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Relative of missing kids may have information; Reportedly confesses to attempted murder of ex-husband

Posted at 9:20 PM, Feb 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-24 16:18:55-05

SALT LAKE CITY — Newly released court documents suggest a relative of two missing children may have information on their location.

Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, have been missing since September.

Their mom, Lori Vallow-Daybell, has been arrested and charged with desertion and nonsupport of children.

According to new documents filed in Arizona, Lori’s niece Melani Pawlowski (formerly Boudreaux) may have information about the location of the kids, and she has claimed responsibility for the attempted murder of her ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.

Brandon and his attorney filed the paperwork one day before Lori’s arrest in Hawaii.

He claims to have information from Melani`s new husband, who he says has been cooperating with law enforcement.

The documents, obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, state that her new husband listened to her confess that she conspired to kill Brandon at his home in Gilbert, Arizona, and her uncle Alex Cox — Lori’s brother — was the shooter.

The documents go on state that Melani knows where JJ and Tylee are, but that she is refusing to cooperate. According to the documents, she will sometimes say things like: “Children are full of light, and then just like that they go dark.”

Melani has not been arrested or charged with attempted murder in Arizona or for obstructing justice in Idaho, but since the attempt on Brandon’s life she has been arrested here in Utah, accused of trespassing at Brandon’s family’s home.

Boudreaux called himself the “spouse who got away” from a dangerous cult that centers around Lori`s family and her new husband Chad Daybell.

He says he wishes Tammy Daybell and Charles Vallow could have also survived.