“Doomsday mom” Lori Vallow Daybell has once again made headlines, this time for being convicted in the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. A jury in Maricopa County Superior Court found her guilty on Tuesday of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder related to the 2019 fatal shooting.
The verdict adds to her growing list of criminal convictions. Already serving a life sentence without parole for the murders of her two children and her husband’s previous wife, Vallow Daybell’s Arizona conviction tightens the legal noose around her troubling past.
At trial, Vallow Daybell claimed her brother, Alex Cox, shot Charles in self-defense after a heated family dispute. According to her testimony, Charles had arrived at her Chandler, Arizona home to take their son, JJ, to school. An argument allegedly broke out between Charles and her daughter, Tylee Ryan, with Charles supposedly threatening the teen with a bat.
Alex Cox, who later died of natural causes in 2019, was never charged in connection to the case. Nonetheless, prosecutors dismissed the self-defense narrative, painting a much darker picture of Vallow Daybell’s motives.
Prosecutor Treena Kay laid out a detailed theory in court: Vallow Daybell wanted to become Lori Daybell, the wife of doomsday author Chad Daybell. Killing Charles would allow her to collect a $1 million life insurance payout, continue receiving Social Security benefits, and live freely with Chad.
“She could have the same lifestyle without Charles. All she needed was for him to be gone,” Kay stated during opening arguments. The prosecution described how Vallow Daybell used her religious beliefs as justification, labeling others as “dark” or “possessed,” and rationalizing her husband’s murder as part of a divine plan.
Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell tied the knot in November 2019, just a few months after Charles’ death. Testimony from her brother, Adam Cox, reinforced the prosecution’s claims. He told the court he was certain Lori conspired with Alex and had made disturbing religious remarks leading up to the shooting.
Medical examiner Derek Bumgarner added that Charles Vallow appeared to have been shot while lying on a hard surface, and the fatal bullet pierced his heart.
Representing herself in court, Vallow Daybell argued that the incident was not premeditated. “This was not a crime it was a tragedy,” she said during her closing statement. However, the jury found the evidence against her compelling enough to reach a guilty verdict.
Police testimony from the day of the shooting described Lori as calm and unemotional, further fueling suspicions. Notably, she offered no evidence or witnesses in her defense during the trial.
Her sentencing is expected in about 30 days. However, it may be delayed due to a separate conspiracy charge tied to another attempted murder involving her niece’s estranged husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
