Current:Home > MyLori Vallow Daybell to be sentenced for murders of her 2 youngest children -CapitalCourse
Lori Vallow Daybell to be sentenced for murders of her 2 youngest children
View
Date:2025-04-19 12:56:45
An Idaho mother is set to learn her fate after being convicted in the murders of her two youngest children.
Lori Vallow Daybell will return to court in eastern Idaho's Fremont County on Monday for a sentencing hearing, according to Boise ABC affiliate KIVI-TV. She faces up to life in prison without parole. In March, before the trial began, a judge granted the defense's motion to dismiss the death penalty in her case.
Lori and her husband, Chad Daybell, were both charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the 2019 deaths of her two youngest children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow. The children were last seen alive in September 2019 and were reported missing by extended family members that November. Their remains were found on Chad's property in Fremont County in June 2020, according to authorities.
MORE: Juror in murder trial of Lori Vallow Daybell breaks silence
The couple were also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Chad's ex-wife, 49-year-old Tamara Daybell, who died of asphyxiation of in October 2019, less than a month before Lori and Chad married. Chad was also charged with his former wife's murder.
Both Lori and Chad pleaded not guilty to their charges. In April, a Fremont County judge allowed their cases to be tried separately, with Lori's first and Chad's expected to start at a later date.
Lori was deemed fit to stand trial last year following a 10-month stint at an Idaho mental health facility. Her defense attorneys had said they did not plan to raise a mental health defense at the guilt-phase portion of the trial.
MORE: Lori Vallow Daybell found guilty in murder of her 2 children
During Lori's six-week trial, prosecutors argued that she and her husband thought the children were zombies and murdered them. Chad has authored many religious fiction books and is Lori's fifth husband. The couple both reportedly adhered to a doomsday ideology, with Lori at one point claiming she was "a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ's second coming in July 2020" and didn't want anything to do with her family "because she had a more important mission to carry out," according to court documents obtained by ABC News.
The defense characterized Lori as a devoted mother who loved her children and Jesus, but that all changed near the end of 2018 when she met Chad.
Prosecutors argued that Lori set a plan for the children's murder in motion in October 2018 "using money, power and sex," and that she and her husband "used religion to manipulate others." Lori was additionally charged with grand theft related to Social Security survivor benefits allocated for the care of her children that prosecutors said were appropriated after they were reported missing and ultimately found dead. Meanwhile, Chad was additionally charged with two counts of insurance fraud related to life insurance policies he had on Tamara for which prosecutors said he was the beneficiary.
MORE: A string of family deaths surround tragedy of Lori Vallow’s children
Prosecutors also shared photographs of Lori and Chad dancing on a beach during their wedding in Hawaii when her children's bodies were buried in his backyard.
In May, a 12-member jury reached a verdict after two days of deliberations, finding Lori guilty on all charges. The defense declined to comment on the verdict at the time.
ABC News' John Capell and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
veryGood! (454)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Florida’s ‘Fantasy Fest’ ends with increased emphasis on costumes and less on decadence
- 5 children die in boat accident while on school outing to Kenya amusement park
- Man charged in killing of Nat King Cole’s great-nephew
- Small twin
- Shooting kills 2 and injures 18 victims in Florida street with hundreds of people nearby
- Keep trick-or-treating accessible for all: a few simple tips for an inclusive Halloween
- Matthew Perry, Emmy-nominated ‘Friends’ star, has died at 54, reports say
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Bangladesh police detain key opposition figure, a day after clashes left one dead and scores injured
Ranking
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- African tortoise reunites with its owner after being missing for 3 years in Florida
- King Charles III seeks to look ahead in a visit to Kenya. But he’ll have history to contend with
- 5 children die in boat accident while on school outing to Kenya amusement park
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Flames vs. Oilers in NHL Heritage Classic: Time, TV, weather for Commonwealth Stadium
- UAW and Stellantis reach tentative contract agreement
- Feel Free to Keep These 25 Spooky Secrets About Casper
Recommendation
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
See How Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes and More Stars Are Celebrating Halloween 2023
In Myanmar, a Facebook post deemed inflammatory led to an ex-minister’s arrest
It's been one year since Elon Musk bought Twitter. Now called X, the service has lost advertisers and users.
As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
Sephora drops four Advent calendars with beauty must-haves ahead of the holiday season
'Breakfast Club' host DJ Envy is being sued for alleged investment fraud
Prosecutor refiles case accusing Missouri woman accused of killing her friend