PHOENIX (AP) — Lori Vallow Daybell received a life sentence in an Arizona court on Friday after being convicted of two counts of murder conspiracy, concluding a complex legal journey for the mother who held apocalyptic religious views and alleged that individuals in her life were influenced by malevolent spirits.
Vallow Daybell, already serving lifelong sentences in Idahoin the deaths of her two youngest children and a romantic competitor, she was found guilty in separate trials this spring in Phoenix for plotting to kill themestranged husband, Charles Vallow, and herniece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
Vallow Daybell, who opted to defend herself in both Arizona cases despite not being a legal professional, concluded her statement by criticizing the judicial system and expressing her conviction that Jesus would rescue her from jail.
“If I were responsible for these offenses, I would admit it and let you know how truly sorry I am,” she stated.
A judge states that Vallow Daybell should not be set free.
Judge Justin Beresky stated that Vallow Daybell has demonstrated a clear lack of respect for human life, and he rejected her assertion that she did not receive a fair trial in Arizona.
You should never be released from prison,” Beresky stated as he imposed the sentence. “In time, the camera you pursue and the media’s demands will diminish, and you will disappear from public view.
Officials state that Vallow Daybell was involved in the schemes alongside her brother Alex Cox, who admitted to killing Vallow in July 2019 and was recognized by prosecutors as the individual who shot at Boudreaux several months later but failed to hit him.
Prosecutors claimed that Vallow Daybell planned to kill Vallow in order to collect the $1 million life insurance policy and then marry her current boyfriend, Chad Daybell, an Idaho-based writer known for religious novels involving prophecies and the apocalypse. They also stated that Boudreaux believed Vallow Daybell and Cox were involved in Vallow’s death.
Maricopa County Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell stated that the trial was a lengthy but essential procedure to achieve justice for Vallow, Boudreaux, and their families. Vallow Daybell will go back to Idaho “aware that she didn’t escape consequences for the crimes she committed in Maricopa County,” Mitchell said to journalists following the court session.
Around two years back, Vallow Daybell received a life sentence in an Idaho prison for the murder of her children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as plotting to kill Daybell’s wife, Tammy. The children disappeared for several months before their remains were discovered buried on Daybell’s property in rural Idaho. Daybell wassentenced to deathfor the brutal killings of his wife, Tylee, and JJ.
Family members of the victims cried during Friday’s court session.
Vallow Daybell made an appearance in court on Friday wearing an orange prison outfit, as family members of the victims labeled her “evil,” “greedy,” and a “monster” while expressing their sorrow. The relatives of the victims were seated in the jury box, passing around tissues.
Vallow Daybell’s sole remaining child — her grown son Colby Ryan — shared how he “had to struggle to survive amidst the pain” of losing his brothers and sisters and Vallow, his stepfather whom he called his dad.
Testifying via a remote connection, Ryan focused on his mother, who has stated that the Arizona cases were family tragedies that should not have gone to court. “I believe that Lori Vallow is the family tragedy,” Ryan said.
Gerry Vallow, Vallow’s brother, made harsh remarks about Vallow Daybell.
She composed her own fictional tale, and she wrote it in blood,” he stated. “And she attempted to kill Brandon when he began to resemble the next potential source of money.
Charles Vallow lost his life in a shooting incident in 2019.
Vallow requested a divorce four months prior to his death. He stated that Vallow Daybell becameinfatuated with near-death experiencesand asserted that he had experienced many lives on different planets. He informed the police that she had threatened to kill him and that he was worried about his children.
Vallow was shot while he was at Vallow Daybell’s house near Phoenix to pick up his son, according to the police. Tylee, Vallow Daybell’s daughter, informed the police that she heard shouting and woke up, then confronted Vallow with a baseball bat which he took from her. Cox told the police that he shot Vallow after he refused to drop the bat and approached him.
Cox passed away five months later due to a blood clot in his lungs. His claim of self-defense was later disputed, with investigators stating that Cox and Vallow Daybellspent over 40 minutes waiting before contacting 911.
Shortly before his passing, Vallow and his wife’s other brother, Adam Cox,planned an interventionto attempt to reintroduce Vallow Daybell into the core of their mutual faith within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Adam Cox, a witness for the prosecution, previously stated during the trial that his sister mentioned Vallow was no longer alive and that a zombie was residing inside her estranged husband’s body.
Prosecutor Treena Kay stated that Vallow Daybell used religion to support her actions and avoided answering questions from Vallow’s sons regarding how he passed away after she informed them by text.
Brandon Boudreaux concealed himself following the attack he survived.
Nearly three months following Vallow’s passing, an individual shot at Boudreaux from an open window of a Jeep as he was approaching his residence in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix. The bullet narrowly avoided Boudreaux, the ex-husband ofVallow Daybell’s niece, Melani Pawlowski. Pawlowski had been participating in religious gatherings with her aunt and proposed to her husband that theystockpile foodAt the conclusion of the world, Boudreaux mentioned earlier during the trial.
Boudreaux shared in court on Friday about the significant stress caused by the assassination attempt and how it made him worry about his family’s security. His sisters informed the judge that their brother went into seclusion with his children following the attack.
Prosecutors connected the Jeep to Vallow Daybell and claimed she lent it to Cox. The two acquired a burner phone used in the attack and attempted to create an alibi for Cox, making it appear he was in Idaho at that time, according to prosecutors.
“No one should have to live a life filled with fear and trauma,” Boudreaux said, his voice breaking. He mentioned that he has forgiven Vallow Daybell in order to be a better person and father, but he would not feel secure if she were free.
Following the sentencing, Boudreaux expressed to reporters that he is thankful the judicial system functioned properly.
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Schoenbaum covered events in Salt Lake City.
