For the past two weeks, the true-crime world has had its eyes fixated on missing minors, Joshua “J.J.” Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and the mysterious string of deaths that preceded their disappearance. This case of missing children has already taken so many unexpected turns, leaving family, friends, and journalists alike wondering what disturbing new detail will emerge yet.

The last confirmed sighting of J.J. was back in September of 2019, when his mother, Lori Vallow pulled him out of public school, citing a new job offer out of state that would require her to move her children as well. It was not entirely unexpected, as Vallow also cited the recent death of J.J.’s father as another reason why their family life remained in flux. What she failed to mention was the fact that J.J.’s father, Charles Vallow, had been murdered the previous July when her own brother, Alex Cox, shot Charles in self-defense. She swiftly remarried a man named Chad Daybell, who had also recently lost his spouse, Tammy Daybell. Both Charles Vallow and Tammy Daybell’s deaths are currently being investigated as “suspicious” by respective law enforcement agencies. Lori Vallow’s brother, Alex Cox, also died in the weeks following the shooting death of her husband, but his cause of death has yet to be released.

This spinning vortex of death and loss was further compounded by the noticeable absence of 17-year-old Tylee and 7-year-old J.J. It wasn’t until one of their grandparents called authorities requesting a welfare check that a missing persons investigation was launched. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell fled the area following the execution of the search warrant and were finally tracked down in late January on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Vallow was instructed to produce her children by January 30^th or face criminal charges. January 30^th came and went, and still no word from J.J. or Tylee.

Now, additional warrants executed by authorities have revealed another disturbing detail. According to the EastIdahoNews, investigators have discovered a storage locker in Rexburg, Idaho listed in Lori Vallow’s name. The storage locker contained items that law enforcement strongly believe belonged to the two children, including photo albums, bicycles, scooters, and winter clothing.

Seventeen-year-old Tylee’s cell phone was also found in Lori Vallow’s possession when authorities finally tracked them down in Hawaii, without their missing children. Police were able to determine that the phone had been used several times since September when the children were last seen, though it is difficult to say by whom.

J.J.’s autism required the use of a service dog, primarily for sleeping soundly through the night. A dog trainer based in Arizona has come forward with startling information, “I was surprised and shocked when I got the call from Lori that she needed to re-home the dog.” Her only explanation was that her husband had recently passed and the family was moving to Idaho.

J.J. is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing at 4′0″ and weighing 50 pounds. He also goes by J.J. and may be in need of medical attention. Tylee is described as a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes, standing at 5′0″ and weighing 160 pounds.

Anyone with information about the children is asked to call Rexburg police at 208-359-3000 or report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.