Lori Vallow Daybell trial — live: ‘Cult mom’ seen in first court sketch as jury selection continues

The trial of “cult mom” Lori Vallow is now under way in a court in Idaho, marking the latest development in a bizarre case that spans a series of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019.

The children’s remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox (who is also now dead) to kill the three victims so as to further their doomsday cult beliefs and to collect the victims’ life insurance money and benefits.

The couple was due to stand trial together before the judge severed the cases last month. Jury selection began in Ms Vallow’s trial on Monday morning.

Separately, Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona for the murder of her fourth husband Charles Vallow.

Key points

• Jury selection begins in Lori Vallow murder trial

• Lori Vallow on trial for murders of children JJ and Tylee and Chad Daybell’s wife Tammy

• JJ and Tylee’s remains found on Daybell property in June 2020 – 9 months after disappearance

• Vallow believed JJ and Tylee had become ‘zombies'

• Tammy Daybell died aged 49 one month after children vanished

• Vallow also charged with ex-husband’s murder in Arizona

Jury selection continues

21:17 , Andrea Blanco

Defence attorney Jim Archibald questioned jurors on the presumption of evidence.

A juror who works at the Ada County Courthouse said that they would have no problem being impartial as they’ve not seen anyone working on the case, according to Fox10.

Ten jurors excused so far

20:33 , Andrea Blanco

Second panel of jurors questioned during voir dire

20:10 , Andrea Blanco

Jurors were asked, “If you don’t take the stand, you’re probably guilty,” according to KSLTV5.

Some of the jurors answered yes.

Jury selection continues after lunch recess

19:40 , Andrea Blanco

A timeline of the trail of mystery deaths surrounding the ‘doomsday cult mom’

19:30 , Andrea Blanco

Lori Vallow is about to stand trial for the murders of her children Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow.

But the case spans a deeply disturbing pattern of murders, unexplained deaths and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies going back years.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

Lori Vallow: A timeline of mystery deaths surrounding the ‘doomsday cult mom’

A doomsday cult, five mystery deaths and children buried in a pet cemetery

18:50 , Andrea Blanco

As ‘cult mom’ Lori Vallow finally faces trial for the murders of her children JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, The Independent’s Rachel Sharp delves into the deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies which surround her and her doomsday author husband Chad Daybell.

Doomsday cult, mystery deaths and kids in a pet cemetery: Lori Vallow faces trial

Juror excused due to scheduled Navy training

18:27 , Andrea Blanco

According to reporters in the courtroom, a juror who is in the Navy reserves was excused because she’s scheduled to have training next week.

Postponing the training would affect the years she has left to retire.

Lori Vallow’s defence begins jury questioning

18:10 , Rachel Sharp

After the prosecution, Lori Vallow’s defence attorney Jim Archibald has now begun questioning of the jury.

Under the questioning it emerged that one of the jurors works as a laundry technician at Ada County Jail where Lori Vallow is being held during the trial.

The potential juror insisted that her job would not impact her ability to judge Ms Vallow and the trial fairly.

CSI is focus of jury questioning

17:58 , Rachel Sharp

An interest in the TV show CSI came up in the jury selection process.

Prosecutor Rachel Smith asked if any of the potential jurors watched the show saying that some people who follow those shows get excited about some types of evidence.

One juror said she has watched mutliple seasons.

“Would anything about this exposure cause her to evaluate state evidence in a different light?” she was asked.

The juror said it would not and that she could accept not knowing how an individual died.

Juror reveals link to Lori Vallow trial witnesses

17:50 , Rachel Sharp

One of the potential jurors revealed that she knows some of the individuals on the trial witness list.

The female juror said that she worked as an administrative assistant in the Idaho State crime lab, which has worked on the case.

She said that one of the witnesses on the list had trained her on the job while others she spoke with or had at least heard of through her work.

Despite the link, the juror said that she would assess their credibility like anyone else who took the witness stand and would not treat them any differently.

Vallow’s doomsday cult beliefs hinted at

17:38 , Rachel Sharp

Lori Vallow’s doomsday cult beliefs were hinted at during jury selection.

Jurors were asked if it would impact their judgement if the religious beliefs of an individual giving testimony were different to their own.

None of the jurors said that it would.

Ms Vallow and Chad Daybell’s doomsday cult beliefs sit at the centre of the string of alleged murders and mystery deaths.

Chad Daybell ran a publishing company that put out books about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Lori Vallow followed his books for some time, before the pair finally met in person at a religious conference in Utah in October 2018.

The couple allegedly believed that people, including JJ and Tylee, had become “zombies” and that the only way to rid them of the zombies was for them to die.

Term ‘conspiracy’ is discussed

17:25 , Rachel Sharp

Prosecutor Rachel Smith questioned the jury pool about the meaning of the term “conspiracy”.

She asked jurors if they could convict an individual for participating in the planning of a crime – but not participating in the actual crime.

One of the jurors initially said no but then said yes if that was what the court instructed.

Jurors express alarm at learning case involves child murder

17:10 , Megan Sheets

Two potential jurors have expressed concern about the heart of the case, according to Idaho News6 reporter Karen Lehr.

It came when Mr Wood cautioned that some of the evidence would be “emotionally charged” and distressing as the case involves two child murder victims.

A woman piped up to say she did not realise this case involved children - as she is a mother herself.

Another man chimed in to say he “would rather not” see evidence about the brutality of the children’s murders - including gruesome autopsy photos - but affirmed that he would be a fair and impartial juror if chosen for the panel.

Prosecutor draws a laugh from jury pool

17:05 , Megan Sheets

Prosecutor Rob Wood is now presenting his questions to the jury pool.

He began by imploring the prospective jurors to answer with “brutal honesty” to ensure a fair trial for Ms Vallow.

He also elicited a laugh by asking the group if they believe everything they see on the internet is true.

Jurors acknowledged that some of what they’ve seen in the media may be false - with Mr Wood assuring that the court will only hear true and relevant evidence during the trial.

Some potential jurors excused

16:56 , Rachel Sharp

At least two jurors were excused due to the time commitment, after the judge said the trial will last around eight weeks.

When the pool was asked if they had any sort of bias in the case or had reached a decision around whether Lori Vallow is innocent or guilty, none of the jurors spoke up.

None of the potential jurors said that they had any type of relationship with or association to Ms Vallow or either of the legal teams.

Charges against Lori Vallow

16:35 , Rachel Sharp

The judge has outlined the charges to the prospective jurors.

Here are the charges:

- Two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of JJ and Tylee

- Three counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of JJ, Tylee and Tammy Daybell

- Two counts of grand theft in connection with social security benefits following the deaths of JJ and Tylee

Lori Vallow has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Jury selection begins in Lori Vallow case

16:25 , Rachel Sharp

Jury selection is now under way in Ada County Courthouse for Lori Vallow’s triple murder trial.

The court needs to seat 18 jurors – 12 jurors and six alternates – in the case.

Witness list has been sealed in high-profile case

16:20 , Rachel Sharp

Which individuals will take the stand to testify in the high-profile case remains unclear after the witness list was sealed by the judge last month.

Judge Steven Boyce issued the ruling “in order to preserve the right to a fair trial”, the court order reads.

JJ’s grandparents are expected to be called as witnesses – hence the legal wrangling between them and Lori Vallow’s team about whether or not they can attend the trial.

What to expect at the trial

16:05 , Rachel Sharp

The murder trial of Lori Vallow is expected to go on for around 12 weeks with jury selection starting today.

Judge Steven Boyce is planning to begin each day at 8.30am and dismiss the jury each day at around 3.30pm.

Lunch breaks will be short to allow for the shorter days.

Lori Vallow arrives in court

15:50 , Rachel Sharp

Potential jurors have begun checking in to Ada County Courthouse in Idaho.

Almost 2,000 prospective jurors were summoned last week to get questionnaires for the trial.

Lori Valow has also arrived in court as well as the attorney for her husband Chad Daybell – who will face trial separately at a later date.

Jury selection to get under way soon

15:42 , Rachel Sharp

Lori Vallow’s trial is set to begin at 9am local time (11am ET) with jury selection.

ICYMI: ‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow will face trial separately from husband Chad Daybell

15:10 , Rachel Sharp

“Cult Mom” Lori Vallow and her husband, Chad Daybell, will be tried separately for the alleged murders of their children and Mr Daybell’s former wife, a judge has ruled.

District Judge Steven Boyce made the ruling on Thursday, which will sever the defendants’ cases, according to East Idaho News.

The couple was previously being tried together on multiple counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of Ms Vallow’s children, 7-year-old Joshua Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as the death of Mr Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy Daybell.

Read the full story here:

Lori Vallow to be tried separately from husband Chad Daybell over children’s murders

WATCH: Moment Chad Daybell is confronted over missing children

14:50 , Rachel Sharp

In February 2020 – five months after the children were last seen alive – Lori Vallow was arrested in Hawaii on charges of child abandonment and desertion.

She was also charged with resisting officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime and contempt of court and was held on $5m bond before being extradited back to Idaho.

Following her arrest, Chad Daybell was confronted by an ABC News journalist who asked if the children were safe. He refused to answer.

Watch that moment below:

How the trial stalled in the courts

14:30 , Rachel Sharp

The trial of the doomsday cult couple has stalled for the past few years – in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, mental incompetence and legal wranglings.

Lori Vallow has been behind bars since January 2020 when she was arrested in Hawaii and extradited to Idaho for failing to meet a court order to present her children to authorities.

Chad Daybell has been in prison since the children’s remains were discovered in June 2020.

The case was largely put on hold when Ms Vallow was found not mentally competent to stand trial.

She then spent almost a year at a mental health facility before she was ruled competent in May 2022 and the case proceeded through the courts.

So far, the pair are yet to turn on each other and have both pleaded not guilty.

In March, an Idaho judge ruled that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell will be tried separately for the murders – prompting Mr Daybell’s case to be pushed back to an unconfirmed date while jury selection gets under way on 3 April in Ms Vallow’s trial.

The death penalty has now been taken off the table for Ms Vallow but not for Mr Daybell.

If found guilty, Ms Vallow faces life in prison.

‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow tries to get slain son’s grandparents banned from her murder trial

14:12 , Rachel Sharp

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is trying to get the grandparents of her slain son banned from her murder trial, in a move that the family members say has left them “blindsided and heartbroken”.

Ms Vallow’s trial is set to begin on Monday in a court in Idaho, where she faces life in prison for the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven.

Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019 with their remains found buried on the grounds of her new husband doomsday cult author Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee and is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

Now – after delays brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and Ms Vallow being admitted to a psychiatric facility for almost a year – jury selection is set to begin on Monday in her trial.

However, JJ’s grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock may no longer be able to attend the roughly 12-week trial due to a motion filed by Ms Vallow’s defence attorneys seeking to ban them from the courtroom.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow tries to get slain son’s grandparents banned from murder trial

Cameras banned from courtroom

13:45 , Rachel Sharp

The judge has banned cameras from the courtroom meaning there will be no livestream of the trial.

The case was also moved to Boise in an attempt to increase the likelihood of finding jurors that aren’t deeply familiar with the case.

What is Lori Vallow charged with?

13:25 , Rachel Sharp

Lori Vallow is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of her two children JJ and Tylee.

She is also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy.

She is also facing grand theft and insurance fraud counts for applying for Social Security benefits for Tylee and JJ after they died.

Separately, Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiring to murder her ex-husband Charles Vallow with Cox.

What do we know about Vallow and Daybell’s doomsday cult?

13:05 , Rachel Sharp

At the centre of the string of alleged murders and mystery deaths stands the couple’s bizarre doomsday cult.

Chad Daybell ran a publishing company that put out books about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Lori Vallow followed his books for some time, before the pair finally met in person at a religious conference in Utah in October 2018.

Charles Vallow claimed in divorce documents that Ms Vallow believed she was a god-like figure chosen to carry out the work of 144,000 believers.

Multiple friends cited in police reports say that the couple believed they could drive out evil spirits and seek revelations from “beyond the spiritual veil”.

Ms Vallow even believed she could teleport between Arizona and Hawaii, according to documents.

But – most chillingly – the couple allegedly believed that people, including JJ and Tylee, had become “zombies”.

They allegedly had a scoring system for ranking how far people’s souls had gone from good to evil.

The only way to then rid an individual of the zombies would be for them to die, according to documents.

Prosecutors believe that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell used these beliefs to further their plots to kill JJ, Tylee and Tammy.

ICYMI: Lori Vallow claims new alibi in murder of her two children

12:45 , Rachel Sharp

The so-called “Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has finally offered up an alibi for the murders of her two children, claiming she was somewhere else when they died in her brother’s apartment – and bizarrely adding that her husband and alleged co-conspirator Chad Daybell may or may not have been with her at the time.

Ms Vallow and cult leader Mr Daybell have both pleaded their innocence of all charges in a dramatic case that spans a deeply disturbing pattern of suspected murders, unexplained deaths of people close to the couple and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Now, for the first time, Ms Vallow has provided an alibi for her children’s murders, according to a new court filing submitted by her legal team last week.

Ms Vallow claims she was at her own apartment in Rexburg, Idaho, when the two children died in her brother’s home in the same complex, the documents state.

Read the full story here:

‘Doomsday cult mom’ Lori Vallow claims new alibi in murder of her two children

Alleged co-conspirator Alex Cox dead

12:25 , Rachel Sharp

In December 2019, Lori Vallow’s brother Alex Cox also died suddenly aged just 51.

At the time, authorities were demanding Ms Vallow present her children, Tammy Daybell’s body was about to be exhumed and Cox had killed Vallow just months earlier.

One day, Cox was found gasping for air on the bathroom floor of the home he shared with his wife Zulema Pastenes – who he had married just two weeks earlier.

The autopsy found he had a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs and his death was ruled natural causes. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.

Days before his death, Ms Pastenes said he suggested his death could be looming.

“Like one or two days before he passed, he said to me, ‘Zulema, if anything happens to me, I want you to know that there is money in a bag in the closet and it’s for you. It’s not much but it’s for you,’” she told police, according to court records.

The day he died, he had also allegedly called Mr Daybell to receive a “blessing” over the phone.

No charges have ever been brought in connection to his death.

Tammy Daybell’s death

12:05 , Rachel Sharp

Chad Daybell married his first wife Tammy in 1990 and they had five children together. They also founded a publishing company together – the company that released his doomsday books.

Just one month after the children vanished – on 19 October 2019 – Tammy, an otherwise healthy 49-year-old, died suddenly in her sleep.

In a bizarre twist, her death came just 10 days after she had called 911 to report someone shooting at her with a paintball gun in the driveway of their home.

Despite the mysterious circumstances, her husband declined an autopsy and her death was ruled natural causes.

Two weeks later, Mr Daybell and Lori Vallow married on a beach in Hawaii.

It was only after the two children were reported missing – and authorities began delving into Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell, their sudden remarriage and bizarre cult beliefs – that questions began being asked about her death.

Investigators exhumed her body for an autopsy in December 2020.

Now, Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow are charged with her murder, with prosecutors alleging that the couple conspired with Alex Cox to kill the 49-year-old.

Charles Vallow’s death: Self-defence or murder?

11:45 , Rachel Sharp

In July 2019 – two months prior to the alleged murders of JJ and Tylee – Lori Vallow’s brother Alex Cox shot and killed her husband Charles Vallow.

Vallow and Ms Vallow had been married since 2006 and had adopted JJ – who was the biological grandson of Vallow’s sister.

Vallow had gone to his estranged wife’s home in Chandler, Arizona, to pick up JJ when he was shot twice by Cox.

Cox claimed that Vallow attacked him with a baseball bat so he shot him in self-defence.

However, Cox did not perform CPR on Vallow and waited 43 minutes to call police.

At the time of Vallow’s shooting, the case was ruled self-defence.

Ms Vallow is now charged with conspiring with Cox to murder Vallow and is awaiting trial in Arizona on those charges.

Timeline of Lori Vallow’s case

11:25 , Rachel Sharp

More than three years after her children were last seen alive, “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is about to finally stand trial for their murders.

Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 8, vanished without a trace in September 2019, sparking a multi-state search while their mother appeared carefree – marrying her new husband Chad Daybell on a beach in Hawaii.

The children’s bodies were finally discovered nine months later buried in a pet cemetery on Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho.

Their disappearances and deaths mark only part of a dramatic case that spans a deeply disturbing pattern of murders, unexplained deaths and bizarre cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Now, Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell are charged in Idaho with JJ and Tylee’s murders, as well as the murder of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

Ms Vallow is also separately charged in Arizona with conspiring to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother Alex Cox – who mysteriously also died three months after the children’s disappearance.

The doomsday couple – who are yet to turn on each other – were due to stand trial together in Idaho but the cases have now been severed.

Now, Ms Vallow’s murder trial will begin on 3 April.

Here’s a timeline of the tragic and bizarre case:

Lori Vallow: A timeline of mystery deaths surrounding the ‘doomsday cult mom’

A chilling last photo

11:05 , Rachel Sharp

Chilling photos captured a smiling JJ, Tylee and Lori Vallow’s brother Alex Cox on a visit to Yellowstone National Park on 8 September 2019.

The photo is now believed to be the last proof of life of 16-year-old Tylee.

After that day, she was never seen or heard from again.

What happened to JJ and Tylee?

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, were last seen alive in September 2019 – not long after Lori Vallow had moved the two children from Arizona to Idaho to be close to Mr Daybell.

On 8 September, Tylee was last seen on a visit to Yellowstone National Park with her mother, JJ and Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox.

Days later, on 22 September, JJ was also seen for the last time – at his school in Rexburg and by his mother’s friends at her apartment that night. By the next morning, the seven-year-old – who had autism – had vanished.

Cellphone data places Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in the yard of Mr Daybell’s property in the hours after both of the children’s disappearances. The morning after Tylee was last seen alive, Mr Daybell also sent a text to his wife to say that he had shot a raccoon and buried it in the pet cemetery on the grounds of their property.

JJ’s grandparents raised the alarm after they were unable to get in touch with their grandson but Ms Vallow refused to tell authorities where either of the children were.

According to Ms Vallow’s friends, she had claimed that her children were “zombies” and that the only way to free someone’s soul from evil spirits was to kill them.

In June 2020, JJ and Tylee’s remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybell’s backyard.

JJ’s body was found in a black plastic bag wrapped in duct tape while Tylee’s body had been dismembered and burned in a fire pit, before being buried in the pet cemetery.

A doomsday cult, five bodies and children buried in a pet cemetery: What we know about ‘Ccult mom’ Lori Vallow’s case

10:55 , Rachel Sharp

It looked every inch the fairytale wedding. Dressed in white with pink flower garlands around their necks, the bride and groom couldn’t have looked happier as they exchanged vows on a paradise beach in Hawaii.

Photos captured the apparently blissful day as they toasted their nuptials, embraced and she danced to him playing the guitar. But, behind the photos, something much more disturbing was going on.

Her two children had not been seen alive in two months.

His wife of three decades – the mother of his five children – had died suddenly just two weeks earlier.

And her husband had been shot dead by her brother (who would also soon be dead) not long before.

Now, in the three years since the November 2019 wedding of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, a deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies has come to light.

Five people close to the couple have wound up dead.

And the couple are now charged with murder.

It’s a bizarre and tragic case that has captured the attention of the nation, leaving many with one big unanswered question: how could a woman who for years appeared to be a loving, doting mother allegedly murder her children in the belief that they had turned into “zombies”?

That is just one of the questions her trial could now answer as more disturbing details are expected to come to light over the coming weeks.

Here The Independent’s Rachel Sharp tells you everything you need to know about the case:

Lori Vallow trial: What we know about the doomsday cult, murders and mystery deaths

Lori Vallow’s trial to begin today in Idaho court

10:50 , Rachel Sharp

The trial of “cult mom” Lori Vallow is set to begin on Monday 3 April 2023 in a court in Idaho, marking the latest development in a bizarre case that spans a series of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019.

The children’s remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox (who is also now dead) to kill the three victims so as to further their doomsday cult beliefs and to collect the victims’ life insurance money and benefits.

The couple was due to stand trial together before the judge severed the two cases last month. Now, jury selection will begin in Ms Vallow’s trial on Monday.

Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog on Lori Vallow’s trial

10:46 , Rachel Sharp

Follow along for all the latest updates on the case