Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell is facing the possibility of life in prison without parole as she awaits sentencing for the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival. The case has captured national attention due to its bizarre elements, including claims that Vallow Daybell believed her children were zombies and that she considered herself a goddess destined to bring about the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her seven-year-old son Joshua JJ Vallow and her 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan. She was also convicted of conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife. Chad Daybell, Vallow Daybell’s husband, is also awaiting trial on the same murder charges.
In addition to these cases, Vallow Daybell faces separate charges in Arizona for allegedly conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, as well as conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband. While Charles Vallow was fatally shot in 2019, her niece’s ex-husband managed to survive an attempted attack later that same year.
The sentencing for Vallow Daybell will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from various representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell’s only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began unfolding in July 2019 when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, claimed he shot and killed Charles Vallow in self-defense at a home in suburban Phoenix. Cox, however, was never charged and died later that year from natural causes. Vallow Daybell was already involved with Chad Daybell, an author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction influenced by Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her children and brother to be closer to him.
The last known sighting of Vallow Daybell’s children was in September 2019. After an extended family member expressed concerns about their welfare, the police launched an investigation and discovered that the children had gone missing. Their bodies were eventually found buried on Chad Daybell’s property the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married shortly after the death of Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy, in November 2019. Initially reported as a natural death, an autopsy later revealed that Tammy had been asphyxiated.
During the trial, defense attorney Jim Archibald argued that there was no evidence directly linking Vallow Daybell to the murders. He portrayed his client as a loving and protective mother whose life took a dark turn after meeting Chad Daybell and falling for his unusual apocalyptic religious beliefs. Archibald suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Testimony from Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb shed light on her beliefs that individuals in her life had been possessed by evil spirits and turned into zombies, including her own children.
The sentencing of Lori Vallow Daybell has drawn significant public interest due to the disturbing nature of the case. As the court proceedings unfold, the world awaits the judge’s decision on the appropriate punishment for the crimes committed against innocent victims.
