The case was marked by bizarre claims, with Idaho Mother Lori asserting that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess destined to bring about the Biblical apocalypse. Her husband, Chad Daybell, is also implicated in the murders and awaits trial on similar charges.
Vallow is also facing two other cases in Arizona. One accuses her of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, who was shot and killed in 2019. The other case involves conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband, although that attempt was unsuccessful.
The sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, with Judge Steven W. Boyce presiding over the proceedings. Testimonies from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow’s only surviving son, Colby Ryan, are expected.
The tragic events unfolded in July 2019 when Vallow’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in Phoenix. Cox claimed self-defense and was never charged, but he passed away later that year from natural causes.
Prior to the murders, Vallow was in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author whose works centered around doomsday themes loosely based on Mormon teachings. She relocated to Idaho with her children and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019, and their disappearance came to light a month later when a concerned family member raised alarm. Tragically, their bodies were discovered buried in Chad Daybell’s yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married shortly after Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Initially deemed a natural death, an autopsy later revealed that Tammy Daybell had been asphyxiated.
During the trial, defense attorney Jim Archibald argued that there was no evidence directly linking Vallow to the murders. He portrayed her as a loving and protective mother whose life took a dark turn after encountering Chad Daybell and his eccentric apocalyptic religious beliefs. Archibald suggested that Daybell and Vallow’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
According to Archibald, Daybell convinced Vallow that they had been married in multiple past lives and that she was a “sexual goddess” destined to aid him in gathering 144,000 followers to bring about Jesus’ return.
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Testimony from Vallow’s former friend, Melanie Gibb, revealed that Vallow believed some people in her life had been possessed by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including her own children, JJ and Tylee.
