In a significant legal development, an Arizona jury has found Lori Vallow Daybell guilty of conspiring to murder her estranged husband, Charles Vallow. This verdict adds another life sentence to her existing convictions in Idaho, where she was already found guilty in connection with the deaths of her two youngest children and a romantic rival. The case has drawn national attention, particularly due to Vallow Daybell's doomsday religious beliefs and the complex web of events surrounding the murders.
According to prosecutors, Lori Vallow Daybell conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, in the shooting death of Charles Vallow, which occurred in July 2019 at her home located in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. The prosecution argued that Vallow Daybell was motivated by financial gain, intending to collect money from her husband's life insurance policy. At the time, she was planning to marry Chad Daybell, an Idaho author known for writing religious novels that focus on prophecies and the end of the world.
The jury deliberated for a total of three hours over the span of two days before reaching their verdict. Lori Vallow Daybell, who opted to represent herself during the trial despite lacking legal training, displayed a calm demeanor as the verdict was read, occasionally glancing at jurors as they confirmed their decision. After the trial, one of the jurors, Victoria Lewis, remarked that Vallow Daybell's choice to self-represent may not have been beneficial, noting that her behavior during the trial included moments of smiling and laughter, which seemed out of place given the serious nature of the charges.
During her defense, Vallow Daybell claimed that Charles Vallow had attacked her with a bat, and that her brother shot him in self-defense after she exited the house. Interestingly, Alex Cox, who also claimed self-defense, passed away five months later from a blood clot in his lungs, adding further complexity to the case. The trial in Arizona is just the first of two criminal trials for Vallow Daybell; she is scheduled to face another trial in early June on charges of conspiring to murder Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of her niece. Boudreaux survived the assassination attempt.
Lori Vallow Daybell is set to be sentenced for the murder of Charles Vallow following her second trial. Currently, she is serving three life sentences related to the Idaho case. In a poignant moment during the Arizona trial, Adam Cox, another brother of Vallow Daybell, testified against her, expressing his belief that his siblings were responsible for the murder. He revealed that the killing took place just days before he and other family members planned an intervention to reintegrate Lori into their shared faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Adam Cox also shared chilling details from their family conversations, stating that Lori had previously claimed her husband was deceased and that a "zombie" had taken over his body. Just four months before his death, Charles Vallow had filed for divorce, citing Lori's disturbing obsession with near-death experiences and her claims of having lived multiple lives on different planets. He expressed concerns for his safety, alleging that she threatened to ruin him financially and even kill him, leading him to seek a voluntary mental health evaluation for his wife.
