BOISE, Idaho (NewsNation) — Lori Vallow’s cousin, Megan Eyden, felt mostly relief and gratitude that justice was served Friday after Vallow was found guilty on all six counts in her murder trial.
“Gratitude that justice was served. That Tylee, JJ and Tammy have justice. Grateful to have this chapter closed and hopefully healing for our family and for the victims. … It’s been a really emotional week and a very difficult time. I’m just really grateful that we can say goodbye to some of this now,” Eyden said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”
An Idaho jury found Vallow guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of her two youngest children, almost-17-year-old Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, 7. She was also found guilty of all other charges she faced, including conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the case of Tammy Daybell, her husband Chad Daybell’s previous wife, and grand theft.
Vallow sat emotionless with a blank stare looking at the jury as the guilty verdicts were read Friday at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. Some in the courtroom gallery wiped tears from their eyes.
Eyden said she reached out to some family members after their testimonies, but she hasn’t heard back.
“I don’t know if that’s because they disagree with some of the things that I’m saying, or if it’s just because it’s too painful. The difficult thing is, if we don’t start to communicate as a family, then we haven’t learned anything from this tragedy. … I really would say that one of the things that led to this is a lack of communication, a lack of understanding. The lack of being open and honest with each other about what’s really happening,” Eden added.
The trial lasted for weeks, and more than 60 witnesses were called to testify. Vallow herself did not testify, nor did her defense team call any witnesses.
Tylee and JJ went missing in September 2019, and their bodies were later found on the Idaho property of Chad Daybell. Meanwhile, Tammy Daybell died in October 2019 of what authorities initially said were “natural causes.” However, investigators got suspicious when Vallow and Chad Daybell got married just weeks after Tammy Daybell’s sudden death. A second autopsy ended up finding Tammy Daybell died of asphyxiation.
Chad Daybell also faces charges in connection to the deaths of the children and Tammy Daybell, but he is being tried separately.