Lori Vallow Daybell has been convicted by a jury for the murder of her two children and conspiring to murder a love rival. The verdict was announced in court shortly after 3 p.m. ET, and the jurors were dismissed shortly after. While no sentencing hearing has been scheduled yet, Judge Steven Boyce stated that it could take several months before one can be held. Lori Vallow Daybell could potentially face a life sentence for her crimes. It’s worth noting that Lori and her husband, Chad Daybell, were indicted on multiple counts two years ago, but they’re being tried separately.
The verdict was announced via a live stream from the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, which was different from the main phase of the trial. During the main phase, Judge Steven Boyce had declared that daily proceedings would only be depicted via audio to prevent sensitive and upsetting images from being released.
The prosecutors spent several weeks building their case against Lori Vallow Daybell and presented graphic images from the site where the children’s bodies were discovered. The trial went on for more than a month, but Lori Vallow Daybell’s defense team decided not to call a single witness and rested its case just moments after the prosecution’s presentation.
What is Vallow Daybell accused of?
In May 2021, Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell were indicted on nine criminal charges, including murder and/or conspiracy charges related to three deaths.
Vallow Daybell is accused of killing her two youngest children, Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow, who were last seen alive in September 2019. The bodies of the children were discovered in June 2020, buried on a property owned by Chad Daybell in Rexburg, Idaho.
Prior to the discovery of the remains, Vallow Daybell was charged with felony desertion of a child and obstruction. Prosecutors allege that she purposely did not report her children missing so that she could continue to receive benefits.
Additionally, Vallow Daybell is facing charges of conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, Chad’s former wife who was found dead in her home in October 2019, just weeks before he and Vallow Daybell got married in Hawaii. Tammy Daybell’s death was initially believed to be due to natural causes, but her body was exhumed for further investigation and the authorities later ruled her death as a homicide.
It’s worth noting that Chad Daybell is Vallow Daybell’s fifth husband.
Furthermore, Vallow Daybell is also facing separate charges in Arizona for conspiring to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. Prosecutors allege that she arranged for her brother, Alex Cox, to shoot and kill Charles Vallow in July 2019. However, Cox passed away in December 2019 due to natural causes.
Who is Lori Vallow? Mom-of-three, beauty queen – and now convicted killer
Lori Vallow is a mother of three, a former game show contestant, a Mrs Texas Beauty Pageant contestant and a cult follower.
Lori Vallow Daybell’s past is varied, ranging from being a beauty pageant winner to a contestant on a TV game show to working as a hairdresser. However, she is now facing serious charges as an accused killer.
Born in 1973 in California, the 49-year-old has been married five times and is a mother to three children.
Her first marriage was to her high school sweetheart, Nelson Yanes, in 1992. However, the marriage was short-lived, and they divorced.
She then went on to marry her second husband, William Lagioia, in 1995. The couple had a son named Colby Ryan but divorced after only a year of marriage.
In 2001, Lori Vallow Daybell married for the third time to Joseph Ryan, and the couple had a daughter named Tylee Ryan. During this time, she made several TV appearances, including as a contestant in the Mrs. Texas Beauty Pageant. In the pageant, Vallow spoke about the importance of being a good mother and a good wife while also being a hard worker.
Vallow also appeared on the game show “Wheel of Fortune” in 2004, where she expressed her affection for her then-husband Joseph Ryan. However, the couple divorced shortly after.
Vallow later met and married Charles Vallow, and the couple adopted JJ, who was the biological grandson of Vallow’s sister. The family lived together with Tylee for several years, moving from Hawaii to Arizona in 2017.