Grandfather Larry Woodcock's message to Chad Daybell
Larry Woodcock, the grandfather of missing Idaho sibling J.J. Vallow, has a message for Lori Vallow's husband Chad Daybell: 'Please do a lot of soul-searching'
The grandfather of Lori Vallow's missing son J.J. is pleading with the seven-year-old autistic boy's new stepfather to do some soul searching as the hunt for his grandson and 17-year-old sister Tylee Ryan continues.
In an interview on "Fox & Friends Weekend" with host Jedidiah Bila, grandfather Larry Woodcock said that the last time he and his wife spoke with J.J. was August 10, 2019. The three FaceTimed for only 35 seconds. That would be one of the last times J.J. was ever seen as the two children have been missing since September.
In addition, Woodcock said that it had taken so long for authorities to properly put a case together because "they simply wanted to do it right."
"I have had numerous attorneys and prosecutors and law enforcement that have indicated they have never worked a case like this," he added.
Now, more than five months later, J.J. and Tylee's mother Lori Vallow Daybell is set to be extradited to Idaho, where she has been charged with two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children, in addition to resisting or obstructing police officers, solicitation to commit a crime and contempt of court. In January, Vallow ignored a court order to physically produce the two children.
Earlier this week, Vallow’s defense attorneys filed a motion asking Kauai, Hawaii Judge Kathleen Watanabe -- where Vallow and Daybell were recently married -- to reconsider Vallow's bail set at $5 million, arguing bail for equivalent felonies is normally set between $2,000 and $20,000, Fox 10 Phoenix reported. On Wednesday, De Costa urged Watanabe to "ignore the publicity, ignore the hype” and set reasonable bail.
Prosecutors argued that Vallow is a flight risk and pointed out that Daybell had $152,000 available to him in an account at First Hawaiian Bank. They also said “given the extensive media attention, she is clearly aware that the authorities have prioritized her case” and Vallow “has the means to move across an ocean.”
The judge refused the defense attorney's request.
Woodcock told Bila there are two different Loris in the case.
"The first Lori is the absolutely wonderful mom, as one lady said recently. The mom that other moms wanted to be like. And then there is Lori today and within the last several months that I don't understand," he said.
"I have known Lori for over a decade. I thought she was a wonderful mom. Had we not thought that and cared for her and Charles the way that we did, we would have certainly never given up J.J. to allow them to adopt."
Charles, Vallow’s fourth and former husband, died in July in Arizona after he was fatally shot by her brother, Alex Cox. Cox claimed self-defense and was never arrested. He died unexpectedly in his own Arizona home of unknown causes in December.
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Vallow's new and fifth husband, Chad Daybell, with whom she fled Idaho in November was not seen on video of the hearing Wednesday. However, he visited his wife at the Kauai Community Correctional Center Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Public Safety told KUTV. Daybell was also present for Vallow’s first court appearance last week following her arrest.
"Chad, I know you are on the way back to Idaho," Woodcock stated.
" When you get there, please do a lot of soul searching," he pleaded. "Somewhere in that vicinity there are two children and we want them back safe and we hope that you will have this come-to-Jesus meeting with yourself and address these issues as soon as possible."
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