Cult mother Lori Vallow had her missing daughter's cell phone when police tracked her down in Hawaii and her friends say a text which came from it AFTER she vanished do not sound like her

  • Lori Vallow was found last month in Hawaii with her new husband Chad Daybell
  • The pair had been hiding out since the disappearance of her children in September
  • JJ, seven, and Tylee, 17, have not been seen or heard from for five months
  • A storage facility in Idaho which Lori was filmed at on surveillance footage is filled with their belongings 
  • Lori had her 17-year-old daughter's phone when police found her
  • She has however refused to tell authorities where either of her children are 
  • Lori's brother died in mysterious circumstances in December after shooting dead her estranged husband, Charles Vallow 
  • Chad Daybell's previous wife also died mysteriously weeks before he married Lori
  • Friends say Lori and Chad are part of a religious cult; it has also emerged that Charles Vallow had a substantial life insurance policy

Lori Vallow, the Idaho mother who fled to Hawaii five months after her children disappeared in September and has failed to answer questions on where they are ever since, had her daughter's cell phone with her when police tracked her down last month. 

The teenager's friends also say a text message sent from it to them purporting to be from her does not sound like her.  

Vallow and her new husband Chad Daybell have ignored judge's orders to tell the authorities where her two children, seven-year-old JJ and 17-year-old Tylee, are since the kids disappeared in September. 

Family members have also pleaded with her to produce the children or tell them where they are. 

She has said nothing except to release a statement through her attorney saying she has done nothing wrong.  Her husband is a religious author who she had an obsession with before they got married, relatives say. 

On Monday, CBS News reported that when police tracked Daybell and Vallow down in January, she had Tylee's cell phone.  

The suspicious text from the phone read: 'hi. miss you guys too...luv ya'. 

Lori had her 17-year-old daughter Tylee's phone with her when she was found in January in Hawaii but there is still no sign of Tylee. Lori is with her husband, Chad Daybell, right
Chad Daybell, Lori's new husband

Lori (left) had her 17-year-old daughter Tylee's phone with her when she was found in January in Hawaii but there is still no sign of Tylee. Lori is with her husband, Chad Daybell, right

Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 17, were last seen in Idaho in September in Rexburg, Idaho and authorities are still searching for them

Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 17, were last seen in Idaho in September in Rexburg, Idaho and authorities are still searching for them 

The teenager's friends say it did not sound like her. 

Her older half-brother also received two Venmo payments, purportedly from Tylee, but he has not spoken to her or seen her.  

It is unclear whether police confiscated the device from Vallow. She has not been arrested despite her refusal to cooperate with the authorities. 

Before they went to Hawaii, Vallow was filmed on surveillance cameras removing a large unidentified item from a storage facility. 

She was accompanied by a man, believed to be her brother, in the video. It was filmed in October. 

Police have since searched the facility in Idaho and found items that belonged to JJ and Tylee in it. 

The items included a backpack with JJ's initials on it and sports equipment. 

Their disappearance followed the murder of their father by Lori's brother and the mysterious death of Chad Daybell's previous wife.

Lori Vallow and a man, thought to be her brother Alex Cox, visited a storage unit in Rexburg multiple times last October and November

Lori Vallow and a man, thought to be her brother Alex Cox, visited a storage unit in Rexburg multiple times last October and November

Lori's brother also died in December. 

Police continue to investigate the children's disappearance and, despite naming Lori a person of interest, are yet to bring charges against her. 

The complex web of death and mystery began in July last year when Lori's brother Alex Cox shot her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, dead in Lori's home in Arizona. 

He said he was intervening in a domestic dispute between them when Charles became 'enraged'.  

In September, Lori and the two kids moved to Rexburg, Idaho. 

J.J. and Tylee were last seen alive attending school in late September. 

In October, Tammy Daybell - Chad's wife - was found dead in her family home. He married Lori two weeks later. 

Chad is the author of latter day saints books and relatives of both he and Lori have referred to them being part of a 'cult' on social media.

In November, J.J.'s grandmother asked police to conduct a welfare check on him at his home in Idaho. 

When officers went to the house, Lori and Chad said he was with other family members.  

Alex Cox
Charles Vallow

Lori's brother Alex Cox (left) shot Charles Vallow (right) in July, killing him. Cox himself died in December from unknown causes 

The couple then fled the home before police returned to ask more questions.

It has since emerged they told people Tylee was dead and that Lori has no minor children.

Alex was found dead in December 15, and the cause of his death is unknown. 

He had not long married a woman in Las Vegas. 

Police issued a statement later to say they believed Tylee and J.J., whose birth name is Joshua, were in grave danger. 

Chad's wife Tammy Daybell also died in mysterious circumstances, two weeks before he married Lori in October

Chad's wife Tammy Daybell also died in mysterious circumstances, two weeks before he married Lori in October 

They said they believed Lori and Chad knew where the children were, and implored them to help with their investigation. 

Lori and Chad issued a statement afterwards saying they had done nothing wrong.

Chad is the author of latter day saints books and relatives of both he and Lori have referred to them being part of a 'cult' on social media.

In November, J.J.'s grandmother asked police to conduct a welfare check on him at his home in Idaho. 

When officers went to the house, Lori and Chad said he was with other family members.  

The couple then fled the home before police returned to ask more questions.

It has since emerged they told people Tylee was dead and that Lori has no minor children.

Alex was found dead in December 15, and the cause of his death is unknown. 

He had not long married a woman in Las Vegas. 

Police issued a statement later to say they believed Tylee and J.J., whose birth name is Joshua, were in grave danger. 

They said they believed Lori and Chad knew where the children were, and implored them to help with their investigation. 

Lori and Chad issued a statement afterwards saying they had done nothing wrong.     

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