More than three years after her children were last seen alive, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is finally on trial for their murders.

Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 8, vanished without a trace in September 2019, sparking a multi-state search while their mother appeared carefree – marrying her new husband Chad Daybell on a beach in Hawaii.

The children’s bodies were finally discovered nine months later buried in a pet cemetery on Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho.

Their disappearances and deaths mark only part of a dramatic case that spans a deeply disturbing pattern of murders, unexplained deaths and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Here’s a timeline of the tragic and bizarre case:

While the judge banned cameras from the courtroom for the duration of the trial, he has allowed the verdict to be livestreamed.

It will be live here – on Judge Steven Boyce’s YouTube channel:

The jury has so far spent more than five hours deliberating the charges in Lori Vallow’s murder trial.

The panel got the case on Thursday afternoon and deliberated for around four hours in total for retiring for the night.

They began deliberations again at 9am local time on Friday.

The doting grandfather of Lori Vallow’s murdered son has vowed that “today is the day” as he arrived at the cult mom’s murder trial and blared the song “The party’s over” outside the courthouse.

JJ’s grandparents Larry and Kay Woodcock have attended every day of the trial of the woman now accused of their seven-year-old grandson’s murder, listening to harrowing testimony of the little boy’s last hours alive and seeing graphic photos of his remains buried on Chad Daybell’s property.

It was Larry and Kay who raised the alarm about Ms Vallow’s missing children JJ and Tylee Ryan, 16, back in September 2019 when the mother-of-three moved them from Arizona to Rexburg, Idaho, and they couldn’t get in touch with their grandson.

Nine months later, JJ and Tylee’s remains were found in shallow graves on Mr Daybell’s property.

After a gruelling six-week trial, Mr Woodcock appeared to be in more upbeat spirits as he arrived at Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Friday morning and voiced hope that justice would be served.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Lori Vallow was once seen as a doting mother.

Now, she is on trial for the murders of her two youngest children and the ex-wife of her new husband Chad Daybell in a chilling case with a doomsday cult at its core.

The 49-year-old mother-of-three is charged with the murders of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, who vanished without a trace in September 2019.

She is also charged with the first-degree murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell who died suddenly one month after the children’s disappearance.

But who really is Lori Vallow and how did she end up here?

JJ Vallow’s grandfather Larry Woodcock arrived at the courthouse, saying that “today is the day”.

JJ’s grandparents Larry and Kay Woodcock have attended every day of the trial of the woman now accused of his murder.

On Friday morning, Larry was wore a t-shirt saying: “World’s Greatest Papa.”

“I’m not be the worlds greatest papa… but I hope I was the worlds greatest papa to JJ and Tylee,” he told reporters.

The jury has resumed deliberations in Lori Vallow’s murder trial.

The panel of 12 got the case on Thursday afternoon and deliberated for four hours before calling it a night.

The defence

Lori Vallow turned on her lover, fellow cult member and alleged accomplice Chad Daybell in a dramatic closing statement where she made a final bid to avoid life in prison for the murders of her two children and Mr Daybell’s first wife.

In Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday, Ms Vallow’s attorney Jim Archibald sought to paint her as a hardworking “good mom” whose life suddenly changed when she met Mr Daybell.

“One year after meeting Chad, four people are dead,” said Mr Archibald.

Read the full story here:

The prosecution

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow “groomed” and “manipulated” her new lover Chad Daybell and brother Alex Cox to murder her two children and Mr Daybell’s first wife, according to the prosecution’s dramatic closing statement.

In Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday, prosecutor Rob Wood laid out the state’s case against the mother-of-three, placing her firmly front and centre of a plot to kill her son JJ Vallow, 7, daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and 49-year-old Tammy Daybell – and then steal their money after their murders.

“Lori Vallow is the one that ties this all together,” he said.

Read the full story here: