Lori Vallow found unfit to stand trial in Idaho
May 27, 2021, 11:23 AM | Updated: Apr 3, 2023, 5:50 pm
Phoenix police officials are reviewing the investigation into the death of Joseph Ryan, Lori Vallow's third husband, a spokeswoman for the department told CNN on Friday.
REXBURG, Idaho — An Idaho court has found Lori Vallow Daybell unfit to stand trial in the murder of her two children JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell were charged in the murders of her two children and Daybell’s former wife Tammy earlier this week. Both appeared in court after their indictments on Wednesday, but after a meeting before Lori’s scheduled appearance, Fremont County Judge Faren Eddins said her appearance would be postponed due to “exigent circumstances.”
In court documents ordering the stay of the pending case signed by Judge Steven W. Boyce, they said the Court had ordered a psychological assessment, and that assessment found “the defendant is not competent to proceed, and recommends restorative treatment.”
What exactly is “restorative treatment,” and how long does it last?
Former prosecutor Greg Skordas, who is not connected to this case, says, “There is no set time for that. It can take months, it can take weeks, it can take years.”
Skordas says the treatment, itself, is far more comprehensive than many people would imagine. It involves constant counseling, which could include medication or even forced medication if necessary. Plus, Vallow will be under constant surveillance 24 hours a day while in custody.
“They’ll watch her very closely. They’ll watch her interact with other inmates, her phone conversations, her communications she has with staff, with friends, family and that type of thing,” Skordas says.
He believes Vallow will likely go through a similar competency evaluation every month, and the constant surveillance is very effective in helping therapists spot the fakers.
Skordas say, “These doctors are really trained very well to determine whether a person is faking their competency.”
How will the court determine if she’s competent for trial? Skordas says they’re specifically looking to see if she can help in her own defense.
“They have to determine whether she can assist her lawyer, whether she can make decisions about plea bargaining and decision about testifying,” he says.
Vallow being declared incompetent for trial in Idaho will have no effect on any potential hearings in other states, so she may be deemed competent in Arizona where she’s charged with first-degree murder in the death of her former husband, Charles Vallow. Skordas says federal prosecutors may decide to files their own charges against Vallow, and they wouldn’t have to abide by the Idaho decision, either.
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