Body of J.J. Vallow Released to Grieving Grandparents 3 Years After Murder

Lori Vallow Daybell, the mother of J.J. Vallow and his 16-year-old sister, Tylee Ryan, was convicted of their murders in May

The body of J.J. Vallow, son of convicted murderer Lori Vallow Daybell, has been released to his grandparents, more than three years after he was found dead in the backyard of his mother’s husband’s Idaho property.

In electronic court filings reviewed by PEOPLE, Judge Steven Boyce on Monday signed off on a stipulation filed five days earlier by prosecutors in Fremont County, Idaho, ordering the 7-year-old’s body be turned over to his next of kin.

In this case, J.J.'s grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, are his closest living relatives and will be able to finally lay him to rest.

“The last several years have been filled with pain and grief as we traveled this long arduous road,” the Woodcocks wrote in a joint statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. “We have waited and prayed for this day for so long and are immeasurably relieved that JJ will finally be laid to rest.”

Related: What to Know About Lori Vallow Daybell, the Mother Found Guilty of Murdering 3 in Doomsday Plot

“We have spent the past days immersed in the memories of the love and happiness that JJ shined and continues to shine on our life,” the statement continued. “As we reminisce in the joy that JJ filled our life with, our hearts ache for those that love JJ and share in the immense grief and loss of such a beautiful little man.”

Lori Vallow Daybell, the mother of J.J. and his 16-year-old sister, Tylee Ryan, was convicted of their murders in May, along with conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell. Tammy was married to Lori's fifth husband Chad Daybell for nearly 30 years before her death. Lori has since been sentenced to life in prison and is facing charges in Arizona on a separate case.

J.J. and Tylee went missing in September 2019. Tammy died in the home she shared with Chad on October 19 of that same year. Two weeks later on November 5, Lori and Chad — an author who wrote about religious doomsday scenarios — married in Hawaii.

On June 9, 2020, the badly decomposed remains of Tylee and J.J. were found buried on Chad's Rexburg, Idaho property. Tylee had been dismembered and burned; J.J. was wrapped in plastic and bound by duct tape.

Related: Lori Vallow Daybell: Everything to Know About the Idaho Mom Convicted of Killing Her 2 Kids

Dr. Garth Warren, a forensic pathologist, said J.J. was asphyxiated with a plastic bag and duct tape over his mouth, according to East Idaho News, KTVB reporter Alexandra Duggan and Fox 10.

Tylee's manner of death was homicide, but her cause of death was undetermined. Her autopsy took several days because her remains were not found intact.

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The following day, Lori and Chad were charged with multiple charges, including concealment of evidence. In May 2021, they were both indicted on multiple charges in connection with the deaths of the J.J., Tylee and Tammy.

Related: Lori Vallow Daybell Gets Life in Prison Without Parole for Murdering Her 2 Kids, Husband's 1st Wife

Lori was a follower of Chad's religious doomsday writings and beliefs, which held that Lori's children were zombies and Lori was a "goddess," among other outlandish theories.

In opening statements of the weeks-long trial, Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake said the case was about "money, power and sex."

"Lori used money, power and sex or the promise of those things to get what she wanted," Blake said.

Related: Biggest Bombshells from Lori Vallow Daybell's Murder Trial After Idaho Mom Gets Life in Prison Without Parole

Chad, 54, will be tried separately in April. He has pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear if Tylee’s remains will be released from state custody.

“We are anxious to find out when Tylee too can be laid to rest,” the Woodcocks said in the statement. “Our greatest wish is for JJ and Tylee to be celebrated for the joy and love they brought to this world and for them to finally rest in peace. Only then, will our hearts begin to heal.”

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