Lori Daybell case: Medical examiner rules Charles Vallow's death a homicide
PHOENIX — A newly released autopsy report revealed that Charles Vallow died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the death as a homicide. The report is the latest in the Arizona-based case that has captured national attention.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office released the autopsy on Sept. 30, which revealed that 62-year-old Vallow had sustained several gunshot wounds to the chest and stomach.
The examiner also found multiple bruises on the right side of Vallow's chest, as well as abrasions on the left arm, right hand and knees.
The toxicology report yielded negative results for any drugs in Vallow's system.
Vallow was the ex-husband of Lori Vallow Daybell, who along with her husband, Chad Daybell, face multiple charges in Idaho and Arizona, including first-degree murder and conspiracy in a string of deaths in addition to Charles Vallow's.
The charges are in connection to the deaths of her two children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as Chad's first wife, Tammy Daybell.
Lori Daybell's two children were found dead in Chad Daybell's backyard in Idaho in 2020.
Friends and family of both Lori and Chad said the pair held "cult-like" religious beliefs and often talked about the end of the world.
Earlier this month, an Idaho judge determined Lori Daybell was still unfit to stand trial and ordered her to remain in a state mental hospital for at least 180 more days.
Lori Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, is accused of shooting and killing Vallow after an argument at Chad Daybell's home in Chandler, Arizona, on July 11, 2019. Police said Charles Vallow, a Texas resident, had been visiting Lori Daybell at her home to pick up his son when the two began to argue.
Cox, who was in the home at the time, told police he intervened, fearing the fight would become physical. He also told police he shot Vallow out of self-defense after he hit Cox on the head with a baseball bat.
Police took Cox and Lori Daybell in for questioning but later released them. No criminal charges were filed at the time.
Lori Daybell is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of Charles Vallow. Cox, who claimed it was self-defense, later died of what police said were natural causes.
Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to all the Idaho charges. He doesn't face charges in Arizona.
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