of the children were unknown.

Lori Vallow also received benefits for her husbands' deaths, but those payments stopped in January of 2020 because the police were investigating the children's disappearances and her alleged involvement.

The SSA requires anyone receiving benefits to report changes of residence, marriage, divorce, death or missing people. Lori Vallow did not report anything, Saari said.

11:55 a.m.: Colby Ryan leaves the stand, takes a glare at his mother and leaves.

The prosecution is now playing the audio recording from Colby Ryan to Lori Vallow in jail in August of 2020.

Ryan: "You think you can hide from me?"

Vallow: “I'm not hiding, why would you think I'm hiding?" 

Ryan: “Probably 'cause you murdered my siblings.” 

Vallow: “I didn't. I'm sorry you feel that way."

Judge brings Colby Ryan back to remain on the stand while the audio is played.

Vallow tells him in the call, "One day you will know what actually happened and we all will stand there with Jesus." 

"They think they know what happened. You weren't there," she says.

Vallow begins laughing in the phone call. Ryan reacts extremely upset. Audible gasps are heard in the courtroom.

“They were murdered, put in the ground and you walked away," Ryan says.
“That is not what happened," Vallow replies.

More back and forth from Ryan and his mother continue. He appears to sound angry and heartbroken. While the call is played, he is looking down, avoiding eye contact with his mother and wiping tears from his eyes.

"I pray every day, no matter how mad I am at you, no matter how bad I want to hit (Chad Daybell) in the face with a shovel, I pray for you, I pray for him," Ryan says.

He later tells her in the recording, "You ripped my heart out... I'm going to be in Idaho this week. You need to look me in my eye, mom. Look me in my eye." The call ends.

11:00 a.m.: Jim Archibald questions Colby Ryan about his life, having suicidal thoughts and dealing with depression. Ryan indicated that his mother had helped him through these issues as a teenager.

Archibald asks who taught Ryan that "God is good."

"Church and my mom," Ryan replies.

Archibald asked him if his mother ever taught him about casting, zombies and past lives. Ryan says no.

Prosecution is now on redirect. Ryan said he only learned his mother Lori Vallow moved to Rexburg when he saw it on the news, and only learned his siblings were missing when police contacted him.

10:10 a.m.: Colby Ryan tells the prosecution his mother told him Charles Vallow died of a heart attack rather than being shot by Alex Cox. "Her demeanor was calm" that day, he said.

Ryan also said the texts he was receiving from his sister Tylee's phone in mid to late September 2019 "were not the way Tylee would talk or text."

"She just told me she was moving somewhere cold and it was dangerous for her to tell anybody where she was going," he said.

9:52 a.m.: State calls Colby Ryan, Vallow's son, who has been loudly outspoken about his relationship with his mother. Rob Wood is on direct examination.

9:15 a.m.: Zulema Pastenes, the widow of Vallow's brother Alex Cox, is back on the stand for cross examination by Vallow's defense attorney, John Thomas. Pastenes says Daybell and Vallow pushed her to move to Rexburg. Thomas pushes, and asks if it was God telling her to move to Rexburg instead. Pastenes tries to tell him it was somewhat of both -- but Thomas cuts her off. "It is a yes or no question," he tells her.

Thomas submits exhibits to the jury for Pastenes to read, that depict her telling Daybell about conversations she's had with God.

“I believed Chad and Lori's intentions were evil," Pastenes said.

“In telling you they loved you… ?” Thomas replies.

“No… The result of all of this was evil," She tells him.

8:43 a.m.: One person has been removed from the courtroom based on their conduct, per a judge order.

RELATED: KTVB Inside the Courtroom: Lori Vallow trial first week of testimony

The jury has heard from multiple police officers from Idaho and Arizona, two friends of Vallow, listened to multiple phone calls and seen many autopsy, evidence and surveillance photos. 

Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, who are married, are both charged with the murders of Vallow's children, as well as the murder of Daybell's former wife, Tammy Daybell. The two are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder and grand theft in relation to the deaths. The opening statements in Vallow's trial began April 10.

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