Charles Vallow was a former baseball player for McNeese State University, who later became the fourth husband of Lori Vallow, a woman involved in a series of mysterious deaths and disappearances. Charles was shot and killed by his brother-in-law, Alex Cox, in 2019, in what was initially claimed to be self-defense. However, as more details emerged about Lori’s extremist beliefs and the fate of her children, Charles’s death was ruled a homicide and Lori was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. This article will explore Charles’s life as a baseball player, his marriage to Lori, and the circumstances of his tragic death.
Charles Vallow’s Baseball Career
Charles Vallow was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1957. He graduated from Barbe High School in 1974, where he played baseball and football. He then attended McNeese State University, where he continued to play baseball as a pitcher and outfielder. According to the McNeese State University website, Charles played for the Cowboys in 1975 and 1976, and was part of the team that won the Southland Conference championship in 1976. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from McNeese in 1978.
Charles was known for his athletic ability and competitive spirit, as well as his friendly and outgoing personality. He was a lifelong fan of the Houston Astros and the New Orleans Saints, and enjoyed fishing, camping, and golfing. He also had a passion for music and played the guitar.
Charles Vallow’s Marriage to Lori Vallow
Charles met Lori Cox in 2006, when they were both living in Austin, Texas. Lori was a former beauty queen and hairdresser, who had been married three times before and had two children from her previous marriages: Colby Ryan and Tylee Ryan. Charles and Lori married later that year, and became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In 2013, they adopted Charles’s grandnephew, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, who had autism and special needs.
Charles and Lori seemed to have a happy and stable marriage for several years, until Lori started to change around 2018. She became obsessed with a religious author named Chad Daybell, who wrote books about the end of the world and claimed to have visions of the future. Lori began to adopt Chad’s beliefs, which were considered heretical and extreme by the mainstream LDS Church. She also claimed to be a god and said that Charles was possessed by a dark spirit named Ned. She told Charles that she would kill him if he got in the way of her mission to prepare for the second coming of Christ.
Charles was shocked and scared by Lori’s transformation, and filed for divorce in February 2019. He also obtained a protective order against her, and tried to get custody of JJ. He accused Lori of stealing money from his business, threatening his life, and neglecting their son. He also expressed concern for the safety of Tylee, who was loyal to her mother. Charles was worried that Lori and Chad were planning something sinister, and that they were involved in a cult.
Charles Vallow’s Death and Aftermath
On July 11, 2019, Charles went to Lori’s home in Chandler, Arizona, to pick up JJ, who was staying with her for the summer. He was accompanied by his two sons from his previous marriage, who waited in the car. When he entered the house, he got into an argument with Lori, who refused to let him see JJ. Tylee, who was 16 at the time, also intervened and tried to defend her mother. Charles grabbed a baseball bat from Tylee and swung it at Lori, who dodged it. Alex, Lori’s brother, who was also in the house, then shot Charles twice in the chest, killing him.
Alex called 911 and claimed that he had shot Charles in self-defense, after Charles had attacked him and Lori with the bat. Lori and Tylee corroborated his story, and acted nonchalant and unconcerned about Charles’s death. The police initially believed their version of events, and did not arrest anyone. Lori and Alex moved JJ and Tylee to Rexburg, Idaho, where Chad lived with his wife, Tammy Daybell.
However, in September 2019, JJ and Tylee disappeared, and Lori and Chad refused to cooperate with the authorities or reveal their whereabouts. In October 2019, Tammy Daybell died suddenly in her sleep, and Chad married Lori two weeks later in Hawaii. In November 2019, the police opened an investigation into the disappearance of JJ and Tylee, and also re-examined the deaths of Charles, Tammy, and Alex, who had died of an apparent blood clot in December 2019.
In June 2020, the police searched Chad’s property and found the remains of JJ and Tylee buried in his backyard. They arrested Chad and Lori and charged them with multiple counts of conspiracy, obstruction, and destruction of evidence. They also revealed that Charles’s death was a homicide, and that Lori and Chad had conspired to kill him, along with Tammy and Alex. They alleged that Lori and Chad believed that Charles, Tammy, and the children were zombies, who had been taken over by evil spirits, and that they had to eliminate them to fulfill their religious prophecy.
Charles’s family and friends were devastated and outraged by the revelations, and demanded justice for him and the children. They remembered Charles as a loving and caring father, husband, brother, and friend, who had been betrayed and murdered by the woman he once loved. They also hoped that his story would raise awareness about the dangers of domestic violence and cults, and that his legacy would inspire others to live with kindness and courage.