Lori Vallow Daybell – who’s serving three life sentences for the brutal killings of her two children and her husband’s ex-wife – is back in court for the death of her fourth husband.
The “doomsday mom” made the puzzling decision to represent herself and only minutes into her opening statement, she made a critical mistake that brought immediate attention – and some courtroom chaos.
Lori Vallow Daybell isn’t just another name in the headlines – she’s the central figure in a twisted, cult-driven string of horrifying murders, authorities say.
Vallow Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, reportedly believed they were “chosen” spiritual warriors preparing for the end of the world. They claimed some people were “zombies” whose bodies were taken over by evil spirits – and the only way to “save” them was death.
Timeline
Once a seemingly cheerful mother, Vallow Daybell, 51, spiraled into darkness, resulting in the deaths of her two children and her new husband’s former wife.
It all started on July 11, 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother Alex Cox killed her estranged ex-husband, Charles Vallow – who the siblings, according to several news outlets, believed to be a “zombie.”
Cox claimed self-defense and was never charged, Local News 8 reports.
Then, in September 2019, Vallow Daybell’s 16-year-old daughter, Tylee Ryan, and her adopted 7-year-old son, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, went missing.
The next month, Chad – who married Lori only weeks later – reported that his wife Tammy was battling an illness and mysteriously died in her sleep.
But it doesn’t stop there – Cox died in December 2019 from what “medical examiners said was a blood clot in his lungs,” however, his “account was later called into question,” CNN writes.
The most shocking incident in the timeline was in June 2020, when the remains of Tylee and JJ – the biological son of Charles – were found buried in the backyard of Chad’s Idaho home.
People explains that Tylee had been dismembered and burned while her little brother was wrapped in plastic and bound by duct tape.
Vallow Daybell was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after she was convicted in the murders of Tylee and JJ as well as conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Tammy, who, after her body was exhumed, was determined to have died of asphyxiation.
Used religion to kill
On April 7, Vallow Daybell once again appeared in front of a judge and jury – this time, for the death of her fourth husband, Charles.
In her latest courtroom twist, Vallow Daybell pleaded not guilty and made the bold decision to represent herself, despite having no legal background. She also invoked her right to a speedy trial, setting the stage for another high-stakes showdown.
Prosecutor Treena Kay accused Vallow Daybell of conspiring with her brother to kill Charles and cash in on his life insurance policy, allowing her to marry Chad, who “wrote several religious novels about prophecies and the end of the world.”
“Lori…used religion…as justification to kill Charles Vallow,” Kay said.
Maintaining Charles was killed in “self defense,” Vallow Daybell told the court in her opening statement, “Self-defense is not a crime. Family tragedy is not a crime, it’s a tragedy.”
Secret witness
According to CBS, there were 16 jurors, including four alternates, and three witnesses: two police officers and a firefighter.
But the doomsday mom tried to break protocol and call on another witness who was not subpoenaed: Brandon Boudreaux, her niece’s ex-husband, whom she’s also accused of conspiring to kill.
When the judge asked about the relevancy of his testimony, she said she didn’t want to “give away my defense” by revealing that information.
After a 45-minute delay, 12 News writes that the judge walked the accused through court 101, and then “decided to strike” Boudreaux from Vallow Daybell’s witness list “without prejudice.”
“This means he can be called as a witness if the defense is able to prove he has relevant information to the case, which Vallow Daybell hasn’t done yet,” the outlet reports, adding he was allowed to stay in the courtroom.
Vallow Daybell is scheduled to appear in court in May 2025 for her involvement in the attempted murder of Boudreaux.
This courtroom hiccup highlights the risks of self-representation, especially in a case as complex as Lori Vallow Daybell. We’re sure the world will be watching as this bizarre case unfolds.
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