Police on the hunt for the two missing children of reported “doomsday cult” member Lori Vallow think at least one of her children may be found in Yellowstone National Park . The two kids, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ, have not been seen since September.
According to CBS News , officials say Yellowstone Park is an area of interest because it was the last place Tylee Ryan was seen alive. In addition, police reportedly “obtained a photo from Lori Vallow’s iCloud account” of the teen at the park.
However, authorities have been unable to search the location because of heavy snow, keeping that aspect of the investigation sidelined until it melts in May.
However, sources claimed that come late spring, they plan to comb through the 3,500-square-mile park in the hopes of finding Tylee.
It is not known whether police also believe that JJ could be in Yellowstone. However, as he was purportedly seen three weeks after the disappearance of his sister, it seems less likely.
The delayed Yellowstone investigation is just one more obstacle in the case that has been ongoing since November, after concerned relatives demanded a welfare check of the two children.
Vallow, who has been dubbed “ cult mom ” by the media, had neither declared the pair missing nor cooperated with investigators, leading them to suspect foul play. She was finally arrested less than a week ago after returning from a Hawaiian vacation with new husband Chad Daybell, who is not only a reported fellow doomsday cult member but has also written around 25 books about the end of times.
Lori Vallow Daybell. As mugshots go… pic.twitter.com/666SnxOukf
— Keith Morrison (@dateline_keith) February 21, 2020
The idea of Yellowstone being used as a location for violent crime has captivated fans of true crime after Michigan State law professor Brian Kalt published an article in the Georgetown Law Journal called “The Perfect Crime.”
According to Vox , the piece pointed out that part of Yellowstone is located in Idaho — which Kalt dubbed the “zone of death” that has a population of zero. Per the article, a criminal could request a trial by jury in that district, but forming a jury would be difficult. Kalt has lobbied the government for years about closing the legal loophole, but so far no action has been taken to address this potential scenario.
That said, Kalt’s argument was hypothetical, and it is not known how the courts would deal with such a situation in real life.
Vallow has remained tight-lipped about her children despite being in custody. Her former mother-in-law previously described how the doomsday obsession completely changed her personality.
“Something happened to her. Once she got involved with that cult with Daybell, she just turned off. The person we knew just went away,” she said, as was previously reported by The Inquisitr .