Janis Lee Cox is the mother of Lori Vallow, the woman who was charged with the murder of her two children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, in 2020. Janis and her husband, Barry Cox, have appeared in the Netflix documentary series Sins of Our Mother, where they defended their daughter and claimed that she was innocent. But how old is Janis Lee Cox, and what do we know about her life and family?
Janis Lee Cox’s Birth Date and Early Life
According to some sources³⁴, Janis Lee Cox was born in January 1947. Thus, in the middle of winter 2023, Janis Lee turned 76 years old. She grew up in Southern California as a devout Mormon and married Barry Lynn Cox in 1965. They had five children together: Stacey, Alex, Adam, Lori, and Summer².
Janis Lee Cox’s Relationship with Lori Vallow
Janis Lee Cox has always been supportive of her daughter Lori, even when she was involved in multiple marriages, divorces, and deaths. Lori married her first husband, Nelson Yanes, when she was 19 years old, but they divorced shortly after. She then married William Lagioia in 1995 and had her first child, Colby, with him. They divorced in 1998 and Lori married Joseph Ryan, the father of her second child, Tylee. They also divorced in 2004 and Joseph died of an apparent heart attack in 2018¹.
Lori married her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in 2006 and adopted his grandson, J.J., who had special needs. Charles was shot and killed by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, in 2019. Alex claimed that it was self-defense and was not charged. He died of a blood clot in his lung later that year¹. Lori then married her fifth and current husband, Chad Daybell, in 2019. Chad is a self-proclaimed prophet and author of doomsday books. He was also married before and his wife, Tammy Daybell, died of unknown causes in 2019¹.
Janis Lee Cox has always believed that Lori was a good mother who loved her children and was not involved in any wrongdoing. She told CBS News in 2020 that she spoke with J.J. after he was reported missing and that Lori couldn’t reveal anything because she was being held by the police¹. She also appeared in the Netflix documentary series Sins of Our Mother, where she said that Lori was raised in the LDS church and loved scriptures¹.
Janis Lee Cox’s Current Situation
Janis Lee Cox is currently living with her husband Barry in Texas. They have not seen Lori since she was arrested in Hawaii in 2020 and extradited to Idaho to face multiple charges related to the deaths of her children and her former spouses¹. The remains of Tylee and J.J. were found buried on Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020¹. Lori and Chad have pleaded not guilty to all charges and are awaiting trial.
Janis Lee Cox has not publicly commented on the latest developments in the case or expressed any remorse for the loss of her grandchildren. She has maintained her faith in her daughter and her innocence. She has also faced criticism from some of her relatives who have accused her of being blind to the truth and enabling Lori’s behavior¹.