Additional Coverage:
- Courtroom erupts during Lori Vallow Daybell sentencing as victim’s relative screams at ‘Doomsday mom’ (themirror.com)
“Doomsday Mom” Lori Vallow Daybell Awaits Sentencing in Arizona
Lori Vallow Daybell, known as the “Doomsday Mom,” is awaiting sentencing in Arizona after being found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. The convictions stem from separate trials held this spring, one for the conspiracy to murder her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, and the other for conspiring to murder Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of her niece.
Emotional impact statements were delivered by family members of the victims, including a powerful video testimony from Larry Woodcock, grandfather of Vallow Daybell’s youngest son, Joshua “JJ” Vallow. Woodcock condemned Vallow Daybell, detailing the devastating impact of her actions on his family and vividly describing the confines of the prison cell that awaits her.
His wife, Kay Woodcock, also spoke, reading a poignant letter on behalf of JJ, accusing Vallow Daybell of manipulation and lies. Vallow Daybell’s surviving son, Colby Ryan, delivered a tearful statement recounting the trauma of learning about his father’s murder and the lasting impact on his family.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Vallow Daybell conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, to murder Charles Vallow in July 2019 for his $1 million life insurance policy, paving the way for her marriage to Chad Daybell. The couple shared a fascination with doomsday prophecies.
Months later, Boudreaux, who suspected Vallow Daybell and Cox’s involvement in Charles’s death, was targeted in a drive-by shooting. Prosecutors linked Vallow Daybell to the vehicle used in the attack.
The case drew national attention following the disappearance of Vallow Daybell’s children, JJ and Tylee Ryan. Their remains were later found on Chad Daybell’s property in Idaho.
He has been sentenced to death for their murders and the murder of his wife, Tammy. Vallow Daybell is already serving life sentences for those murders.
Charles Vallow had filed for divorce prior to his death, expressing concerns about Vallow Daybell’s increasingly erratic behavior and threats against his life. He was shot and killed while picking up his son from Vallow Daybell’s home. Cox, who later died of natural causes, claimed self-defense in the shooting.
During the Arizona trials, Vallow Daybell represented herself, maintaining her innocence and arguing that no evidence linked her to the conspiracy against Boudreaux. Following her sentencing in Arizona, she will be returned to Idaho.