Grandparents hope Lori Vallow Daybell arrest will lead to information on missing children

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) -The grandparents who, last November, asked police in Idaho to do a welfare check on their grandson are elated and relieved that Lori Vallow is in custody. And it doesn’t appear she’ll get out soon.

Lori Vallow Daybell is the mother of 7-year-old J.J. Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan. Her two children have been missing for months and many people were upset she had not been arrested—since she refused to say where the children are, never reported them missing and has not cooperated with police trying to find the children. But now, she has been arrested in Hawaii and faces a hearing to determine if she will voluntarily go to Idaho to face charges or fight it.

Grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock have traveled extensively over recent weeks to help find the children. They attend court hearings, meet with police and have been guests on various national programs, putting the children in the national spotlight.

They had just arrived home, in Lake Charles, when they heard Lori had been arrested.

She faces a variety of charges including two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children.

Her son J.J. Vallow and daughter Tylee Ryan were last seen in September.

The Woodcocks hope Lori’s arrest will start the process of getting answers.

“Because Chad (Daybell) is not in custody, we hope that he will be talking, and Lori will be talking. She’s got nowhere to go. She can’t go anywhere. We hear that she’s not going to be bailed out because 10% of $5 million is a half million dollars and I don’t know anybody that’s got a half million dollars to get her out and that just goes away because that’s what you, for the bail bondsman,” said Kay.

They are waiting for word on whether Lori will voluntarily go to Idaho to face charges or...

“I can truly see Lori fighting it, because she is not going to go down easy because even in this situation, she is defiant and by the look on her mugshot last night she is angry. And she’s angry at herself is all I can say, because she’s the one that got herself into this mess,” said Kay.

Larry hopes, now that Chad is not constantly with Lori, he can be reasoned with to tell what he knows about the children.

“I don’t think he’s had time to think about anything else but Lori. And I think she has filled him with so much crap. He hasn’t had time to be alone. I don’t know if he has even had time to look back and say what have I got myself into? I’ve got a family, I lost a wife of 29 years, I’ve got children, I’ve got grandchildren. What am I going to say to them? I know at one time Chad had to be a good man,” said Larry.

At this point, the Woodcocks say they remain focused not on Lori Vallow but the children.

“Our hope is every morning and our hope is every night, when we get up, go to bed, God, plead us, let us find those kids,” he said.

He says they need and deserve to again be in a secure, loving environment.

Lori Vallow Daybell was in court this afternoon where the judge decided to keep her bail at $5 million. Another hearing is set for March 2.

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