BOISE, Idaho (Court TV) — Lori Vallow Daybell has been found guilty of all charges in the deaths of her two children and conspiring in the death of her fifth husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell.
The jury reached their verdict after nearly seven hours of deliberations over two days.
The so-called ‘Doomsday Cult Mom’ was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception, one count of grand theft and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy Daybell.
Following the verdict, Judge Steven Boyce said sentencing will be scheduled in about three months following a pre-sentence investigation.
An indictment accused Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell of espousing religious beliefs to justify the Sept. 2019 murders of 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old “JJ” Vallow and the Oct. 2019 murder of Tammy Daybell. Vallow Daybell was also accused of grand theft by deception for allegedly pocketing her children’s Social Security benefits after their deaths.
In this aerial photo, investigators search for human remains at Chad Daybell’s residence in the 200 block of 1900 east, Tuesday, June 9, 2020, in Salem, Idaho. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP)
JJ and Tylee’s remains were found on Daybell’s property in June 2020, several months after JJ’s grandmother contacted police looking for him. By then, Vallow Daybell was sitting in an Idaho jail on charges stemming from the children’s disappearance. She was arrested in Hawaii in Feb. 2020, where she and Daybell had relocated amid a cloud of suspicion.
RELATED: Lori Vallow Daybell case: Timeline of events ahead of trial
Vallow Daybell’s alibi notice said she was in her Rexburg apartment when the children died in the home of her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox, who the indictment described as a co-conspirator. The notice also claimed Vallow was in Hawaii when Tammy Daybell died in her home in October 2019 from what were determined to be natural causes.
Investigators testified the case goes back to 2018, when the couple connected over their religious beliefs, which set in motion the plot to kill Vallow Daybell’s children and Tammy Daybell. Chad Daybell was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but friends and relatives said his faith had taken a turn toward fringe apocalyptic beliefs. Melanie Gibbs, once a close friend of Vallow Daybell’s who testified against her, said the defendant came to believe her children were zombies inhabited by dark spirits based on Daybell’s teachings.
The case against the couple, however, was grounded in traditional forensics, including cell phone records that investigators testified connected the couple and Alex Cox to locations where the victims were last seen alive.
The case took a number of legal twists and turns, one of the most significant occurred in the weeks before the trial when Judge Steven Boyce severed the couple’s cases so they would be tried separately and took the death penalty off the table for Vallow.
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
DAY 23 – 5/12/23
- After 8.5 hours of deliberations over two days, the jury reached a verdict.
- Count 1: Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception (Tylee Ryan): GUILTY
- Count 2: First-degree murder (Tylee Ryan): GUILTY
- Count 3: Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception (JJ Vallow): GUILTY
- Count 4: First-degree murder (JJ Vallow): GUILTY
- Count 5: Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder (Tammy Daybell): GUILTY
- Count 6: Grand theft: GUILTY
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Watch the Verdict
- WATCH: Larry Woodcock Thanks Jurors in Lori Vallow Daybell Trial
- WATCH: Reaction to Lori Vallow Daybell’s Guilty Verdict
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: What’s Next
- WATCH: Lori Vallow Daybell Appeared Upset With Defense Attorneys
- READ MORE: Jury finds Lori Vallow Daybell guilty on all charges
DAY 22 – 5/11/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 22
- The jury deliberated for about ~4 hours.
- The jury is comprised of 7 men, 5 women.
- The state brought back the theme from openings of money, power, and sex.
- The state said Lori is the common thread in these three murders, she is the one person who ties this all together.
- The state said Lori and Chad planned to be together without obstacles. Tylee, JJ, Charles, and Tammy were their obstacles.
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Trial: Prosecution Delivers Rebuttal Argument
- The defense said Lori’s story changes dramatically in October 2018 when she read some of Chad’s end of the world books then met him.
- The defense attacks the state’s money, power, and sex argument.
- The defense said Lori wants to be a leader but she’s not leading anyone, she’s following Chad.
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Defense Delivers Closing Argument
- READ MORE: Jury begins deliberations in Lori Vallow Daybell trial
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: What the Jury Didn’t See
- WATCH: Chad Daybell’s Kids Say They Think Dad Was Framed
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 22
DAY 21 – 5/10/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 21
- Judge Steven Boyce and counsel discuss jury instructions
DAY 20 – 5/9/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 20
- Prosecutors rested their case against Lori Vallow Daybell on Tuesday afternoon after calling 59 witnesses over five weeks.
- A charge conference will take place Wednesday, May 10, with closing arguments scheduled for Thursday, May 11.
- Prosecutors recalled FBI investigator Nicole Heideman to the stand, who testified to portions of the ‘James and Elena’ story written by Chad that were found while reviewing cell phone data and iCloud accounts.
- Defendant Lori Vallow Daybell says she will not testify. The defense rests without calling any witnesses.
- READ MORE: Both sides rests in Doomsday Cult Mom Trial
- WATCH: Former Fellow Inmate of Lori Vallow Daybell Talks to Court TV
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 20
DAY 19 – 5/8/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 19
- FBI Special Agent Doug Hart, who analyzed Lori’s iCloud, testified about text messages found in the defendant’s account
- Lori and Chad texted about a plan being orchestrated for the children.
- Lori texted she was trying to get to the bottom of what she needed to do to eliminate the children.
- Lori texted about doing work on Tammy, asked Audrey for ideas.
- Lori texted that Alex would be the one “they” (law enforcement) would use to get to “us” (her and Chad).
- READ MORE: Texts between Lori and Chad Daybell focus on JJ, Tylee, Tammy and Charles
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 19
DAY 18 – 5/5/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 18
- FBI Special Agent Doug Hart, who analyzed Lori’s iCloud, testified about text messages found in the defendant’s account
- Lori and Chad described Charles, Tammy, Tylee, and JJ as “obstacles.”
- Alex Cox’s texts reveal he was involved in an alleged conspiracy as it related to the deaths of Tylee, JJ, and Tammy.
- Audrey Barattiero acted as a “buffer” or a go-between for Lori and Chad to relay communications to one another, until Tammy died.
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Was Money The Motive?
- Chad and Lori sent romantic texts to one another.
- READ MORE: Chad and Lori Daybell sexts entered into evidence
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 18
DAY 17 – 5/4/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell: Day 17 Audio
- Ian Pawlowski thought it was strange Lori and Chad said there was going to be a spiritual attack the day Alex died.
- WATCH: Lori Vallow Daybell’s nephew-in-law testifies to secret recordings
- Angela Yancey talked about Tammy’s life insurance policy being increased and Chad placing a claim on this.
- Taylor Ballard talked about Chad wanting to get health coverage for his new wife.
- Det. Colin Nesbitt served order to Lori in Hawaii for Lori to produce Tylee and JJ, executed a search warrant and seized birth certificates, death certificates, laptops, etc.
- Det. Ryan Pillar investigated Brandon Boudreaux’s shooting and indicated how it ties to Tylee and JJ being missing.
- For chad’s status hearing, June 2024 is a prospective trial date. The state estimates a 9-week trial, the defense estimates a 12-week trial both include jury selection and the mitigation phase.
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 17
- RELATED: New Details about Chad Daybell’s proposed June 2024 trial
DAY 16 – 5/3/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 16
- Lori’s friend, Audrey Barattiero, testified about two separate times when Lori wanted to work on Charles Vallow and Tammy Daybell. This made Audrey feel uncomfortable.
- Audrey also talked about a time when Lori called her naïve before threatening to cut her up and bury her.
- Det. Vince Kaaiakamanu looked into Alex Cox’s firearm: he had a 6.5mm Grendel with a vortex scope which could’ve been misconstrued as a paintball hopper (the item that holds the paintballs).
- Ian Pawlowski said after a few days of listening to Lori’s religious beliefs, he was not open to hearing any more of this. He said that she talked about being possessed and rankings about light and dark, which he found alarming.
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 16 – Ian Pawlowski
- READ MORE: Lori Vallow Daybell’s former friend: ‘She threatened to kill me’
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 16
DAY 15 – 5/2/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 15
- Alice and Todd Gilbert, who were neighbors with the Daybells, testified to Chad’s demeanor the day of Tammy’s death and the day of her funeral. Alice said that Chad told her not to tell anyone about Tammy’s death, or to at least wait an hour before telling anyone.
- Alice and Todd Glibert also testified to Chad and Lori looking like to affectionate teenagers. They also recall Chad saying Lori recently lost a daughter.
- Audio played of a podcast Todd listened to in November 2018. In the last 10 minutes, Lori is heard vaguely talking about her life turning really bad and wanting the Lord to take her. In the end, she said she fought with Satan before telling those with her to turn their lives over to Christ. She also briefly talks about how the Lord sends her people and that’s how she got connected to Melanie Gibb.
- READ MORE: ‘We were shocked’: Neighbors describe Chad’s behavior after Tammy’s death
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 15
DAY 14 – 5/1/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 14
- A senior DNA analyst testifies a hair attached to a piece of adhesive matched DNA profile for Lori Vallow Daybell.
- Dr. Erik Christensen, who conducted Tammy Daybell’s autopsy, testifies
- Tammy’s cause of death: asphyxia
- Tammy’s manner of death: homicide
- Tammy had acute injuries (bruising on arms and chest) consistent with someone who was restrained or asphyxiated.
- The frothy foam coming from Tammy’s airways is a manifestation of pulmonary edema which is associated with asphyxia deaths.
- WATCH: Testimony: Tammy Daybell Blocked Charles Vallow Email
- READ MORE: Analyst: Hair on duct tape matches Lori Vallow Daybell’s DNA
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 14
DAY 13 – 4/28/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 13
- The jury heard Tammy’s voice on a 911 call where she reported an incident with a man with a paintball gun.
- The jury heard Chad’s voice on a 911 call where he reported Tammy as deceased.
- Chad’s general statement on what happened, according to witnesses, is that Tammy woke up around midnight with a coughing fit, vomited in the bathroom, then went back to bed. He said around 5:40 AM Tammy fell from the bed. He told the coroner that he pulled the covers which may have caused her body to fall.
- Tammy was observed to have red pink foam coming out of her mouth.
- Chad told the coroner that Tammy had previously been fainting, had shaking fits, some convulsions.
- Witnesses observed Tammy taking fitness classes, that she had not been coughing or complaining about being sick.
- READ MORE: Testimony reveals new details about Tammy Daybell’s death
- READ MORE: Lori Vallow Daybell’s cousin: Family dynamic, outlandish religious beliefs to blame
- WATCH: Exclusive: Megan Eyden, Lori Vallow Daybell’s Cousin, Speaks Out
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 13
DAY 12 – 4/27/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 12
- Douglas Halepaska, who examined Tylee’s skeletal remains, testified Tylee’s hip bones and lower spinal bones could’ve been stabbed or chopped by items consistent with a knife, cleaver, machete, hatchet, etc
- Tylee’s DNA was found on a shovel, pickaxe eye, and pickaxe handle.
- Alex Cox’s latent prints were found on the black plastic bag and duct tape from on JJ from the crime scene.
- WATCH: JJ Vallow’s Autopsy Findings
- Samantha Gwilliam, Tammy’s sister, recalled Chad’s phone call where he told her about Tammy’s death. He said Tammy had been really sick, coughing all night, got up from a coughing fit around midnight. He said he was awakened by her the next morning when she had rolled out of bed.
- READ MORE: Forensic experts detail damage to Tylee Ryan’s body
- WATCH: Bizarre Exchange Between Witness And Lori Vallow Daybell Attorney
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 12
DAY 11 – 4/26/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 11
- FBI Special Agent Steve Daniels testifies about finding JJ’s human remains, he and his team uncovered JJ’s entire body wrapped in plastic and duct taped.
- Dr. Garth Warren, who conducted the autopsies of JJ Vallow & Tylee Ryan testifies to JJ’s cause of death: Asphyxia by plastic bag over the head and duct tape covering the mouth.
- Dr. Warren says Tylee’s cause of death was homicide by unspecified means.
- Dr. Angie Christensen, who examined Tylee’s remains, testified Tylee’s skeletal remains had evidence of thermal damage and sharp trauma.
- READ MORE: Forensic pathologist identifies cause of death for JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan
- WATCH: Forensic Pathologist Testifies in Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial
DAY 10 – 4/25/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 10
- Summer Shiflet, Lori’s sister, blows up at Lori in a phone call. She’s clearly blindsided that Lori knew that Tylee and JJ were buried in Chad’s backyard, can’t believe that Lori was in Hawaii with Chad.
- FBI special agent testified about finding Tylee’s human remains, said the smell had a decomposition odor, described the human remains to be charred, said there was pink flesh still in the human remains, said it was a difficult sight to process because the human remains were dismembered and some were melted together.
- The self-storage plus unit surveillance footage is played, shows Lori and Chad storing a spare tire and rear car seat, later shows Lori and Alex removing the spare tire and rear car seat. It also shows Alex removing four gun scabbards from the unit.
- READ MORE: FBI agent testifies about finding human remains
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 10
DAY 9 – 4/24/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 9
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 9
- Sgt. David Stubbs testified that Alex’s electronic device was the only device found between Chad and Lori’s properties on September 8 – 9, 2019, and September 22 – 23, 2019.
- Nicole Heideman testified to electronic evidence showing plans being put together between Chad and Lori to get married.
- Nick Ballance begins to testify to cell phone data for Alex, Chad, and Lori on September 9, 2019.
- READ MORE: Electronic devices tracked to Daybell property in September 2019
- WATCH: Lori Vallow Daybell’s Uncle Speaks to Court TV
- WATCH: Exclusive: Tammy Daybell’s Niece Talks To Court TV
- WATCH: Chad Daybell’s Activity September 8-9
DAY 8 – 4/20/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 8
- Sgt. Nathan Moffat relays how Alex described Charles Vallow’s death.
- A caretaker for JJ was hired on September 18, 2019, she took care of JJ the next day, then didn’t see him again.
- JJ’s former principal said he was last present in school on September 20, 2019.
- A BYU staff member said Tylee was never enrolled at the school.
- Body camera footage (on November 26, 2019) of officers conducting a welfare check for JJ plays out. Lori is heard saying JJ is in Arizona with Melanie Gibb.
- READ MORE: Focus turns to JJ Vallow’s disappearance in Doomsday Cult Mom trial
- WATCH: The Killing Of Charles Vallow
- WATCH: Lori’s Friend Testifies About Last Time JJ Vallow Was Seen Alive
- WATCH: Lori Vallow Daybell’s Cousin Talks About LDS and Religion
DAY 7 – 4/19/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 7
- Lori received social security payments between October 2019 – February 2020 that total $22,545.05.
- Detective followed up on Lori’s supposed whereabouts in the minutes after Charles Vallow’s death. Lori went to Burger King for JJ, Walgreens to allegedly buy flip flops for the kids, dropped JJ of at school, then returned to the residence.
- Lori spoke to a detective. After, they notified her of Charles’ death, Lori responded that she already knew this.
- April Raymond said Lori asked her to join 144,000 and that if she did join, she had to leave her children with their father.
- READ MORE: Testimony focuses on money in Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial
- WATCH: Financial Focus In Lori Vallow Daybell Trial
- WATCH: ‘No Pets Or Children’: Chad Daybell Sent Email To Realtor In November
- WATCH: ‘You Murdered My Siblings’: Colby Ryan And Lori Vallow Daybell’s Phone Call
- WATCH: Sources: Chad Daybell Will Not Testify
DAY 6 – 4/18/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 6
- A contentious jail phone call between Colby and Lori played out in court. In it, Colby confronts Lori about Tylee & JJ’s deaths.
- Colby recalls details of the moment he found out about Charles’ death. He also elaborates on his initial observations of Alex Cox at this time.
- Evidence came in about Tylee, JJ, and Lori receiving social security benefits.
- The state showed bank statements indicating Alex received a $21,000 loan and subsequently bought 46 guns in August 2019 (the month prior to Tylee and JJ’s disappearance).
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Alex Cox’s Death
- WATCH: Sole Survivor: Colby Ryan Testifies Against Lori Vallow Daybell
- READ MORE: Colby Ryan, Lori Vallow Daybell’s son, testifies in her trial
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Trial: Day 6
DAY 5 – 4/14/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 5
- Friday started with more testimony from Chandler Police Det. Nathan Duncan. He shared emails and texts exchanged among key figures in this case — Lori and Charles Vallow, Lori and Chad Daybell, Lori and Alex Cox, Lori and Zulema Pastenes, Lori and Melanie Gibb — on a slew of topics. Among them were Chad and Lori’s affair, efforts to cast demons from Charles, Charles’ life insurance, and an email from Charles to Tammy about the affair.
- The rest of the day was taken up by the direct examination and some cross of Zulema Pastenes, who expanded on Melanie Gibb’s account of Lori and Chad’s ministry, a fringe offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Pastenes said she bought into Lori’s “charming” and “convincing” way of expressing things. Pastenes believed Lori was a person in “high spiritual standing” based on Lori’s claim that she was in direct contact with the angel Moroni and Jesus Christ. Pastenes felt similarly about Chad, who claimed he was the apostle James the Less in a previous life in which he was married to Lori.
- Pastenes painted a picture of a cult-like atmosphere in which Pastenes and other acolytes assisted Lori in “castings” to expel demons from her then-husband, Charles Vallow, who Chad and Lori allegedly believed was inhabited a demon they called Ned, then another called Hiplos.
- Pastenes also participated in the attempted casting of a spirit Lori called Viola from Chad’s wife, Tammy Daybell, on the same day as the alleged attempted shooting of Tammy in October 2019. Pastenes said that after the casting, Lori got a phone call that made her very upset, and Lori said something to the effect of, “idiot, can’t do anything right by himself.”
- The jury saw drawings from Pastenes’ journal documenting the couple’s teachings, including the light/dark scale they used to rate people, and the steps involved in a casting.
- The jury saw photos of Pastenes with Lori, Chad, Melanie Gibb and other members of their inner circle at religious conferences in 2018 in St. George, Utah; Rexburg, Idaho; and Mesa, Arizona.
- Followers received blessings from Daybell about their past lives (or probations) and the roles they would play in the Second Coming of Jesus after the world’s end.
- It appeared that the couple took a strong interest in Pastenes, who Daybell said was Lori’s daughter in a previous life who was raped, killed and dismembered at age 14.
- Prosecutor Rachel Smith also questioned Pastenes extensively about Alex Cox — who Pastenes met through Vallow in 2018 and married in 2019 — and Cox’s role as his sister’s protector or “warrior-defender.”
- Pastenes said Cox was unwavering in his devotion to the couple until they left for Hawaii after Tammy Daybell’s death and ceased contact with him.
- When Cox learned in December 2019 of Tammy Daybell’s planned exhumation, Pastenes said Cox remarked, “I think I’m being their fall guy.” Pastenes said that when she pressed him on what he meant, he said, “either I am a man of God or I’m not.” He died the next day.
- On cross, defense lawyer John Thomas expanded on the nature of the castings, drawing out the point that they were verbal in nature and did not involve physical acts or violence.
- On cross, Pastenes agreed that Lori and Chad’s teachings were similar to those espoused at “Preparing a People” religious conferences.
- On cross, Pastenes said she no longer believed in Chad and Lori or their teachings. Her experience with them had taught her to be more cautious of people’s motives and less apt to assume the best in them, she said.
- READ MORE: Alex Cox’s widow testifies against Lori Vallow Daybell
DAY 4 – 4/13/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Vallow Daybell: Day 4
- Melanie Gibb tracked Chad and Lori Daybell’s extramarital relationship from a 2018 religious conference to a November 2019 phone call in which Gibb accused the couple of being led astray by the devil and pleaded for information about Lori’s missing son.
- The jury heard the phone call, which Gibb said she recorded partly to absolve herself for lying to police by telling them – at Lori’s request – that JJ was with her at one point when he was missing. Lori assured Gibb that JJ was safe but that she couldn’t disclose his location because “dark forces” instigated by Kay Woodcock were pursuing them.
- Gibb shared chilling insights into Chad and Lori’s belief system, one in which people signed contracts in the “pre-mortal world” with the devil that turned them into “dark spirits” or “zombies.” Chad told Lori that her husband, Charles, and his wife, Tammy, were dark, and Lori led “castings” to try to expel the spirits from their bodies. Lori also believed that her children, JJ and Tylee, and her sister-in-law, Kay Woodcock, were dark, and that eventually they would have to “pass on” to be saved.
- Blake agreed with prosecutor Lindsey Blake that their theology seemed to evolve to satisfy the “master plan” that was bestowed on them from on high: that their spouses would “pass on” so they could be together and lead the 144,000 to salvation.
- The two were “intimate” even though they were married to other people because they believed it was God’s will for them to be together since they had been together in previous lives … and because Chad couldn’t get a divorce because it would strip of his exalted status.
- On cross, Gibb said Lori could be convincing when she pushed her teachings on her, but Gibb wasn’t convinced of it all.
- Chandler (Arizona) Police Det. Nathan Duncan began walking the jury through the investigation of Charles Vallow’s shooting death by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox.
- Duncan said injuries to Charles’ body contradicted Alex Cox’s claim that Cox shot Charles twice In the chest in self-defense.
- NEW COURT AUDIO: As part of the investigation, Duncan found a 15-minute audio recording in Lori’s iCloud account of a tearful-sounding Chad exalting Alex Cox to warrior status after Cox’s death in a bastardized version of a “patriarchal blessing,” a Mormon prayer that contains revelations from God.
- NEW COURT AUDIO: The jury also heard a phone call Chad placed on the day of Charles Vallow’s death to a Chandler mortuary asking for a quote for the cremation and shipping of remains to Louisiana, where Charles’ sister, Kay Woodcock, lived. Chad said he was asking for his uncle, who had died in a hospital, and spelled his last name as DAYBAL.
- READ MORE: Former friend Melanie Gibb takes the stand in Lori Vallow Daybell trial
DAY 3 – 4/12/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell Day 3
- Court ends early due to a death in the family of a prosecution member.
- The jury heard more about how the investigation of Brandon Boudreaux’s shooting in Arizona shed light on Chad and Lori’s relationship, leading investigators to reconsider Tammy Daybell’s death in a new light — weeks before Kay Woodcock requested a welfare check for JJ Vallow.
- The jury also heard more about how the decision was made to exhume Tammy Daybell.
- Fremont Lt. Joe Powell boiled down suspicions over Tammy’s death to three elements:
- She was relatively young
- She was in good health
- Her husband was with another woman “soon after” her death
- Themes start to emerge through the defense’s cross:
- Emphasis on Lori’s alibi
- Distancing Lori from the murders
- Blaming husband Chad and brother Alex
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Day 3
- READ MORE: Jury hears phone call between Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell
DAY 2 – 4/11/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell Day 2
- Judge Steven Boyce denied Lori Vallow’s request to waive her presence in the afternoon session of Det. Hermosillo’s testimony, which included chilling photos of dead children. Her lawyers argued that the morning session was “emotional” and asked the judge to consider her “fragile state of mind.”
- The state objected to the defendant’s request, saying if the judge let it happen they wanted to instruct the jury that they were not to blame for her absence.
- Rexburg Police Det. Ray Hermosillo spent the entire day on the stand describing how the search for a Jeep believed to have been involved in Brandon Boudreaux’s shooting became a missing children case that led to Lori and Daybell.
- The jury saw disturbing autopsy photos of JJ Vallow’s body after it was pulled from the ground on Chad Daybell’s Salem, Idaho property. One photo showed his entire body wrapped in a plastic bag. Others showed JJ with duct tape across his mouth and his wrists and ankles bound together with duct tape.
- The jury saw photos of charred bones and chunks of flesh belonging to Tylee Ryan that were also found on the property.
- READ MORE: Lead detective takes the stand in Lori Vallow Daybell trial
- WATCH: Did Lori and Chad Buy Wedding Rings Before Tammy Died?
- LISTEN: Day 2 Courtroom Audio
DAY 1 – 4/10/23
- LISTEN: ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell Day 1
- Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said the case was about Lori Vallow-Daybell’s desire for money, sex and power, contending that the defendant used religion to justify her affair with Chad Daybell and murders of her children and Tammy Daybell.
- WATCH: Prosecutor: Lori Vallow Daybell Case Is About Money, Power, Sex
- Blake showed the jury pictures of Tylee Ryan’s charred remains, JJ Vallow’s bound arms, and Tammy Daybell’s autopsy photo.
- Blake said the state doesn’t need to prove that the defendant actually killed anyone to be guilty of first-degree murder, only that she was involved in a “meeting of the minds” to move the plot forward.
- Blake publicly revealed for the first time Tammy Daybell’s cause of death: asphyxiation at the hands of another.
- Vallow-Daybell’s lawyer, Jim Archibald, said his client had alibis for the three murders.
- Archibald suggested that the defendant’s brother, Alex Cox, and Chad Daybell acted on their own – possibly, hoping to win Vallow-Daybell’s favor – and urged the jury not to punish her for their actions.
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Prosecution and Defense Deliver Openings
- Kay Woodcock – sister of Charles Vallow, Vallow-Daybell’s fourth husband – described the defendant as a once-doting mother who Woodcock trusted to provide a better life than the Woodcocks could for him as a child with special needs.
- WATCH: Kay Woodcock: Lori Vallow Didn’t Go to 4th Husband’s Funeral
- WATCH: ‘Lori Was A Doll’: Kay Woodcock Testifies In Vallow Daybell Trial
- Woodcock walked through the timeline of grandson JJ Vallow’s life, from his birth as Canaan Todd Trahan to parents who struggled with addiction, to his adoption by Charles and Lori Vallow, to Woodcock’s last FaceTime chat with JJ in August 2019.. By then, Charles Vallow had been shot dead by Alex Cox, and Woodcock said she feared for JJ since it was apparent that his mother “didn’t want him anymore.”
- Brandon Boudreaux, ex-husband of Vallow-Daybell’s niece, Melani Boudreaux, testified about the deterioration of his marriage as his wife fell under her aunt’s influence.
- Over defense objections, Boudreaux was allowed to testify about being shot at in October 2019 by an unidentified gunman in a Jeep he claims he was able to connect to Tylee Ryan. The state argued the incident was evidence of the defendant’s plan to target spouses of her acolytes to collect on their insurance to finance her lifestyle.
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom Murder Trial: Biggest Moments From Day 1
- WATCH: ‘Lori’s Gonna Be Lori’: Larry Woodcock Talks to Court TV
- WATCH: Doomsday Cult Mom’s Attorney Speaks Outside Court
- WATCH: Sex, Money and Religion: Inside the Doomsday Cult Mom Trial
- READ MORE: Money, power, sex: Opening statements, testimony begin in Vallow Daybell trial
- LISTEN: ID v. Lori Vallow Daybell – Day 1 Audio
Court TV senior field producer Emanuella Grinberg and digital content manager Ivy Brown contributed to this report.
