Prosecutor says missing kids have not been in Hawaii as neighbor recalls Daybell encounter

KAUAI, Hawaii — When Steve Latham meets most of his new neighbors, they’re thrilled to be moving into the beautiful Villas on the Prince. The gated community of townhouse condos is located on the Prince Golf Course in Princeville, Kauai and is surrounded by palm trees, walking trails, beautiful fountains and a large swimming pool.

Latham has lived here ten years and is a realtor with Oceanfront Sotheby’s International Realty. He meets a lot of people and when Chad and Lori Daybell moved two houses down from him early last month, he had an interesting encounter.

“About the first week of December, there were some boxes left on their porch and I believe they were from Idaho,” Latham recalls. “I called the realtor that had the listing and he told me to put them inside. A few days after that, I saw them pull up and I went over and introduced myself. Their names were Chad and Lori.”

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The couple was polite but seemed “guarded,” according to Latham. They didn’t open up or share anything about their personal lives but thanked their new neighbor for bringing in their 3-4 heavy packages.

The unit was for sale and had been vacant for some time. The Daybells did not purchase the home, according to Latham, but signed a contract as long-term tenants. Many homes in the community are used for vacation rentals, but Chad and Lori had more permanent plans. Latham says they purchased furniture and had it moved in.

But then, they vanished.

“I don’t think I ever saw them at the pool or anything like that. It seemed vacant most of the time. I didn’t see lights on or anything like that,” he says. “I hardly ever saw them at all and I never saw them with anybody else so I don’t know if they were living there or not.”

Latham had no idea Lori’s children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, have been missing since the end of September. He did not know Lori and Chad were newlyweds and that Lori’s ex-husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed in Arizona by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, last summer. Cox died of an undisclosed cause around the same time Chad and Lori moved to Hawaii.

Latham was also unaware Chad’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, died suspiciously in her sleep in October.

The realtor doesn’t remember the last time he saw Lori Daybell but he had a brief conversation with Chad last Friday, Jan. 24. The Idaho father told Latham he was leaving because the condo was scheduled to be shown to a potential buyer.

EXCLUSIVE: Daybells served with search warrants in Hawaii

Two days later, the couple was stopped 16 miles south of the Princeville home at the Kauai Beach Resort. Kauai Police issued a search warrant on their rental SUV and on the residence two doors down from Latham’s. Federal law enforcement and officers from eastern Idaho were also on hand.

“Our role here on Kauai has been mostly to support and provide logistical help,” Kahai County Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar says. “They’re not currently suspected of committing any crimes here in Hawaii so our goal has been mainly to assist the mainland authorities and the state and federal authorities.”

Lori Vallow Daybell lived in Hawaii with Charles Vallow years ago and they ran a juice bar. She has visited frequently but Kollar says his office was unaware of who she was until they were contacted by Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood a few weeks ago.

“This was not a person who was ever on our radar screen before this situation ever came up,” Kollar says. “Anything we can do here to hopefully find out where these kids are or what happened to them, we’d be happy to do.”

Read the entire story at EastIdahoNews.com.