Lori Vallow Daybell, a 50-year-old mother from Idaho, was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison following her conviction in May for the murders of her son and daughter, as well as a conspiracy to murder her romantic rival.
The jury found Vallow Daybell guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of conspiracy for plotting the killings of her two youngest children and the then-wife of Chad Daybell, whom she later married. Additionally, she was convicted of grand theft for fraudulently collecting Social Security benefits for her deceased children.
Her two children were last seen in 2019, and Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s wife, died in October of the same year. Shortly after Tammy’s death, Lori and Chad were married. When police attempted to conduct a welfare check on Lori’s son JJ in November, the couple fled and were eventually located in Hawaii in January. The remains of Tylee and JJ were discovered in Chad Daybell’s backyard in June 2020.
Chad Daybell himself is facing charges related to the destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence in connection with the case. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled for the next year.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Vallow Daybell killed her two youngest children to pave the way for her relationship with Chad Daybell and that she also murdered his wife.
Vallow Daybell maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty and denying any involvement in her children’s deaths. She claimed to have communicated with Jesus Christ, her children, and Tammy Daybell in heaven, making headlines for her religious beliefs linked to the “end times.” She asserted that her children were happy in the afterlife and that she had special access to the spirit world.
On Monday, Judge Steven W. Boyce sentenced Lori Vallow Daybell to multiple consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. She was taken to the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center in Pocatello, Idaho, to serve her sentence.
