REXBURG, Idaho — Three days after a judge lowered her bond from $5 million to $1 million, Lori Vallow-Daybell is still in jail, and it appears some Idaho bail bonds companies won’t take her on as a client.
A bail bonds company said multiple businesses have decided not to work with Lori Vallow-Daybell., who was arrested in Hawaii last month in connection with the case of her two missing children. At least two bail bonds businesses told East Idaho News they declined to work with her.
At first, it was expected that Vallow-Daybell would get out of jail Friday night, hours after the court hearing that ended with a lower bond. By Monday night, it appeared Vallow-Daybell still had not bonded out.
Anyone who finds themselves in jail can reach out to a bail bonds company for help.
L. Dominic Sanone, President of Dewey’s Bail Bonds Inc, takes calls throughout the day and night from potential clients in the Salt Lake Valley. He explained some of the reasons why a company won’t take on a client.
Some bail bonds businesses may not have enough insurance to cover a high $1 million bond, he said.
“I would assume that the companies in Rexburg are used to writing $1,500 bails, and maybe $10,000 is a large bond,” Sanone said. “It’s a small city.”
There are other hoops to jump through as well before working with someone, he indicated, such as ensuring the person can pay the bail fee and that they can offer up collateral.
The bail fee in Vallow-Daybell’s case is $100,000, which is 10 percent of the bond.
Sanone explained that the collateral needs to be substantial.
“Normally we’re talking about hundreds of thousands or millions [of dollars], we need a piece of property, with equity in it. Close to a million dollars,” he said, of what kind of collateral his company looks for in similar cases.
In addition, Sanone said bail bonds companies need to make sure the person will go to court and isn’t a flight risk.
Even if everything checks out, according to Sanone, a bail bonds business may have other reasons not to work with clients like Vallow-Daybell.
“I would take a very hard look at everything involved in that case, just due to the circumstances,” he said. “You got a dead husband, a dead wife, and then two missing children. It stinks to high heaven, so to speak.”
Vallow-Daybell has a legal right to bond out, and Sanone said until she’s convicted, she should be able to post bail.
However, he also explained that it’s about whether or not a bail bonds company wants to take on that risk.
“It’s such a high profile case; I don’t think there’s many places that she could go,” he said.
If Vallow-Daybell bonds out, she will have to follow court-ordered restrictions, including staying within a 4-county perimeter and wearing an ankle monitor.
Her two children, 17-year old Tylee Ryan and 7-year old Joshua “JJ” Vallow , are still missing. Vallow-Daybell is in jail on felony charges of desertion and nonsupport of her children, as well as misdemeanor charges related to the case.
This story was originally published by Lauren Steinbrecher on KSTU in Salt Lake City.
