Latest news with #Vallow
6 days ago
'Doomsday mom' Lori Daybell set to be sentenced in murder conspiracy trials
Lori Daybell is set to be sentenced in Arizona on Friday for conspiring with her late brother to kill her fourth husband in 2019. She will also be sentenced for conspiring with her brother to kill her niece's ex-husband in a failed drive-by shooting that same year. Daybell was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in two separate trials in Maricopa County this spring. She faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for each conviction, prosecutors said. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place Friday morning local time before Judge Justin Beresky, who presided over both trials. The so-called "doomsday mom" is already serving life in prison after being convicted in 2023 of murdering two of her children. Prosecutors in the Idaho trial argued that she and her current husband, Chad Daybell, thought the children were possessed zombies and murdered them in 2019 so that they could be together. She was also found guilty of stealing Social Security survivor benefits allocated for the care of her children after they went missing. Similarly, prosecutors in Maricopa County argued that she conspired with her brother to kill her estranged husband of 13 years, Charles Vallow, so she could get his $1 million life insurance policy and be with Chad Daybell, an author of religious fiction books whom she married four months after the deadly shooting. Prosecutors further said she invoked their "twisted" religious beliefs as justification for the murder and gave her brother "religious authority" to kill Vallow because they believed he was possessed by an evil spirit they referred to as "Ned." In the first of her Arizona trials, Lori Daybell argued that her brother, Alex Cox, shot Vallow in self-defense in her home in Chandler, Arizona, in July 2019. She was then found guilty in a second trial of scheming with Cox to kill Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of her niece. Three months after Vallow's killing, Boudreaux called 911 to report that someone driving by in a Jeep shot at his vehicle outside his home in Gilbert, Arizona. Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that Boudreaux continued to live in fear following the failed attempt on his life, wondering if Cox would "return to finish the job." Cox died from natural causes later in December 2019. Lori Daybell, 51, did not take the stand or call any witnesses in either trial, in which she represented herself. In her closing statement, she argued that her family has been struck by tragedy and that she did not conspire to commit any crime. Her sentencing hearing comes after failed attempts at getting new trials on both counts. After being convicted of conspiring to kill Vallow, she also unsuccessfully tried to remove Judge Beresky from the case, claiming he was biased against her. She frequently clashed with the judge while representing herself during the trials. During the second trial, Beresky at one point removed her from the courtroom after she became combative during discussions about her character. The judge had warned that if she referred to herself as having "great character," that could open the door for the state to introduce evidence to rebut that character, including regarding her previous convictions in Idaho. Both Lori and Chad Daybell were found guilty of first-degree murder for the deaths of her children in separate trials in Fremont County, Idaho. Joshua "J.J." Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, went missing months after Charles Vallow was killed. Their remains were found on an Idaho property belonging to Chad Daybell in June 2020 following a monthslong search. They were also found guilty of conspiring to kill Chad Daybell's first wife, Tamara Daybell, who died in October 2019 -- two weeks before Lori and Chad Daybell married in Hawaii. Chad Daybell was found guilty of murdering her. Lori Daybell is currently serving life in prison without parole, while Chad Daybell was sentenced to death for the three murders and now awaits execution on Idaho's death row.
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Boston Globe
Lori Vallow Daybell to be sentenced on Arizona convictions, signaling end to legal saga
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Public interest in Vallow Daybell, 52, grew as the investigation into her own missing children — 7-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan — took several strange and unexpected turns. Their bodies were found buried in rural Idaho on Chad Daybell's property on June 9, 2020. Advertisement Chad Daybell was sentenced to death in the killings of the children and his wife, Tammy, the romantic rival. Vallow Daybell was convicted of conspiring to kill Tammy. Advertisement Prosecutors in Arizona are seeking life sentences on each of Vallow Daybell's latest convictions. Once sentenced in Arizona, Vallow Daybell will be sent back to prison in Idaho. Charles Vallow was fatally shot in 2019 Charles Vallow filed for divorce four months before he died. He said Vallow Daybell became infatuated with near-death experiences and claimed to have lived numerous lives on other planets. He told police she threatened to kill him and he was concerned for his children. Vallow was shot when he went to pick up his son at Vallow Daybell's home outside Phoenix, police said. Vallow Daybell's daughter, Tylee, told police the sound of yelling woke her up, and she confronted Vallow with a baseball bat to defend her mother. Vallow managed to take the bat from her. Cox told police that he shot Vallow after he refused to drop the bat and came after him. Cox died five months later from a blood clot in his lungs. His self-defense claim was later called into question, with investigators saying Cox and Vallow Daybell waited more than 40 minutes before calling 911. Right before his death, Vallow and his wife's other brother, Adam Cox, planned an intervention to try to bring Lori back into the mainstream of their shared faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Adam Cox, a witness for the prosecution, testified his sister claimed to be in the process of 'translating from being a mortal human to an immortal human being, a celestial being.' He also said she told people that Vallow was no longer living and that a zombie was inside her estranged husband's body. Someone shot at Brandon Boudreaux months later Almost three months after Vallow died, someone fired a shot at Boudreaux from an open window of a Jeep as he was driving up to his home in Gilbert, another Phoenix suburb. It narrowly missed Boudreaux, the ex-husband of Vallow Daybell's niece, Melani Pawlowski. Advertisement Boudreaux said Pawlowski aspired to be like her aunt. The two started attending religious meetings together in 2018. Soon after, Pawlowski said they should stockpile food for the end of the world. Prosecutors tied the Jeep to Vallow Daybell and said she loaned it to Alex Cox. The two bought a burner phone used to carry out the attack and tried to concoct an alibi for Cox to make it seem like he was in Idaho at the time, prosecutors said. Vallow Daybell is representing herself Unlike her Idaho case, Vallow Daybell chose to represent herself at both Arizona trials, even though she isn't a lawyer. At her first trial, she argued her brother Alex Cox acted in self-defense when killing Vallow. She struggled with legal duties that most lawyers consider routine, such as lining up witnesses to testify. She argued at the second Arizona trial that no evidence established that she conspired with Cox to kill Boudreaux. 'I'm not defensive,' Vallow Daybell told jurors. 'I'm not angry.' She clashed with Judge Justin Beresky and tried to get him removed from the case, arguing he was biased against her. She insisted on exercising her speedy trial rights yet complained she didn't have enough time to prepare. During jury selection in the case involving Boudreaux, Vallow Daybell said she was sick and couldn't go to trial. Beresky pushed ahead, saying there was no objective evidence to support her claim.
Irish Daily Star
23-04-2025
- Irish Daily Star
Lori Vallow Daybell's jaw-dropping response to 'guilty' verdict after ex-husband's murder
Lori Vallow Daybell, dubbed the 'Doomsday cult' mom , reportedly remained unfazed as she was declared guilty of conspiring with her brother to murder her former husband. This verdict in an Arizona trial follows her earlier conviction for the killing of her two children. As the Judge announced the jury's decision and confirmed the guilty verdict with each juror, Vallow maintained a chilling silence . The case, originating from Maricopa County, Arizona, dates back to July 2019 when Vallow Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, fatally shot her then-estranged husband , Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix residence. Cox claimed self-defense to the police. He was never prosecuted and subsequently died of natural causes. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump branded 'dumbest President ever' after six-word comment about Congo Read More Related Articles White House branded 'narcissistic' after brief 5-word tribute to Pope Lori Vallow in court on April 21, 2025, where she rested her case as her own attorney (Image: Tony Blakeslee via AP) At that time, Vallow Daybell was romantically involved with Chad Daybell, a self-published author known for his doomsday-themed fiction loosely inspired by Mormon teachings. She eventually relocated to Idaho with her children and brother to be nearer to him, a move critics have labeled as a 'doomday cult' situation. The disappearance of the children thrust Vallow and her spouse, Chad, into the spotlight as their grandparents and older sibling searched for them for almost nine months. When they vanished in September 2019, all other adults genuinely believed that Lori had simply left them somewhere and 'refused' to disclose their whereabouts to the grandparents. On the grim date of June 9, 2020, the tragic discovery of 7 year old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16 year old Tylee Ryan's remains was made in Chad Daybell's backyard. The investigation into the children's deaths revealed a tangled mess of deceit, cult-like activities, and a series of murders and attempted killings. According to prosecutors, Vallow plotted with her sibling, Alex Cox, to murder Charles Vallow in order to cash in on his life insurance and wed her then-beau, Chad Daybell, an Idaho writer known for his apocalyptic religious fiction. In a dramatic courtroom scene, where she represented herself and was outfitted with a 'taser belt' to thwart any escape attempts, Vallow recounted how Charles, her former spouse, had furiously confronted her on the night of his demise, disturbing the kids. Vallow, visibly emotional, recounted that Tylee, the teen, tried to protect her with a bat. She described a violent altercation where Charles and Tylee grappled for the gun, resulting in Charles knocking Tylee down. Lori Vallow Daybell was found guilty in a second trial, this time in Arizona, after a jury found that she did conspire with her brother to kill her ex husband (Image: AP) The struggle persisted until her brother intervened and other relatives were roused by the commotion. She went on to claim that Charles pursued her with the bat until Alex intervened with his firearm. Lori Vallow narrated her frantic escape with her children to a car, followed by a drive-thru visit, before attempting to reach JJ's school. Scenes from the Netflix special 'Sins of Our Mother' unveiled footage of Lori Vallow walking into her home to discover her former husband deceased, yet she looked remarkably unruffled. As she relayed the day's plans to the authorities - dropping off her son at school and getting snacks for her daughter - she appeared nonchalant. An Arizona jury has convicted Lori Vallow Daybell of conspiring to kill her former husband in 2019 (Image: AP) Furthermore, during their statements with the police, Lori laughed and shared light-hearted conversations with the officers. The police attributed this to self-defense, never following up with the family after that day. Lori further justified, "Self-defense is not a crime," and "A family tragedy is not a crime," as part of her opening statement just a few weeks prior to that. It turned out that four months before his death, Charles Vallow had sought a divorce from Lori Daybell. In the divorce filing, he mentioned that Lori had a strange fascination with near-death experiences and professed to have lived past lives on other planets. In his filing, Charles also accused Lori of making financial threats and even vowing to take his life. Consequently, he asked for an assessment of her mental well-being. In an exclusive interview with NBC's Keith Morrison back in March, it was observed that Lori expressed no remorse over the loss of her children. Shockingly, as she geared up to defend herself in the trial for the murder of her estranged husband, she asserted that she felt "great". Currently, Lori is already serving a trio of life sentences for the passing of the children and her participation in plotting Tammy Daybell's murder in Idaho. Meanwhile, Chad received a death sentence for the said killings. She's set to face trial again in late May, this time on charges of conspiring to murder Brandon Boudreaux, the former husband of Vallow Daybell's niece, Melani Pawlowski. In 2019, an individual in a Jeep fired a shot at Boudreaux outside his home in a suburb of Phoenix. The bullet missed him but hit his car. The Jeep involved was similar to one registered to Charles Vallow, who had been killed almost three months before the incident at Boudreaux's residence.
Metro
23-04-2025
- Metro
'Doomsday mum' guilty of conspiring to murder her fourth husband
A 'doomsday mum' who killed two of her children has now been found guilty of conspiring to murder her fourth husband. Lori Vallow Daybell conspired with her late brother to kill her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, at his home in Chandler, Arizona, in 2019. He died in July of that year after being shot. She was hoping to collect money from his life insurance policy before marrying her now-husband, 'doomsday prophet' Chad Daybell. Vallow Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, claimed he acted in self defence when he shot and killed Mr Vallow. Cox died five months later after developing a blood clot in his lungs. The mum, who chose to defend herself at trial, said Mr Vallow had chased her around the house with a bat, but the jury found her guilty after deliberating for just three hours. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the second trial Vallow Daybell has faced amid a complex web of cases involving murders and mysterious deaths. Vallow-Daybell is already serving three consecutive life sentences for killing two of her children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7, and conspiring to murder Daybell's previous wife, Tammy Daybell. Tammy died in her sleep in October 2019. Vallow Daybell became involved in a cult led by Chad Daybell, and after moving her family to be with him in Idaho they decided the children were 'zombies'. They justified the killings by suggesting the children had been taken over by 'evil spirits'. Chad Daybell received the death penalty last year after being found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder in the deaths of Tylee, Joshua, and Tammy Daybell. He is awaiting execution at a maximum security facility in Idaho. Starting with Mr Vallow's death, the doomsday couple created a wider plot to rid their lives of 'obstacles', text messages shown to the 2023 murder trial showed. More Trending The prosecution said Vallow Daybell 'used money, power, and sex to get what she wanted'. Vallow Daybell will go on trial again in June, accused of conspiring to murder Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of her niece, Melani Pawlowski. Mr Boudreaux survived the drive-by shooting in Arizona in October 2019 – the assailant was driving Mr Vallow's car. Vallow Daybell won't be sentenced for her most recent conviction until after her next trial is complete. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man tackles young girl for 'throwing eggs at his home' MORE: Top scientist working on groundbreaking cancer tech is detained by US immigration MORE: Manhole explodes and nearly takes out woman with two grandkids on sidewalk
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Doomsday mom' Lori Daybell found guilty in murder conspiracy trial
Lori Daybell, the mother convicted of murdering two of her children in a so-called doomsday plot, has now been found guilty of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband. The jury in Maricopa County, Arizona, was handed the case Monday afternoon before reaching a verdict Tuesday afternoon. Lori Daybell, 51, represented herself in the Phoenix trial. She did not take the stand or call any witnesses. Dubbed the "doomsday mom," Lori Daybell has maintained that her brother shot her then-husband of 13 years, Charles Vallow, in self-defense in her home in Chandler, Arizona, in July 2019. Her brother, Alex Cox, died from natural causes months after the shooting. She had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. MORE: 'Doomsday mom' Lori Daybell delivers closing argument in murder conspiracy trial Prosecutors, meanwhile, said the shooting was a ploy for Daybell to get rid of her estranged husband so she could get his $1 million life insurance policy and be with her current husband, Chad Daybell, whom she married four months after the shooting. Prosecutors further said she invoked their "twisted" religious beliefs as justification for the murder and gave her brother "religious authority" to kill Vallow because they believed he was possessed by an evil spirit they referred to as "Ned." Over two weeks, the state called more than a dozen witnesses, including Daybell's other brother, Adam Cox, who testified that he had "no doubt" his two siblings conspired to kill Vallow upon learning that his brother had fatally shot him. In her closing argument, Maricopa County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Treena Kay said the evidence at the scene showed that Vallow was not shot in self-defense, but was "executed" and the scene "staged." She recounted text messages sent from Lori Daybell to her husband, Chad, seven days after Vallow was killed, discussing her now-deceased husband's life insurance policy. Kay said that, upon learning she was no longer the beneficiary of the plan, the defendant messaged Chad that "Ned" probably changed it "before we got rid of him." The prosecutor also discussed a text message the defendant sent Alex Cox days before the deadly shooting in which she said they could "be like Nephi," a prophet in the Book of Mormon who God commanded to kill Laban. "Lori Vallow wanted the million dollars, and she wanted Chad Daybell, and she and Alex used that twisted religious beliefs they had so that they could kill the evil, possessed Charles and 'be like Nephi,'" Kay said. Three jurors who spoke to reporters following the verdict said the text message evidence in the case had stood out while they were deliberating. The jurors said they had no knowledge of Lori Daybell's prior convictions, which were not discussed during the Phoenix trial. Members of Vallow's family expressed relief at the guilty verdict. "I'm ready to move on," Vallow's sister, Kay Woodcock, told reporters outside the courthouse. "This was thrust upon us, and our lives just went into, like a tornado, for a long time," she said. Following the guilty verdict, Lori Daybell agreed to several aggravating factors in the case, instead of having a jury make a finding on them. Among them, she agreed that this was a dangerous offense and that it involved the presence of an accomplice. When asked if she agreed that as a result of her conduct, the victim or the victim's family "suffered emotional or financial harm," she said, "Absolutely." She will be sentenced following another upcoming trial in Maricopa County, where she is further accused of scheming with her brother Alex Cox to kill Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of her niece. Three months after the shooting of Vallow, Boudreaux called 911 to report that someone driving by in a Jeep shot at his vehicle outside his home in Gilbert, Arizona. She has pleaded not guilty in that case. MORE: Brother of 'doomsday mom' Lori Daybell testifies against her in latest murder trial Both Lori and Chad Daybell were found guilty of first-degree murder for the deaths of her children, Joshua "J.J." Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, who went missing months after Charles Vallow was killed. In separate trials in 2023 and 2024, prosecutors argued the couple thought the children were possessed zombies and murdered them so that they could be together. The children's remains were found on an Idaho property belonging to Daybell in June 2020 following a monthslong search. Lori Daybell is currently serving life in prison without parole for the murders of her two children. She has denied killing them. Chad Daybell was sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering the two children, as well as his first wife, Tamara Daybell, and now awaits execution on Idaho's death row. 'Doomsday mom' Lori Daybell found guilty in murder conspiracy trial originally appeared on
