PHOENIX — Divorce papers filed last week in Maricopa County by the ex-husband of Lori Vallow's niece say that Melani Pawlowski may have information about the disappearance of 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow, but Pawlowski fired back with her own allegations Wednesday.
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The records filed by Brandon Boudreaux state that his ex-wife Melani Boudreaux, now Melani Pawlowski, "is under investigation relating to the disappearance of her aunt's two missing children," who haven't been seen since September 2019.
Lori Vallow was arrested last week in Hawaii on a warrant out of Idaho after failing to comply with a court order to produce Tylee and J.J. Investigators on the case have said they believe that Vallow either knows the location of the children or what happened to them.
In a court petition to modify child support, Boudreaux asserts that Pawlowski's "knowledge of the whereabouts of her aunt's two missing children and her unwillingness to cooperate with law enforcement in finding those children is daunting."
Another passage in the same document says that Pawlowski's current husband, Ian Pawlowski, has told law enforcement that his wife says, "sometimes children are full of light and then just like that they go dark."
In court records, Brandon also accuses Melani of being involved in a cult "where numerous members, adults, and children alike, have been being killed off like flies."
In a December interview, Boudreaux said he believed that Lori Vallow's views were extreme, and Melani had followed Lori in joining a cult.
"The focus is so much on the end of the world and this idea that the end is coming," he said. "I think it's an infatuation with the end of the world and an infatuation with power."
In his most recent filing, Boudreaux also accuses his ex of being part of a plot with Melani's uncle to murder him on October 2, 2019. Brandon asserts that on that night, he was in his car in front of his Gilbert home when someone fired a shot, striking his car just above his head.
According to court documents, Boudreaux said he saw a rifle with a silencer come out the back of a gray Jeep Wranger, which police say is registered to Lori's ex-husband, Charles Vallow. Boudreaux contends that Melani is a suspect in this investigation. He believes Melani was "hoping to cash in on that (insurance) policy to help support the cult that she is believed to be a part of."
Brandon says that Ian Pawlowski has told investigators that Melani told him "that she conspired with her uncle to kill (Brandon)."
Gilbert police have not released any information about the shooting, but say it's under investigation and they continue to follow multiple leads.
In court documents refuting Brandon's claims, Melani accuses him of "questionable business dealings in Arizona." She goes on to say that, "there are many people who believe (Brandon) stole from them or financially harmed them."
Pawlowski went a step further on Wednesday, releasing a statement through her lawyers denying allegations that she knows where the missing children are and that she has any involvement with wrongdoings.
“Mrs. Pawlowski has cooperated with law enforcement, including meeting for hours with the FBI on three separate days," attorney Robert Jarvis said in a statement. "As she told the FBI, Melani does not know the whereabouts of the missing children of her aunt, Lori Vallow.”
The statement goes on to allege Boudreaux and his family have covered up child molestation, drug addiction, kidnapping, assaults, and killings.
"Brandon Boudreaux has plenty to hide. A closer look would reveal many possible sources who would take a shot at him. Melani is not one of them," the statement read.
Pawlowski alleges that she once confronted Boudreaux with proof of a pornography addiction and homosexual affairs. Boudreaux then allegedly retaliated with threats to attack her and to take her kids away.
"He has carried through with his threats by lying in his court documents," the statement reads. "Sadly, and irresponsibly, much of the media has quoted Brandon Boudreaux’s biased, vindictive, and fake accusations as truth and fact when they are his resentful, vengeful, and dishonest efforts to get full custody of Melani’s children."
Read the full statement below:
