Lori Vallow Daybell now faces 2 conspiracy to commit murder charges in Arizona
An Arizona grand jury has accused Lori Vallow Daybell of conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband.
The news of the additional charge, first reported by FOX10 Phoenix, comes just days after the 49-year-old mother was convicted of six felonies in Idaho, including the first-degree murders of two of her children. Prosecutors in Maricopa County, Arizona, have already asked Vallow Daybell to be extradited and face a charge of conspiring to commit first-degree murder in the death of her former husband, Charles Vallow.
The new indictment alleged that Vallow Daybell and her brother, Alex Cox, agreed that one of them would kill Brandon Boudreaux, who was married to Vallow Daybell’s niece, Melani Pawlowski. The document also alleged that the offense was a “dangerous felony” because a deadly weapon was discharged or used, or the use of the weapon was threatened to inflict “serious physical injury” on Boudreaux.
In October 2019, Boudreaux was driving home from the gym in Gilbert, Arizona, when he noticed a Jeep Wrangler outside of his home. He said during Vallow Daybell’s criminal trial that he noticed the Jeep’s back window open farther and “heard a bang.” Arizona authorities found a bullet hole in the driver’s door and a shattered window on Boudreaux’s vehicle.
Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, held extremist beliefs the world was going to end in July 2020, and that they were a part of the 144,000 people who, according to the Book of Revelations, would be saved during the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Daybells were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and while the church does believe Jesus Christ will return to Earth in the future, church leadership hasn’t set a physical date.
Vallow Daybell also participated in “castings” with others, when they would cast out certain people who had dark spirits. If an individual was properly cast out, they’d die, according to witness testimony during the trial. Boudreaux and Vallow Daybell’s children were some of the people they considered “dark spirits” or “zombies.”
Boudreaux during his testimony said he’d just moved into his Arizona home and that only a few people knew his address, including Pawlowski. Gilbert Police Detective Ryan Pillar said during the trial that Boudreaux and Pawlowski had a life insurance policy together, and that if something happened to Boudreaux, Pawlowski would have received a $200,000 payment.
According to witness testimony, Pawlowski was close to the Daybells and believed their fringe religious convictions. Boudreaux and Pawlowski were going through a contentious divorce at the time.
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Police said they believe Cox attempted to shoot Boudreaux. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office decided not to charge Chad Daybell with attempted murder in March 2022, according to FOX10 Phoenix, but said Vallow Daybell’s charges were still under review.
According to the indictment, the grand jury accused Vallow Daybell of the conspiracy charge in February 2022. The Associated Press reported that indictments are typically sealed in Arizona until a defendant can be served.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in an email told the Idaho Statesman that it had “received permission from the court to unseal and disclose” the indictment. In addition, the attorney’s office said that until Vallow Daybell is formally served the indictment, a case will not be created by the county clerk.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office plans to extradite Vallow Daybell to Arizona after she’s sentenced in Idaho and transferred to the Idaho Department of Correction.
“The extradition can take from several weeks to several months,” the statement said.
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The attempted shooting of Boudreaux occurred less than a month after Vallow Daybell’s children were killed and buried in shallow graves on the property of Chad Daybell.
In June 2020, authorities found the remains of 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan in Chad Daybell’s backyard in eastern Idaho. The Daybells — who were having a months-long affair — were charged in the children’s deaths, along with three conspiracy charges for conspiring to kill the children and Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s then-wife.
Vallow Daybell has now been convicted of all of those charges, but Chad Daybell still faces a criminal trial, which is expected to happen next year. He has pleaded not guilty to all eight counts against him, online court records showed.
Vallow Daybell was also found guilty of grand theft for stealing government benefits after her children’s deaths.
Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce hasn’t set a date for Vallow Daybell’s sentencing but expects it will occur in roughly three months.
Boudreaux and his family, in a statement published by East Idaho News following the verdict, said they wished the public could have known “the good times” their families shared, including football games and trips to Disney.
“We recognize that people are not inherently good or evil,” Boudreaux said in the statement. “It’s what makes these tragic events so much harder for those of us who were all affected by these crimes.”
He continued: “While we do not glory in any conviction, we recognize the importance of holding accountable those who would commit such terrible atrocities. Tylee and JJ will be forever missed.”
If Vallow Daybell appeals her Idaho conviction after the sentencing hearing, it wouldn’t affect the extradition process, Jeanine L’Ecuyer, deputy chief of staff for the attorney’s office, previously told the Statesman by email.
