Lori Vallow’s trial, allegations made against Todd Chrisley, and Michael J. Fox’s battle with Parkinson’s are just a few of the biggest headlines from this week.
If you need a refresher read on to stay up to date.
J.J. Vallow’s Cause of Death Revealed As Pathologist Testifies at Lori Vallow’s Trial
As Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial continues, new information about her children’s murders are being shared.
On April 26, Dr. Garth Warren, a forensic pathologist, testified that J.J. Vallow’s cause of death was asphyxiation. Warren said the results showed that J.J. was suffocated with a plastic bag and duct tape over his mouth, East Idaho News reports.
The autopsy was completed two days after J.J. and Taylee’s remains were discovered buried on Lori’s husband, Chad Daybell’s property. Dr. Warren also found scratch marks on J.J.’s neck and bruises on his wrists and ankles where they had been bound with more duct tape.
During his testimony, according to East Idaho News, Dr. Warren suggests the scratch marks could have been from J.J. attempting to take the plastic bag off his head. “Was J.J. trying to get the bag off his head? It could be scratch marks of him trying to get it off his head.”
RELATED: Lori Vallow’s Only Living Child Takes the Stand
Tylee’s cause of death has not yet been revealed to the public.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, during the 11th day of Lori Vallow’s trial, her only living child took the stand. Tweets from Nate Eaton, the News Director at East Idaho, described much of Colby Ryan’s testimony.
During questioning, it’s been reported that Colby Ryan began to cry as photos of his sister, Tylee Ryan, were shown to him and the rest of the courtroom during his testimony. After confirming that the picture was of Tyler, his biological sister, he talked about J.J. Vallow as well.
Wood shows the court a photo of Tylee Ryan. He asks Colby who that is. Colby, through tears, says, "That's my sister." Wood shows the court a photo of JJ Vallow. Colby says, "That's my brother." Colby is sniffling and just briefly glanced at his mom.
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 18, 2023
Colby confirmed that J.J. was his adopted brother and that he maintained a good relationship with them prior to their murders, which his mother is currently on trial for.
Visibly upset reliving the trauma over the last several years, Colby talked about how Lori allegedly told him her fourth husband died of a heart attack only to learn that Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles on July 11, 2019.
The day Charles died, Colby went home and Tylee greeted him. Alex was sitting on the couch watching TV and had a bandage on his hand. Colby asked Alex what happened. Alex said he had been hit with a bat and then she shot Charles. That night he said Lori's demeanor was "calm."
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 18, 2023
He went on to say that he loved his mother for most of his life and believed she could never hurt someone. But that all changed when Lori married her fifth husband Chad Daybed, who is also standing trial for murder.
“My mom has spent her whole life protecting us kids, ” Colby said on the stand. “After she met Chad Daybell, she changed.”
Colby says he was contacted by Gilbert police on Nov. 27, 2019. They asked where JJ and Tylee were. Colby said they were not with him and Colby had been concerned about his sister. His text messages with Tylee were "in a different language than how Tylee would talk and type.
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 18, 2023
As Eaton continued to report, Colby was one of the family to reach out to the police to voice his concerns about the wellbeing of his siblings, J.J. and Tylee.
Eaton also described Colby as leaving the courtroom for a break during his testimony, revealing that he reportedly glanced at Lori and shook his head. It’s unclear if Lori had any reaction.
However, upon returning to the courtroom Eaton reported that Lori kept looking at her son, but Colby did his best to avoid eye contact.
Colby is back on the stand while we wait for the judge and jury to enter the courtroom. Lori is looking at him but he either looks straight ahead or down.
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 18, 2023
During cross-examination, Colby was asked about his step-fathers and Tylee and J.J.’s medical needs. Tylee reportedly had pancreatitis and J.J. had special needs.
Colby went on to say that while his mom taught him about Jesus, Lori “never taught him about zombies, casting out evil spirits or dark and light scales. When asked about vibrations, Colby says his mom said that they were the same vibration. Archibald asks if his mom ever taught Colby that she was a goddess. He said no.”
Colby says his mom never taught him about zombies, casting out evil spirits or dark and light scales. When asked about vibrations, Colby says his mom said that they were the same vibration. Archibald asks if his mom ever taught Colby that she was a goddess.
— Nate Eaton (@NateNewsNow) April 18, 2023
Eaton continued reporting that Lori looked emotional, seemingly wiping away tears as her son spoke about his mom teaching him “God is good,” admitting that he thinks his mom loves him like he loves her.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, both Lori and Chad have pleaded not guilty to the murders of JJ and Tylee. Chad is also charged with the murder of his first wife.
JJ and Tylee had been missing since September 2019. Their bodies were discovered on June 9, 2020, on land owned by Daybell.
Daybell is also accused of killing his first wife, Tammy Daybell, who died a suspicious death, just weeks before Lori and Chad became husband and wife.
Daybell was a gravedigger, who also authored religion-based books about “prophecy and the end of the world.” And Vallow, according to several reports, believed she was the reincarnation of God and that her children were Zombies.
Alexus Whilby Responds to Past Racist Behavior by Former Father-in-Law, Todd Chrisley, After Tweets and Voicemails Resurface Online
While Todd Chrisley continues to serve his 12-year prison sentence for fraud and tax evasion, several racist tweets and voicemails from years ago are resurfacing online – all of which are directed towards his former daughter-in-law, Alexus Whilby, who used to be married to Todd’s eldest son, Kyle Chrisley.
“I endured the bullying comments for years in silence, but karma dealt with it so that I didn’t have to,” Whilby told Daily Mail last week as the tweets and voicemails resurfaced. “To see a grown man and public figure, who is the grandfather to a beautiful black child, say those horrible things was shocking.”
Todd Chrisley lashed out at former daughter-in-law Alexus Whilby in racist messages and voicemails https://t.co/2ePSYwHBFq pic.twitter.com/0bXurcg0v2
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) April 26, 2023
Alexus and Kyle tied the knot in 2014, but the couple divorced in 2018 after four years of marriage. While they don’t share any children together, Alexus was a stepmother to Kyle’s daughter, Chloe, who was born in 2012 while Kyle was dating Angela Johnson. Alexus describes Chloe as a ‘beautiful black child.’
The racist tweets in question, which have since been deleted, were posted by Todd Chrisley on April 4, 2015. “Alexus Whilby stop being silly u fame seeking wh**e.. U can’t count high enough to reach me,” Todd wrote in one tweet. It came just a few months after Todd accused Alexus of extorting him for $20k.
Folks, Alexus Whilby tried to extort our family 4 20k or tell the press we r racist, we chose 2 keep the 20k and see her in court. #slander
— Todd Chrisley (@toddchrisley) December 12, 2014
Todd Chrisley didn’t stop there and doubled down on his racist rant, replying to his first tweet. “bye you tired a*s weave wearing ashy skinned H*, u r blocked now, We are bored with pity for u,” he continued. The tweets are just some of the, what is being described as, “bullying comments” Todd directed towards his former daughter-in-law over the years.
In 2017, Todd Chrisley learned that Alexus Whilby was allegedly speaking to the Georgia Department of Revenue and assisting their investigation – the same investigation that landed him in prison for 12 years. He reportedly proceeded to send her a voicemail regarding an email he received addressed from her to the DOR.
Cont'd: Todd Chrisley's racist comments to son Kyle's black ex-wife exposed https://t.co/pYHDS0bZbM pic.twitter.com/lhJ6sWzdwP
— Brightly (@BrightlyAgain) April 26, 2023
In the email, Alexus was asking for protection from the DOR. “No darling, you don’t need protection, you need an attorney,” he said in the voicemail – adding that a lawsuit wouldn’t be a ‘vendetta’ against her, but rather an opportunity to force Alexus to ‘do the right thing’ and ‘acknowledge what she’s done.’
“We are still waiting for a response from her attorney now regarding her divorce. And we can’t seem to get a response, so normally when people don’t respond to you it is because they haven’t paid their attorneys. So, I assume if she can’t pay a mortgage on time, she can’t pay her attorney on time,” Todd continued.
Kyle Chrisley Also Helped Convict Todd Chrisley
According to 2017 court documents, Alexus Whilby wasn’t the only one assisting the Georgia Department of Revenue in their collection efforts against Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie Chrisley. His eldest son, Kyle Chrisley, was also part of a Skype call – with his then-wife, Alexus – and assisted in their efforts.
Kyle Chrisley arrested for felony aggravated assault two months after father Todd Chrisley was sent to prison https://t.co/4LfvVxsdbm pic.twitter.com/RtEPNOpAP0
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 14, 2023
In fact, it was Kyle who allegedly told the DOR that his father had offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes on money he was making at the time. Not long after that Skype call, Alexus spoke with the DOR about a warehouse that was part of a scheme to get an IRS tax lien removed from one of Todd’s properties.
Nearly a year later, Todd tried to pressure Alexus into testifying on his behalf as the DOR closed in on the allegations – this came after they executed a search warrant on the warehouse. It was at this time that Alexus decided to file for divorce from Kyle – hoping to put the entire situation in the rearview mirror.
“Being married to Kyle taught me that it’s not the glitz and the glamour that people like to flaunt on the outside that is important. It is about being a good person behind the scenes and being true to yourself and others,” Alexus told Daily Mail – referring to what she learned during the four-year marriage.
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“I walked away from a family who, at the time, seemed to have it all and many people thought that I was crazy. I was empowered. I know who I was then and now, and no amount of fame could make me compromise my morals.”
Hearts Break for Bucs Linebacker Shaquil Barrett Following Reports of His 2-Year-Old Daughter’s Passing
The sports world is sharing their grief and their condolences after news reports revealed Shaquil Barrett’s 2-year-old daughter, Arrayah, has passed away.
Barrett is a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs confirmed the devastating news in a statement released on April 30, TMZ reports.
“Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna, and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time. While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this, we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”
According to police, Arrayah reportedly drowned in the family’s pool. She was transported to a local hospital on Sunday morning after it was reported that she fell into the water. The 2-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police confirm that the investigation into the accident is ongoing. But preliminary results say that “the circumstances of the accident don’t appear to be suspicious in nature,” according to TMZ.
While neither Shaq nor his wife, Jordanna, have shared a statement yet, Shaq’s last post on his Instagram was a post celebrating Arrayah’s second birthday on April 19.
“Happy 2nd bday to my cutie girl. So sweet and cute. You made our family complete. I love you, baby girl!”
Several of his teammates, including Tom Brady, took to social media to offer their condolences to Shaq, Jordanna, and Arrayah’s three siblings. Along with a picture of the whole Barrett family, Brady wrote, “The Bradys love you,” with a red heart emoji.
Granger Smith, the country singer turned pastor who also lost one of his children in a drowning incident, also commented, writing, “Love you, brother.”
According to the CDC, in the United States, “more children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. For children ages 5–14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.”
The CDC continues, confirming that “most drownings in children 1–4 happen in swimming pools.” Drownings are often silent and can happen in seconds, and it can happen to anyone.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Barrett family during this heartbreaking time.
Michael J. Fox Admits Life Is Getting ‘Tougher’ With Parkinson’s: ‘I’m not gonna be 80’
Michael J. Fox is opening up about living with Parkinson’s Disease. In a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Fox revealed that life “is getting tougher. Every day it’s tougher.”
Now, 61 years old, Fox believes he can see his future. And he admits he doesn’t think he will I’ve to see his 80th year.
Michael J. Fox Admits Life Is Getting ‘Tougher’ With Parkinson’s
“My life is set up so I can pack Parkinson’s along with me if I have to,” Fox told host Jane Pauley before she asked if Parkinson’s will “make the call at some point.” Fox heartbreakingly replied, saying, “Yeah, it’s banging on the door.”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher. That’s, that’s the way it is. I mean, you know, who do I see about that? …”
Fox also opened up about additional health issues he faced head-on in addition to living with Parkinson’s. “I had spinal surgery. I had a tumor on my spine.”
Fox went on to share that it was because of that back surgery that he has been photographed using a cane to get around. While the tumor was thankfully “benign,” he shared that the surgery “messed up my walking.”
The actor has also dealt with several broken bones, revealing that he’s fractured his arm, elbow, hand, and face as a result of falling. Fox revealed that falling is “a big killer” when it comes to life with Parkinson’s.
“It’s falling … and aspirating food and getting pneumonia. All these subtle ways that gets ya. You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s. So — so I’ve been — I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease when he was just 29 years old. Fox was just newly married to his wife, Tracy Pollan, whom he met on the set of Family Ties a few years earlier.
Back in June 2022, he also opened up more about the symptoms he lives with on a daily basis. Fox, at the time, shared that Parkinson’s has left him with tremors, speech difficulty, and muscle rigidity. Additionally, and perhaps the most surprising of them all, Parkinson’s has also left him without his sense of smell.
According to Fox while this symptom may surprise many people, it’s actually a fairly common thing to experience for those battling Parkinson’s Disease. Now, he relies on his memories from childhood to recall different smells from his past.
“I remember the smell of pine, just after Christmas, in this apartment building I lived in. It had balconies, fire escapes, and everyone would put the trees out there for New Year’s before they got picked up, because you couldn’t put them on the road. And the whole place smelled like pine. It smelled like a pine forest.”
According to Medical News Today, “an impaired sense of smell is one of the earliest clinical features of both Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. There is an overall reduction in the sense of smell, particularly affecting the individual’s ability to identify and recognize odors.”
While this particular symptom of Parkinson’s disease often goes undiagnosed until additional, more obvious, symptoms of Parkinson’s reveal themselves, researchers are hoping this discovery will aid in early diagnosis for future patients.
As a result of Parkinson’s affecting his memory and his ability to memorize lines, Fox ultimately stepped back from acting. And while Fox has become a legendary actor over the years, he admits he didn’t panic when the disease got in his way of doing just that.
“I didn’t freak out. I just went, ‘Well that’s that. Moving on.’ A key element of this process is memorizing lines, and I can’t do it,” he said. “So, I go to the beach.”
Now, Fox is focusing on different interests, including writing and his foundation. While he can no longer physically write or type, he dictated his last book to an assistant.
“My short-term memory is shot,” Fox told People. “My guitar playing is no good. My sketching is no good anymore, my dancing never was good, and acting is getting tougher to do. So it’s down to writing,” he said. “Luckily, I really enjoy it.”
On his foundation’s website, Fox opted to keep his diagnosis a secret for several years while he continued to live his life in the spotlight. According to The New York Times, the Michael J. Fox Foundation has “the most credible voice on Parkinson’s research in the world.”
It is also the “world’s largest non-profit funder of Parkinson’s drug development.”
Parents of the Gunman Who Killed 5 Inside a Kentucky Bank Speak Out: ‘We are so sorry’
“We are so sorry. We are heartbroken. We wish we could undo it but we know we can’t.” This is the message two parents would like to give to the families of the victims killed in the Kentucky Bank Shooting on April 11.
Lisa and Todd Sturgeon are the parents of Connor Sturgeon. Connor was the man who opened fire at the Kentucky bank, killing Tommy Elliott, 63, as well as Joshua Barrick, 40, Deana Eckert, 57, Jim Tutt, 64, Juliana Farmer, 45, and injuring at least 8 others.
Now, Lisa and Todd have sat down with Today’s Savannah Guthrie to speak about their son’s horrific actions. But the decision to do so didn’t come without its fears.
“We have a concern about inadvertently being disrespectful to the families. Our heart is just shattered for them and what they are going through,” Todd explained. But rather than run away from what their son did, the parents opted to take responsibility for his actions.
“He did this to totally innocent individuals. There was no provocation, no justification, no rationalization at all. They were just trying to do their jobs, provide for their families, and they will never be the same due to his actions,” Lisa added.
When asked why they think their son committed such horrible crimes, Todd admits there is no way to know for sure. “We know that Connor was struggling with some mental health issues. I’m afraid that whatever we come up with as the cause still isn’t going to make sense.”
Lisa went on to admit that there was no clear tell Connor would act in this way and that’s exactly why she wanted to share their side of it all. She doesn’t want this happening to anyone else.
According to the parents, Connor began to struggle with his mental health just a year ago. He began suffering from anxiety, panic attacks and attempted to take his own life.
As a result, Connor began seeing a psychiatrist regularly and he was taking medication. From the outside looking in, Connor seemed to be doing well.
RELATED: 911 Call Made By Mother of Shooter Who Targeted Kentucky Bank Revealed
But on the Tuesday before the attack, Connor called his mom and admitted he had suffered another panic attack while at work. He told his mom he didn’t know the cause of the panic attack but that he thought taking some time off work would help.
Lisa agreed with her son and told him that he has her full support. The next day, they had lunch.
Guthrie asked if they believed Connor was suicidal at that time. “That is also inconceivable to me,” Lisa answered. “He was willing to talk to me. He had told us before he would never do such a thing like that to us.”
On Thursday, Lisa set up an additional appointment with Connor’s psychiatrist. “We thought he was coming out of the crisis.”
The last time Lisa and Todd saw Connor was on Easter Sunday. The day before the attack.
Lisa and Todd said their son was fine. He was interacting with people, helping people find the last of the hidden eggs during the egg hunt, and joking around. “He went home with a buddy and they’re watching the last round of the Masters, the night before,” Todd explained.
The parents had no clue that just five days earlier, Connor bought the weapon he would use to carry out the attack. Lisa said she learned about the gun when she received a call on the day of the shooting from her son’s roommate.
Connor told his roommate that he left some notes and that he wanted him to call Lisa and explain everything. “Unbelievable, there is no way this is happening, please stop him, please make sure nobody gets hurt. This cannot be happening. This is not him.”
Todd said after learning about reports of the shooting, “You go from praying for his life, to praying that this is unimaginable, that he just commit suicide and he doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
When asked if they believe Connor should have been able to buy the gun legally, both Todd and Lisa said “no.” In 40 minutes, despite being under the care of two mental health professionals, Connor was able to walk out of the store with the gun and the ammunition for only $600.
“Connor in his darkest hour needed us to be exceptional, not reasonable and we failed him,” Todd admitted while getting emotional. “We were not exceptional and I guess if we could send a message to people that when you are faced with this you may have to go exceptional means maybe it can help open their eyes to this.”
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Lisa’s call to 911 on the day of the shooting has been shared with the public.
The audio file shared by multiple sources depicts a mother in panic, not knowing what to do in an impossible situation. She told the 911 operator, that she believed her son had a gun and that he was heading “toward the Old National…on Main Street here in Louisville.”
“This is his mother,” she confirmed. “I’m so sorry, I’m getting details secondhand.” When the 911 operator asked the woman why she believes her son would do this, she admits she doesn’t know.
“I don’t know what to do. I need your help,” she concedes before saying he’s “never hurt anyone. He’s a really good kid. Please don’t…”
The mother continued to admit that she didn’t know the details of her son’s plan but that his roommate called her “concerned.” “I’m sorry I don’t know what I’m doing.”
She then added that “they” as a family don’t own any guns but suggested his girlfriend may. “He’s not violent,” she says. “He’s never done anything.”
At the end of the call, the 911 dispatcher admits that she had already received other calls about a situation at the Old National Bank and told her not to go to the scene.
After releasing the audio to the public, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg supported authorities to do so by saying, “Transparency is important – even more so in times of crisis.”
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