There’s strong evidence that one woman did what nobody ever thinks a mother would do to their children.
Sins of Our Mother is the latest documentary offering to land on Netflix and it's certainly had people talking. Exploring the horrifying story of Lori Vallow Daybell and the terrible crimes she has been said to commit, it proves to be a difficult watch. Such is the nature and breadth of her crimes, the documentary needs 3 parts to cover it all in terrifying detail. And for those that are eager for more information - here’s what we know about where Lori Vallow Daybell is now and what happened to Chad Daybell too.
The demand for true-crime documentaries is off the scale right now, with new ones arriving on the streaming platform at an astonishing pace. Her sister thinks she’s innocent, and there’s a lot of inconsistencies in the story - for those asking where is Victoria Smith now from Netflix’s I Am A Killer, the answer might be surprising. Serious anger abound over the humiliation and degradation caused by a revenge porn criminal Hunter Moore from The Most Hated Man on the Internet. And when a computer is switched on this name might pop up, but now he is famous for more sinister reasons than the programme he invented - what happened to John McAfee of McAfee antivirus software? The subject of new Netflix documentary Running with the Devil.
Where is Lori Vallow Daybell now?
Lori Vallow Daybell is currently being held at Madison County Jail in Rexburg, Idaho, awaiting trial for conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in relation to 4 deaths among other charges.
In May 2021, Vallow Daybell underwent psychological evaluation and was declared mentally unfit to stand trial. Her charges dated back to 2020, and proceedings were suspended until she had undergone treatment at an appropriate health and welfare facility. However, in April 2022, Vallow Daybell was found to be competent to stand trial, and returned from the mental health facility to Madison County Jail.
What did Lori Vallow Daybell do?
Netflix documentary Sins of Our Mother suggests that Lori Vallow Daybell killed her two children Tylee and JJ and was also involved in the murder of her ex-husband. The 49-year-old is said to have carried out these crimes after becoming obsessed with a religious end-of-the-world conspiracy theory.
Married at 19, Vallow Daybell’s first marriage didn’t last but did produce daughter Tylee. During her second marriage to businessman Charles Vallow beginning in 2006, the couple adopted JJ Vallow - the grandson of Charles' sister. By 2017, Vallow Daybell had become preoccupied with the books of doomsday author Chad Daybell. Daybell’s books spoke about preparing for the end of the world.
According to CBS News, in 2018 Lori Vallow Daybell met Chad Daybell, sparking a friendship. Chad Daybell was married at the time to wife Tammy, with whom he had 5 children. The pair’s friendship continued and they began making religious podcasts together. They coined the notion that people’s souls were being replaced by dark spirits, and Vallow Daybell began referring to those close to her as being demons disguised as humans.
By 2019, Vallow Daybell was preparing for the end of the world, and allegedly making murder threats towards husband Charles - he took his concerns to the police. He later filed for divorce, citing fear for his life, and that of Tylee and JJ. Despite Charles being directly related to JJ, Vallow Daybell took both children when she left and went to live with her brother Alex Cox.
In September 2019, Lori Vallow Daybell moved in with Chad Daybell, and Tylee vanished in the same month - JJ disappeared shortly afterwards. In October 2019, Chad Daybell’s wife Tammy mysteriously died in her sleep. Shortly after her death, Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell married. Meanwhile, neither Tylee or JJ had been seen since September, and Vallow Daybell had been making excuses for their absence.
JJ’s grandparents became suspicious of her excuses, and involved the police - Vallow Daybell asserted that he was staying with a friend. Unable to verify this and with concerns now forming about Tylee, police declared both children officially missing.
By December 2019, Tammy Daybell’s body was exhumed - her death had been declared natural causes and police no longer believed this was the case. Vallow Daybell’s brother Alex died the same month, also apparently of natural causes. In January 2020, Vallow Daybell was issued an order to produce her children, and was arrested in February when she failed to do so.
By June 2020, Vallow Daybell maintained a refusal to give up the whereabouts of her children. Chad Daybell’s property was searched, and sadly both children’s bodies were found buried in his back garden. Tylee was 17 and JJ 7-years-old at the time of their deaths. In May 2021, Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell were charged with first-degree murder for the deaths of the children. Chad Daybell was charged with murdering Tammy Daybell, and Vallow Daybell was also charged with conspiring to murder Charles Vallow.
What happened to Charles Vallow?
Charles Vallow was shot dead by Lori Vallow Daybell’s brother Alex Cox, in July 2019. When Charles had expressed concerns over his wife’s mental state, and that of the children they were raising, Vallow Daybell went to live with her brother - taking the children with her.
Still maintaining an involvement in the children’s lives, Charles went to Alex’s residence to take JJ to school, but was shot dead by Alex instead. Cox, Vallow Daybell, and both Tylee and JJ who were present at the time, told a story of the shooting being self defence. Cox alleged that during the visit, Charles became aggressive towards Vallow Daybell, and he’d stepped in to protect her. Charles Vallow’s death from multiple gunshot wounds has since been ruled a homicide.
Lori Vallow Daybell: Trial
Lori Vallow Daybell is set to stand trial in January 2023. She faces charges for three counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit grand theft.
The 49-year-old refused to enter a plea in April 2022 after being deemed fit for trial again. So a judge entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.
In August 2022, Vallow Daybell’s lawyers requested that conspiracy charges against her be sent back to a grand jury. According to CBS News, their claim is that the charges are constructed strangely and could cause confusion to a jury.
Along with the charge of grand theft, one conspiracy charge is that Daybell and Vallow Daybell allegedly planned to kill Tylee to steal social security benefits she was entitled to following the death of her father. A second conspiracy charge maintains the same allegations, but in relation to JJ being estranged from his family and Vallow Daybell caring for him.
Her team said “The conspiracy to commit murder and the conspiracy to commit grand theft are two separate conspiracies. We believe it would be confusing to a jury to be able to figure out what elements were met, when the elements were met and to what extent the elements were met”. They concluded the case to be “fundamentally unfair”. Vallow Daybell is pleading not guilty on all charges.
Could Lori Vallow get the death penalty?
Yes, Lori Vallow Daybell could face the death penalty if convicted. She is incarcerated in a state where the death penalty is legal, and the prosecution have announced they will actively be seeking the death penalty with her case.
According to AZ Central, the prosecution made the announcement of pursuing the death penalty in court documents. They have suggested Vallow Daybell will qualify for capital punishment due to the deaths of her children being “exceptionally depraved and carried out for financial gain”.
The documents continued to say that Vallow Daybell showed “utter disregard for human life” throughout the course of her actions, and the nature of what she’s done and the implications for what she could do in the future, “has exhibited a propensity to commit murder which will probably constitute a continuing threat to society”.
NEW: Prosecutors in Idaho file notice of intent to seek death penalty against Lori Vallow if she is convicted of 1st degree murder or conspiracy to commit murder. pic.twitter.com/XSqlSeXFCpMay 2, 2022
Where is Chad Daybell now?
Chad Daybell remains in prison awaiting trial. Along with Vallow Daybell, he has been charged with the murders of Tylee and JJ. He also faces the same counts of conspiracy and grand theft, along with a charge of first-degree murder and insurance fraud in relation to the death of first wife Tammy Daybell.
Daybell has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the prosecution team are also seeking the death penalty for him if convicted. However, Daybell’s children have recently spoken out to suggest they believe their father to be innocent. They told 48 Hours that they believe their father was framed by Vallow Daybell and her brother Alex Cox.
Their argument is that their father would not conceal evidence in his own back garden, when his property was surrounded by fields, woodland, and other spaces. Daybell had formerly worked as a gravedigger, and the children were found in shallow graves which Daybell’s son suggests is also suspicious. His son Seth said “This is … a man who buries pets at, like, as deep as he can. He knew how to dig graves and that just doesn't sound believable to me”.
His son concluded “And I hope that my dad can get a fair trial. And I hope that one day, our community can treat us like we're part of it again”. Chad Daybell will stand trial at the same time as Lori Vallow Daybell, in January 2023.
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