Mother of missing Idaho children has bail reduced to $1M, must wear ankle monitor

Lori Vallow Daybell, the mother of two children who have been missing since September, appeared in an Idaho court for the first time Friday to hear the charges against her, and her attorneys successfully argued for a lower bail.

Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins, citing multiple Idaho codes, reduced bail from $5 million to $1 million, after one of Vallow Dabyell’s three defense attorneys, Edwina Elcox, argued for a reduction to $10,000.

Eddins also ruled that if Vallow Daybell posted bond and was released, she would have to wear an ankle monitor and remain within Madison, Bonneville, Jefferson and Fremont counties.

Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood argued for the bond to remain at $5 million, noting that Lori Daybell has lived in three states in the past year and has repeatedly refused to cooperate with authorities regarding her missing children.

The mother of Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, is charged with two counts of felony child abandonment. She is also facing misdemeanor charges of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime, and contempt of court. Her children have not been seen since September, and both Lori Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, have refused to answer questions about the children’s whereabouts.

Lori Daybell arrived in Idaho to be taken to jail in Rexburg on Thursday. She was flown commercially from the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where she was arrested two weeks ago, with bail set at $5 million. She was escorted by Madison County sheriff deputies and federal law enforcement officers.

This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 3:34 PM.