Merry Christmas!
Hello Friends!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I hope this newsletter finds you and your families well and looking forward to exciting and heartwarming celebrations.
I’ve mailed the wristbands! Except for a handful of letters I picked up from the PO Box this morning, if you sent me an envelope, I’ve mailed you a wristband. I still have plenty available, and I’m happy to send you one if you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
Lori Hellis
1042 N. Higley Rd, #446
Mesa, AZ 85205
Thank you for all the sweet notes you’ve sent; I’ve saved them all. Thanks to those who sent me money to help defray the cost, but the wristbands are my way of honoring Tylee and JJ, and of thanking you all for your support. Because of you, my publisher saw that I was the right person to write this story, so please don’t be offended if you found your donation returned with your wristband. And thanks (I think) to the person who sent me her copy of Visions of Glory (someone gave it to her and she was going to throw it out). We know Lori Vallow read it, and it may have been the inspiration for her departure from mainstream LDS doctrine. It’s now in my TBR (to be read) stack.
There isn’t a great deal happening publicly in the case. We know the grand jury was reconvened, but surprisingly, no new charges have been announced. The grand jury reconvened to consider evidence to support new charges either against an existing defendant or against a new defendant. Grand jury indictments can be temporarily sealed if the target of the indictment is someone who might tip off co-conspirators before they can be charged. Prosecutors also sometimes present charges to a grand jury, and then before filing, contact the attorney of the target to negotiate. It’s often done when the prosecution hopes to use the charges against a new co-defendant to leverage them into turning on previously indicted co-defendants. If the new co-defendant proves cooperative, the prosecutor could charge a lesser offense or even decline to prosecute. This illustrates the broad discretion prosecutors have in deciding if and how to prosecute a case. The prosecutor does not have to file a case just because a grand jury returns a true bill. The prosecutor also does not have a time limit on how long he can wait to bring the charges, as long as the statute of limitations has not run.
Thanks to all of you who participated in our Hidden True Crime pajama party, before Thanksgiving. We learned to make Loin Fire cocktails and exchanged recipes. The recipes will be compiled into a book that will be offered for sale. With the permission of Tammy Daybell’s family, all proceeds will go to the Tammy Douglas Daybell Foundation. The foundation was started by Tammy’s family and is committed to “giving children the opportunity to learn and love the written word.” You can read about the foundation or donate at https://www.tammydaybellfoundation.com/. It’s not too late to send your favorite recipe. Email them to info@thelorivallowstory.com. Also, thanks to Lauren Matthias, who, having heard me say I planned to perfect the art of baking French macarons in 2022 (I might have said I planned to make them my bitch), sent me a beautiful book for Christmas on how to make these finicky French treats.
Finally, the holidays always make me introspective, so let me just say thanks once again, to all of you for welcoming me into the true-crime community and allowing me on this journey with you. I had no idea when I started following this case that this is where I would wind up. I hope I will see you all at book signings in 2024 – I’ll be the one serving macarons.
Cheers.
