BOISE, Idaho — A forensic pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the body of JJ Vallow said the boy died of asphyxia when questioned Wednesday in the trial Lori Vallow Daybell.
Dr. Garth Warren, a forensic pathologist who has contracts with multiple Idaho counties, said the cause of death for the 7-year-old was asphyxia caused by a plastic bag being placed over his head and duct tape over his mouth, the East Idaho News reports.
Warren detailed during his questioning that when they received JJ's body for the autopsy, they found a white plastic bag over his head with duct tape. Duct tape was also bound around his forearms, hands and ankles.
Clothes, duct tape, the plastic bag, hair and teeth were given to law enforcement after the autopsy was completed, Warren said during the trial.
East Idaho News reports that Warren said there were no signs of disease or trauma to internal organs including in the ribs and lungs.
Warren also testified that they determined the cause of death for Tylee Ryan, JJ's sister, was a homicide by unspecified means, East Idaho News reports.
He described how the 16-year-old's remains were delivered to him in a variety of bags and severely charred and destroyed.
During the autopsy, Warren said they looked for bullets, a portion of a knife or any other debris that could be collected as evidence, East Idaho News reported. They instead found only a collection of bones with mud and dirt.
Through a variety of tests, Warren testified that there was no evidence to support Tylee was alive when her body was burned, East Idaho News reports.
The bodies of JJ and Tylee were recovered on June 9, 2020 in the backyard of Chad Daybell's rural Idaho home.
The questioning comes on week three of the eight-week trial of Lori Vallow Daybell held in St. Anthony, Idaho.
Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell are accused of conspiring together to kill JJ, Tylee, as well as Chad Daybell's late wife Tammy Daybell.
