Arizona Gov. Hobbs agrees to seek Lori Vallow Daybell extradition from Idaho

Jimmy Jenkins, Arizona Republic
Updated ·2 min read
12

Gov. Katie Hobbs told The Republic on Thursday she would sign extradition papers so that Lori Vallow Daybell can be prosecuted in Arizona.

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said it had delivered a requisition for extradition paperwork to Hobbs' office on Thursday morning.

Vallow Daybell started serving a life sentence in Idaho last week after being convicted in the murder of her daughter and son, in a case that landed her the nickname "Doomsday Mom." A former friend testified that Vallow Daybell told her she thought her kids were zombies.

This combination photo of undated photos released by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children show Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, two children murdered by their mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, who has been sentenced in Idaho to life in prison for their murders.
This combination photo of undated photos released by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children show Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, two children murdered by their mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, who has been sentenced in Idaho to life in prison for their murders.

She now awaits extradition to Arizona to face an active murder case in Maricopa County. Vallow Daybell faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder in the death of her ex-husband, Charles Vallow.

Here's what to know about the Lori Vallow Daybell extradition process.

After the request is signed by the governor and sent to authorities in Idaho, the process could take several more months, the County Attorney's Office said. Vallow Daybell could either agree to the extradition or fight it.

If Vallow Daybell agrees to be extradited, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office would pick her up in Idaho and bring her to Maricopa County to await trial.

If both governors of Arizona and Idaho approve of the extradition, but Vallow Daybell challenges it, an extradition hearing would be held in Idaho.

Typically in extradition challenges, according to legal experts at FindLaw.com, a defendant must be turned over as long "as the process and procedure found in the U.S. Constitution and federal law have been followed."

The U.S. Supreme Court only allows a handful of reasons to legitimately block a transfer, FindLaw says. In Vallow Daybell's case, those are specifically whether the extradition request is proper, and whether she has been charged with a crime in Arizona.

The County Attorney's Office said it typically takes three to six months for the extradition process to be completed.

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said at a news conference on Wednesday she hoped to prosecute Vallow Daybell in Maricopa County by the end of the year. Mitchell would not yet say if her office would be seeking the death penalty against Vallow Daybell.

Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger contributed to this article.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Lori Vallow Daybell extradition to Arizona in murder of ex-husband