Vallow, who married the religious doomsday-focused author Chad Daybell around the time of her children’s September disappearance, waived extradition while facing a number of charges, including felony child desertion and misdemeanor contempt of court.
Advertisement
She and Daybell fled Idaho to Hawaii shortly after extended family requested a welfare check for her two kids in November, prompting authorities to report Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, as missing.
Authorities have repeatedly described Vallow and Daybell as uncooperative in their search for the children and have accused the couple of lying about the kids’ whereabouts.
Prosecutors, in arguing against her bail release, told the judge that she posed a flight risk, partially due to Daybell’s financial means.
Advertisement
Daybell received a $430,000 life insurance policy after his previous wife’s death in October. He also had $152,000 in a bank account in Hawaii, prosecutors said, according to USA Today.
Her defense attorney, Craig De Costa, in arguing for her release on a reduced bail, said Vallow had previously lived in Hawaii and that she planned to move there before authorities began questioning her over the disappearance of her children. De Costa also added she did not obey a recent Idaho court order to produce her children because the order said it would place her kids in a foster care system, which she did not want.
He asked that bail be reduced to $10,000, arguing that more than $1 million is entirely unreasonable for anyone facing a class B felony.
“Ignore the publicity, ignore the hype ... and set bail the way this court would for any individual under these circumstances,” he told the judge, who ultimately sided with prosecutors.
Advertisement
In the wake of the children’s disappearance, authorities have reexamined the deaths of both Vallow and Daybell’s former spouses, who both died last year.
Daybell’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, was mysteriously found dead in her bed, according to her online obituary. Authorities said they exhumed her body in December in hopes of learning more about what happened.
Vallow’s estranged fourth husband, Charles Vallow, died last summer after her brother, Alex Cox, shot him in an act he claimed was self-defense. Cox then mysteriously died of unknown causes in December.
The test results of both Tammy Daybell’s and Cox’s remains have not yet been released.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.