Sex, Money, Murder AND Zombies: Mormon Mysticism & the Doomsday Death Dealers
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Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65567072 https://www.npr.org/2023/07/31/1191058640/vallow-lori-daybell-sentence-murder-doomsday
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Zevon Odelberg is a true crime podcast host and disability advocate. Zevon has cerebral palsy and he wants Kinda Murdery to be welcoming community for people with disabilities and for people living with challenges of any kind. Life can be hard, but being together makes it better.
Warning, Kind of Murdery contains adult themes, explicit language, and descriptions of
violence. It is not suitable for anyone, and we recommend you stop listening.
Now true crime with a dash of the paranormal, the garish, the
strange in the darkly comic. I'm Zevan Odelberg, host of kind of Murdery,
a podcast that's about more than just murder. It's my very own pocket
dimension, home to a curated collection of bizarre and compelling stories, the unsolved,
the unsettling, and the unbelievable. I cover it all just so long
as it's kind of Murdery. That's the truth, folks, Just like it
says in the intro, I am Zevan Odelberg, and this is kind of
Murdery now. In our last new episode, I started out with just a
few brief musings on the month of November. I've got some thoughts rattling around
on this mostly empty skull of mine at the start of this episode two,
and I'm going to share them with you. Although in this case, unlike
last time, these musings are directly related to the story you are about to
hear, a story I'm calling sex, money, murder, and zombies,
Mormon mysticism, and the doomsday death dealers. Wow, that is a big
title, a long title, So let's get to my musings, huh.
I want to offer you a few thoughts on human nature and the nature of
the human brain. The world we live in is a massive, confusing,
and sometimes terrifying place. It's easy to feel unimportant, unseen, and to
feel like nothing makes sense. None of us enjoy those feelings, and our
brains especially don't. The human brain strives for connections, connections between apparently disparate
data points that make the incomprehensible comprehensible. In other words, your brain wants
to make the random make sense, not feel r Your brain doesn't like to
be confronted with the nihilistic nature of the void all the time. It wants
to find meaning wherever it can. Believe me, my brain wants that too.
Now. Hand in hand with this deep human need for things to make
sense to be understandable, is an equally fundamental desire for our lives to matter,
not just to ourselves and the people that care about us, but to
matter in some larger sense. We want to feel like we are living in
a time that is somehow more important than the times before or the times to
come. Put simply, we need to understand and we need to feel relevant.
We have an inexorable fever to achieve both those kinds of validation, and
throughout history we find a pair two seductive prescriptions. What are those two things?
Conspiracies and doomsday beliefs. Conspiracies make the random feel rational. They also
make people feel special, like they belong to an exclusive of club with special
knowledge and are privy to secrets that no one else knows. As for doomsday
cults and doomsday beliefs, they are similar to conspiracy theories in many ways,
not the least of which they make people feel important, like their lives matter,
especially because, after all, they are living not just at a random
point in human history, but rather during the most important days ever, the
end of days. Just in case, this all sounds pretty dark, and
the story you're about to hear is pretty dark. To be clear, everyone
is important, everyone's life matters, and no one should need a conspiracy theory
or an apocalypse to know these simple truths. So with that in mind,
please do join me now as we uncover what truths we can and solve what
mysteries we may kind of murderies, sex, money, murder and zombies,
Mormon mysticism, and the doomsday death dealers. Who that's a mouthful starts now.
In two thousand and six, lour Valo married Charles Valow, and the
marriage wasn't just a merger of two hearts, but also a blending of families.
Tyly Laurie's daughter from a previous chapter in her life, gained a stepfather,
Charles, and as the years went on, twenty fourteen emerged as a
significant milestone for the Valows. Perhaps driven by a longing to expand their familial
tapestry, they embraced a new member into their fold. JJ, a young
boy with the innocence of youth still fresh in his eyes, joined the family.
He wasn't just any child, He was the grandson of Charles's sister,
a direct blood tied to the Valows that added layers of familial bonds and responsibility.
The decision to adopt JJ painted a picture of a family growing not just
in numbers, but in love and connection. Yet, beneath the surface of
this seemingly happy expansion lay under currents of complexity and future, entangled the merging
of past and present of histories and futures set the stage for a narrative replete
with twists and turns, where every character's backstory played a crucial role in the
unfolding drama. The story of Laurie, Charles, Tylee, and jaj is
not just a tale of family dynamics. It's something of a mystery, rich
with potential clues and hidden motives, each waiting to be unraveled. As we
delve deeper into their lives, we uncover the layers that make this more than
just a family story, that make it, like I just said, a
mystery, a mystery that beckons to be solved, a puzzle where every piece
holds significance. As the pages of time turned to twenty seventeen, a subtle,
yet significant shift began to unfold in the life of Laurie Valo. It
was not a change in her circumstances, but in her very essence, her
demeanor. Those who knew her family and friends began to notice this transformation,
a metamorphosis that seemed to have its roots in the books she was reading.
You see, Laurie found herself increasingly engrossed in the writings of Chad day Bell,
a religious author whose pencrafted narratives of the apocalypse. These fictional tales,
while drawn loosely from the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day
Saints known more commonly as Mormons, wove a complex tapestry of religious themes.
It wasn't just the content of the books that captivated Laurie. It was the
ideologies they espoused, the end of the world scenarios, the doomsdays that seemed
to resonate with something deep inside of her. The plot thickened in twenty eighteen,
marking a pivotal moment in this unfolding story. Laurie and Chad, whose
paths were previously parallel, intersected. Their meeting was not just a convergence of
two individuals, but of two minds steeped in religious fervor and apocalyptic thought.
Together they embarked on a new venture, a religious podcast. You know.
Side note, Try as I might, I could find dozens of podcasts about
Lauri and Chad, but I could not find what the actual name of their
podcast was. So if anybody knows, go ahead and reach out to me.
Kindomurdery at gmail dot com, at Kindomurdery on all social media. I'd
love to know what their podcast was actually called. That seems to have been
somewhat scrubbed from the Internet. So anyway, they started a religious podcast together,
and the podcast platform became their stage where they shared ideologies and beliefs,
broadcasting to their many listeners and weaving a complex web of spiritual and apocalyptic discourse.
The partnership between Laurie and Chad, forged in the fires of their shared
beliefs, marked a new chapter in Laurie's life. It was a union that
would not only redefine her path, but also cast long shadows on the lives
of those around her, particularly her family. The narrative of Laurie, Charles,
Tylee, and JJ was no longer just a family story. It had
morphed into something larger, something imbued with religious undertones and predictions of horrific revelation.
In this mix of family dynamics and the scatological beliefs, the seeds of
future mysteries and untold stories were sown, waiting to unfold in ways that no
one could have predicted. And in the troubled waters of this increasingly foreboding story,
a disquieting twist emerged despite both being married to others at the time.
Their bonds, cemented by shared apocalyptic beliefs, grew deeper and more radical.
Valo and Dabel began to see the world through a binary lens, categorizing people
as either light or dark spirits. This dichotomy wasn't just a philosophical stance,
nor was it just a spiritual one. It was a worldview that dictated their
perceptions and interactions with those around them. More disturbingly, they introduced a sinister
concept into their ideology, the notion of zombies. That was their term.
In lurian Chad's twisted belief system, individuals taken over by evil spirits were labeled
as zombies. This dehumanization, this conversion from person to pop culture monster zombie,
stripped away the individuality and humanity of those that laurian Chad deemed quote infected
unquote by darkness. But the most chilling aspect of their beliefs was the supposed
solution to the perceived problem of darkness, to the perceived problem of zombies.
According to Valo and Dabel, the only way to liberate a soul from the
clutches of this evil, to free them from their zombie state was through death.
This belief, a grim and fatal remedy, laid the groundwork for a
story, the story I'm telling you now, that is steeped in danger and
moral decay. The couple's descend into such extreme beliefs signaled a churning point.
It wasn't just the descent into radical ideology, but a potential prelude to acttions
that could transcend the realm of beliefs into the realm of the real with real
and potentially tragic consequences. The stage was set, the characters drawn into a
plot that was as much about spiritual battles as it was about the struggles within
the human psyche. This chilling psychodrama took a foreboding turn in January of twenty
nineteen, when Charles Valow, entangled in the increasingly complex and darkening world of
his wife Laurie and her partner in belief, Chad Dabel, found himself compelled
to seek the intervention of the authorities. His visit to the police was not
just a call for help. It was a stark revelation of the alarming transformations
that he'd witnessed in Laurie. Charles described his wife as unhinged, a term
loaded with the weight of mental disarray and detachment from reality. He painted a
picture of a woman who no longer tread the grounds of the ordinary, but
believed herself to be a deity, a godlike figure, preparing for the apocalyptic
end of days. This was not the lory he knew, nor was it
the woman he married. This was someone transformed, consumed by her convictions and
beliefs, some might say consumed by her delusions. Even more disturbingly, Charles
voiced a spine tingling fear Laurie had threatened to murder him. This wasn't just
a marital dispute or a difference in beliefs. It was a matter of life
and death. The woman he once knew as a partner and a family member
had, in his eyes, morphed into a potential threat to his very existence,
because he had, in her eyes, morphed into a zombie. Charles
Valow's revelations to the police opened up a new chapter in this convoluted tale,
one where personal safety and mental stability came into question. The narrative was no
longer just about radical beliefs and spiritual warfare. It had escalated to potential physical
harm. Charles plead to the authorities was a crucial clue, a window into
the escalating tension and danger that lurked within the Valu Debel dynamic. It underscored
the urgency and gravity of the situation, hinting at the dire possibilities that lay
ahead. The plot thickened as Charles Valow, increasingly ensnared in a web of
fear and uncertainty, took a decisive step he filed for divorce from Laurie.
His action wasn't driven merely by the dissolution of marital affection, but by a
palpable fear for the safety of both himself and the children. The court documents
he filed were not just legal forms. They were testimonies of a man pushed
to the brink, desperately seeking to extricate himself and his family from what he
perceived as a dangerous, even a deadly situation. This tension riddled narrative reached
a crucial, critical, tragic climax when Charles, simply adhering to the routines
of a divided family, went to pick up his son from a home where
Laurie was staying. It was not just any home. It was the home
of her brother, Alex Cox, and it became the setting for an ominous
encounter because when Charles arrived, Laurie was not alone. She was in the
company of her brother. The details of what transpired inside the house remained shrouded
in the complexities of family conflict and personal vendettas. But what began as a
confrontation escalated into a tragic and irreversible act. In the heat of the moment,
alex Cox turned the conflict fatal, shooting Charles Vallow and killing him.
The aftermath of this violence was tangled in claims and counterclaims. Alex Cox asserted
that he'd acted in self defense, a claim that for the time shielded him
from the grasp of the law. He was never charged for the shooting,
leaving the incident cloaked in ambiguity and unanswered questions. But this was more than
just a familial tragedy. It was a confluence of fear, belief, and
violence. It raised myriad questions about the nature of the confrontation, the motivations
behind it, and the dynamics within the fractured family. As the story unfolded,
it became clear that this was not just a tale of ideological extremity,
but also one of personal vendettas, self preservation, and the tragic consequences of
a family torn apart by radical beliefs and deep seated conflicts. In the fall
of twenty nineteen, a new chapter began as Lori Ballo, along with JJ
and Tyly, embarked on a significant relocation. They moved to Rexburg, Idaho,
a picturesque town cradled by the Teton Mountains. This was not just a
change of scenery. It was a strategic move, bringing Laurie closer to Chad
day Bell, who resided near this seemingly idyllic setting. However, in this
particular real life horror story, tranquility is always short lived. In the following
month, an event occurred that cast a long, dark shadow over both Luri
and Chad. Tammy day Bell, Chad's wife of twenty eight years, died
suddenly. This wasn't just a passing, It was a moment that raised a
curtain of suspicion and mystery. According to an interview on the CBS news program
Forty eight Hours, Tammy had been in poor health and her death appeared to
be a peaceful one in her sleep, or so claimed the local corner.
The day Bell children, grappling with grief and shock, declined a post mortem
examination, accepting the initial ast assessment of natural death. But as the investigation
into Loris Vallo and Chad day Bell intensified, the narrative took another dramatic twist.
In December twenty nineteen, Tammy day Bell's body was exhumed, an autopsy
was performed, and it revealed a shocking truth. Tammy had been killed by
asphyxiation, likely smothered with a pillow while she slept, a stark contradiction to
the earlier belief of a natural death. Amidst this brewing storm of mystery and
suspicion, utterly shameless, as self proclaimed prophets often are, Chad da Bell
and Lourisvallo tied the knot in Hawaii, marrying each other just two weeks after
Tammy's death. This union, formed in the shadow of tragedy and under the
gaze of scrutiny, added a complex layer to the narrative. It wasn't just
a marriage, It was a convergence of two controversial figures, each entwined in
a web of radical beliefs, familial discord, and now a death shrouded in
mystery, and each, perhaps believing in their own spiritual righteousness, seemed to
give exactly zero fucks about what anybody thought or how anything looked. The story
of Lori Valo, Chad day Bell, and the events that unfolded in Rexburg,
Idaho, is a tapestry of mysteries, tragedies, and unanswered questions.
It's a narrative that delves deep into the depths of belief, love, and
betrayal, set against the backdrop of a seemingly peaceful town and the majestic Teton
Mountains. As the investigation continued, each revelation peeled back layers, revealing a
saga that captured not just the attention of the law, but the intrigue and
horror of the public. But the killing of Laurie's husband and Chad's wife was
just the beginning. The story only gets worse from here with the disappearance of
JJ and Tyly, Lorii Valo's children. Concerned about seven year old JJ,
his grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, reached out to their Rectsburg, Idaho
police for a welfare check, igniting a chain of events that would unravel a
chilling mystery. Their call sparked a nationwide manhunt after it was discovered that both
JJ and Tiley had vanished unseen for weeks. This revelation added a dire urgency
to the already tumultuous saga involving Laurie Valo and Chad Daybell. Despite the growing
concerns and the intensifying search, Valo and da Bell remained evasive. They offered
reassurance to relatives and friends that the children were quote safe and happy unquote,
but these words rang hollow against the backdrop of the children's inexplicable absence and the
expanding, fruitless search for them. But the search for JJ and Tilely continued,
even as Valo and day Bell seemed to carry on with their lives,
vacationing in Hawaii in December of twenty nineteen, which by the way, was
the same Hawaii trip where Chad and Laurie got married, despite the fact that
Laurie's brother Alex Cox had killed her husband Charles, and authorities had just determined
that Chad day Bell's wife had been estated, and both of Laurie's children were
missing. These shameless assholes had the gall to go vacationing in Paradise and get
hitched. Their apparent indifference to the escalating situation further deepened the mystery and public
concern. Well, I don't know about deepening the mystery, but it should
certainly deepen the concern. However, the case took a grim turn in February
of twenty twenty when Lori Vallo was extradited and arrested in a haunting revelation.
Authorities eventually discovered the remains of j G and Tylee in June of twenty twenty,
buried in the backyard of Chad Dabell's home. The trial This is Glorie's
Trial cast a stark light on the brutal end that the children met. The
prosecutor, in a poignant and horrifying disclosure, described Tiley's remains as charred,
a mere quote mass of bone and tissue unquote. God, that's hard to
hear. These tragic details starkly highlighted the brutality of the crime and the loss
of young life. The investigation pieced together the last known movements of the children.
They were last photographed alive during a trip to Yellowstone National Park in December
twenty nineteen, a trip led by Laurie Ballow. GPS data implicated Laurie's brother,
Alex Cole, placing him at Chad Dabell's property on crucial dates following the
children's last sightings. Cole's presence in the backyard for significant periods aligned with the
timeline of the children's disappearance. JJ was last seen on September twenty second,
twenty nineteen. The subsequent GPS data from Cox's phone the following day led investigators
directly to the site where the children's remains were eventually found. Unfortunately, Alex
Cole died of natural causes in December twenty nineteen, leaving many questions unanswered and
allowing him to escape his probable responsibility in helping to hide the murder of his
niece and nephew. Gosh, I'll tell you, I'm really not much of
one for moral grandstanding and generally, even though it's often appropriate when you're doing
a true crime podcast and telling stories like this, but my goodness, these
people make me absolutely sick. All Right, Let's get it done, huh.
The final chapter in Lorie Valo's harrowing Saga unfolded in the courtroom a stage
set for the delivery of justice. The courtroom was heavy with emotion, as
tearful relatives of the victims bound together and shared grief and anticipation awaited the jury's
verdict and the judge's final word. The nearly five week trial had been an
arduous journey, with prosecutors calling sixty witnesses and presenting at times extremely gruesome evidence.
The story they told was not just of the murders, but also of
the harrowing discovery of the children's remains. In a notable strategy, Valo's defense
team did not call any witnesses, and she chose not to testify. In
her defense, the defense, led by attorney Jim Archibald, attempted to portray
Valo as a once loving mother who had been ensnared by a quote weird unquot
quote religious cult leader. However, the prosecution's narrative was compellingly different. They
argue that Valo, alongside Chad day Bell, orchestrated a series of events that
culminated in the tragic deaths of JJ Tylee and Tammy Davell. And let's not
forget all about Charles Valo, who was supposedly shot in self defense by Laurie's
brother, now deceased. The prosecutor's narrative portrayed Valo as a manipulative figure using
quote money, power, and sex unquote to achieve her objectives, with Chad
day Bell being her ultimate goal. Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsay Blake's words during the
trial echoed this sentiment, painting a picture of a defendant who would remove any
obstacle to get what she wanted. Lourie Vallo and Chad day Bell both embroiled
in this tragic saga, tragic for others, horrific saga that they created.
Face charges of murder, conspiracy, and grand theft. On July thirty first,
twenty twenty three, just a few months ago, Lorieve, the forty
nine year old beautician, received a sentence that sealed her fate life in prison
without the possibility of parole. Good get that zombie behind bars. Meanwhile,
Chad day Bell's trial is scheduled for April first, twenty twenty four, leaving
another chapter of this story yet to be written. This case, entangled in
bizarre religious beliefs, family betrayal, an unspeakable acts, leaves behind a legacy
of pain, loss and a stark warning against the dangers of radical ideologies.
It serves as a starkly compelling reminder of the power of words and beliefs in
shaping actions, sometimes with devastating consequences. To that point, do yourself and
all of us a favor and don't buy or read Chad day Bell's books.
Remember that if you're going through a particularly hard time emotionally, that you can
call nine eight eight twenty four hours a day, seven days a week to
receive immediate counseling for mental health, substance use, or suicidal thoughts. So
if you find yourself in a dark place, please do call nine eight eight,
and please do always remember that you are loved and the world is a
better place with you in it. Until next time, I'm Zevan Odleberg,
and this has been kind of murdery
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