On Monday, Judge Steven Boyce delivered a sentence for the killing of two of her children and plotting to murder a love interest, imposing multiple consecutive life sentences on Lori Vallow Daybell with no chance of parole.
The judge ordered Daybell and Vallow to serve prison terms concurrently, rather than consecutively, saying it is important for her to be punished with death for each crime.
Daybell’s former spouse, Tammy Daybell, in addition to plotting to kill Daybell, desired to eradicate her youngest offspring as a component of a scheme to embark on a fresh existence with Chad Daybell. Vallow Daybell, aged 50, was convicted of premeditated murder and conspiracy charges in May, as a jury concurred with the prosecution.
Despite having a wealth of options, you chose the most destructive and evil possible path, juxtaposing the enjoyment of your honeymoon in Hawaii with the shallow graves of children lying in Idaho.
According to Boyce, her children – Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow – were “burned, altered, and dismembered, and laid to rest like creatures.”
Vallow Daybell does not experience any regret. He observed no indication that he himself will be tormented by visions of the children’s corpses, jurors and he himself will be tormented by visions of the children’s corpses, stating that while law enforcement, Boyce said, The scene was horrifying, The judge acknowledged the “repulsion” he witnessed on jurors’ faces throughout the trial.
The lengthy trial was full of shocking and bizarre moments, as Prosecutors say Chad Daybell, motivated by his desire to pursue a life with his deceased wife and his dark religious beliefs, conspired to kill her and included Lori Vallow in the plot.
Vallow Daybell says her children and Tammy Daybell visit her
In the realm beyond death, her prey have come to her in ethereal manifestation and are content, yet she maintained her innocence regarding the act of killing and expressed her own deeds. Addressing the court for approximately 8 1/2 minutes, Vallow Daybell provided her first testimony during the trial.
Vallow Daybell expressed, “Jesus is acquainted with me, and Jesus comprehends me,” while including that she grieves for those who perished. However, she further stated, “Jesus Christ acknowledges that no one was killed in this particular instance.”
Tylee said that she underwent a personal transformation in 2002, during which she experienced near-death while giving birth.
She expressed that she had the ability to connect with the world spirit and heaven, and after her physical body returned to her, she was tempted to stay in the afterlife, she added. “Since then, I have had numerous interactions with people who are currently living in heaven,” she said, including my other family members and children.
The court informed Daybell Vallow that Tammy, her “friend”, said she is extremely busy and very happy in the world. Reading a statement from court, Daybell Vallow stated, “I know that my children are busy and happy in the world.”
Vallow Daybell mentioned that in the realm beyond, her son, who possessed an impressive height and is flourishing, paid her a visit in the form of “a spirit in adulthood.” She added that Tylee has come to me and is currently experiencing joy and liberation.
During her remarks, Vallow Daybell was questioned by the judge about her level of satisfaction with the legal representation provided by her attorneys during the trial.
Defense asked for concurrent sentences
Chad Daybell, the former spouse of Tammy Daybell, is also being charged in all three deaths, and Boyce delivered his verdict after listening to five victim-impact statements from relatives of Tylee and JJ, the children whose remains were discovered in 2020.
Later, Thomas John, the Bonneville County Public Defender, urged Boyce’s attorneys to concurrently impose an “indeterminate” life sentence on his client with a fixed term of 20 years in prison, for the terms set for her.
In a dreadful fashion, Prosecutor Rob Wood requested the highest possible punishment — multiple unchanging life sentences with no chance of release — asserting that Vallow Daybell had violated the trust of her children.
The children’s bodies were found in 2020
Chad Daybell possessed the estate in Rexburg, Idaho, where the corpses of the youngsters were discovered in June 2020, interred. Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow, 7, were last witnessed alive in September 2019, when they were almost 17. Vallow Daybell was convicted of murdering her two youngest offspring by a panel of jurors.
She said prosecutors that she could keep collecting benefit payments, so she didn’t report her missing children. Daybell Vallow was charged with obstruction and felony child desertion, and the remains of her children were found before even she was charged with felony child desertion.
Chad Daybell’s fifth spouse is Vallow Daybell. He and Vallow Daybell tied the knot in Hawaii just under a month after Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s former spouse, was discovered deceased in her residence in October 2019. Chad Daybell was also convicted of plotting to kill Tammy Daybell.
Zombie beliefs arose during trial
In court documents, Melanie Gibb, a close friend of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, testified that Tylee, Chad Daybell’s stepdaughter, was described as a “zombie” by Chad Daybell.
According to a police statement, Gibb stated that Vallow Daybell later determined that JJ had also transformed into a zombie after Tylee had declined to babysit him — to which Tylee responded, “It wasn’t me, mom,” Gibb mentioned she overheard Vallow Daybell refer to Tylee as a zombie.
Prosecutors also stated that Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, who are portrayed as religious figures called “Elena” and “James,” might be able to detect whether people are under the evil thrall of a dark energy spirit and claim to have the ability to “rate” them.
Tammy Daybell’s family speaks out
Chad Daybell was getting married again only a few weeks later in a Hawaiian ceremony, alongside Lori Vallow. According to Samantha Gwilliam, Tammy Daybell’s sister, the news of Chad Daybell’s remarriage deepened the pain, suspicion, and sorrow that has torn apart their family following Tammy’s unexpected passing at the age of 49, as mentioned in a victim-impact statement.
Without any young kids, she and Chad Daybell would become “empty nesters” – based on Vallow Daybell’s assertion that her most recent spouse passed away due to a cardiac arrest, Gwilliam expressed that she discovered only “falsehoods” as she delved deeper into her knowledge about Vallow Daybell.
According to Gwilliam, Tammy Daybell served as a hindrance for Vallow Daybell and also a means to benefit from her demise through an insurance policy. Gwilliam stated that it was only after Tammy Daybell was exhumed and a post-mortem examination was conducted that the family started to “attain certain explanations and veracity, following a multitude of falsehoods.”
Gwilliam, in court, tearfully described how strained the relationships within the Daybell family had become, including Chad and the children. She also read a statement from Tammy’s father recounting the toll that the actions of Daybell and Vallow took on his wife, who died this year.
At one juncture, Gwilliam likened her sister, a librarian and educator, to Vallow Daybell.
She stated, “She was a thousand times the woman you could ever imagine becoming.” “She is unparalleled,” my beloved aunt, sister, and mother, because of the choices you made, I lost my family.
Defense team says Vallow Daybell is “misunderstood”
According to John Thomas, the public defender for Bonneville County, “In my opinion, Lori Daybell is currently the most despised individual in the United States.”
However, he mentioned that she is a “highly misconstrued individual” who genuinely “embodies love” and has been shaped by intricate situations.
The judge asked him to use a sentence that would impart a “sense of hope” and encourage her to become an inmate role model, as well as to grow as a person and become a better version of herself, while also punishing both Daybell and Vallow.
Thomas Boyce urged for an “indeterminate” life sentence with a 20-year fixed term for his client, stating that she would be eligible for parole in her 70s, thereby having concurrent terms.
The case depicted a love affair that turned deadly
Prosecutors say that the relationship between Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow was entwined in a deadly criminal conspiracy that justified their fantastical beliefs, as they plotted to kill their closest relatives and benefit from payouts insurance and Social Security benefits. They met in October 2018 and decided to start a new life together, but their intentions were far from simple.
The fatalities of her offspring, which are connected to Vallow Daybell, have generated limited conclusive proof. Additionally, the prosecution has contended that James Archibald, the defense lawyer, has stated that his defendant was under the influence of an individual whom she perceives as a savior and her everlasting companion.
Other criminal cases are still pending
Chad Daybell is anticipated to face his own trial for the identical three fatalities in the spring of 2024.
Vallow Daybell also has other pending criminal cases in Arizona, where she previously resided.
Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of his niece, who she has accused of plotting with Cox to commit murder, was shot at but managed to survive in 2019. Alex Cox, the brother of Vallow, who died in December 2019, was determined to have died from natural causes. In July 2019, Vallow’s fourth husband Charles was charged with conspiracy to murder and attempted murder for allegedly arranging the killing and shooting of one of her brothers. She is currently under indictment for these charges.
Among the participants in Wednesday’s events in Idaho were individuals who addressed the audience, including Kay Woodcock – Charles Vallow’s sister and JJ’s grandmother. She shared the story of JJ’s brief existence and recounted cherished memories she had with him and his sister, Tylee.
It has been suggested that if Charles Vallow had asked for a life insurance policy coverage amount of $1 million, Lori Vallow Daybell could have willingly given it, if Chad Daybell had simply asked her. Kay Woodcock, speaking about their deaths, stated that “all of this began with greed.”
Once again, Judge Woodcock asked Daybell Vallow if she ensures that she never breathes air freely, stating that she is a danger to society and needs rehabilitation beyond.