Court documents related to the custody battle between Lori Vallow and Tylee Ryan’s father Joseph Ryan appear to show a contentious relationship between the parents years before Joseph Ryan was found dead of an apparent heart attack.
As Law & Crime reports, the YouTube vlogger behind the channel “WTAF Wicked Truths And F-Bombs” appears to have obtained court filings outlining the custody battle between Vallow and her late husband Joseph Ryan, who died in 2018.
Tylee, 16, and her 7-year-old brother JJ Vallow were found dead in the backyard of Vallow’s now-husband Chad Daybell’s home outside of Rexburg, Idaho, on June 9. Both Daybell and Vallow are in custody in Idaho facing multiple charges related to the alleged concealment and destruction of evidence, but neither have yet been charged with murder. As CrimeOnline previously reported, investigators used cell phone tracking data to trace Vallow’s late brother Alex Cox to the property on the September mornings after each of the children were last seen alive. Cox died in December of what authorities determined were natural causes; complicated by an existing heart condition.
Law & Crime shared on Twitter some of the documents obtained by the vlogger, including a report filed in the District Court of Travis County, Texas, dated July 2018. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Vallow was living in Texas when she married Joseph Ryan and gave birth to Tylee, but moved with Tylee and Vallow’s son Colby from a previous marriage to Arizona after her divorce from Ryan.
The report appears to show that Tylee Ryan said her father had molested both her and her stepbrother.
“Ms. Smith [Tylee’s therapist] informed us that Tylee reported being happy about visits with her Dad and wanted those visits to continue during their last session,” the document reads.
“Ms. Smith then reported that Tylee said something along the lines of ‘I’m scared about overnights.’ When Ms. Smith questioned her about this, she said something like, ‘Because Joe molested me and Colby.’ When Tylee’s mother came into the session toward the end, Ms. Smith reports that Tylee looked at her mother and said, ‘I told her.’
In this doc obtained by @wickedtruthbomb, 5-yr-old #TyleeRyan's therapist raised concerns about the trauma experienced throughout this conflict but says she appears to be "resilient and happy about the visits with her father" @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/kFRtyYTdt7
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 7, 2020
This spring, Vallow’s adult son Colby Ryan said in an interview with NBC’s “Dateline” that Joseph Ryan sexually abused him. And ten years ago, Alex Cox spoke in a stand-up comedy routine about assaulting Joseph Ryan after learning that he was a “pedophile.”
The new documents, which CrimeOnline has not yet independently verified, are the first reported record of Tylee Ryan saying herself that her father molested her.
According to Law & Crime reporter Cathy Russon, the documents also show that a social worker who evaluated the family’s situation said they felt Vallow was a flight risk. The social worker reportedly said that Vallow told them “death would be an option before giving Tylee to her father.”
In 2008, a social worker that was asked to do an evaluation in the custody dispute between #LoriVallow & #JosephRyan, said of Lori Vallow: Eminent danger of a flight risk and "Miss Vallow…has mentioned to me that death would be an option before giving Tylee to her father". pic.twitter.com/VMJDGhEj9d
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 7, 2020
The documents also appear to show that Vallow had extreme religious beliefs as far back as 2008. According to an evaluation report viewed by Russon, “Miss Vallow genuinely believes her child is in danger, however her belief system is riddled with ghosts & seemingly fanatical religious dogma.”
Evaluation report in custody battle docs b/t #LorVallow and #TyleeRyan's dad obtained by @wickedtruthbomb: "Miss Vallow genuinely believes her child is in danger, however her belief system is riddled with ghosts & seemingly fanatical religious dogma." @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/CDoOkNi4dl
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 7, 2020
Russon also said on Twitter that Joseph Ryan had been dead for three weeks before his body was found. In May, an FBI spokesperson confirmed that Ryan’s death was part of the investigation in Vallow’s suspicious activities.
#JosephRyan moved from TX to AZ to be closer to Tylee. In 2018 he was found dead in his apt. He'd been dead 3 weeks. Only an external autopsy/review by coroner was performed. No internal autopsy. Heart attack ruled. However, now his death is being investigated. (Pic – Dateline) pic.twitter.com/hUrQCcHKP2
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 7, 2020
Read more:
Charges dropped against ‘Cult Mom’ Lori Vallow
Click here to read all of CrimeOnline’s coverage of the Vallow case.
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[Feature image: Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow/Facebook]
