Lori Vallow Daybell, born June 26, 1973, from California, USA, infamously dubbed the “Doomsday Mom”, became a notorious figure in a chilling case that gripped the nation.
A mother of three whose life spiraled into darkness after aligning with Chad Daybell, a self-styled doomsday author. United by their apocalyptic ideologies and alleged spiritual visions, the pair became entangled in a web of crime—culminating in the murders of Vallow’s two youngest children, and Daybell’s first wife.
Lori Vallow gained renewed media attention after her story was explored in the popular Netflix documentary series “Sins of Our Mother”.
NAME: Lori Vallow Daybell
ALIAS: Doomsday Mom
DOB: June 26, 1973
COUNTRY: California, United States
VICTIMS: 3
ARREST: February 20, 2020
SENTENCE: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole
IMPRISONED AT: Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center, Idaho
PARTNER: Chad Daybell
WHERE IS Lori Vallow NOW?
- Life imprisonment without possibility of parole – July 2023
Lori Vallow Daybell is currently serving life in prison without possibility of parole at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center, Idaho.
She was found guilty of murdering two of her children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to murder her husbands first wife, Tammy Daybell.
Mar 7, 2025: Lori Vallow speaks in first media interview on an episode of Dateline NBC. Stating that she was she was “falsely accused and convicted”. She claimed that her and her husband, Chad Daybell will be exonerated because “Jesus showed her the future and they were not incarcerated”. The Doomsday mom told NBC’s Keith Morrison “After I get exonerated, maybe I’ll go on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and you can come”. [1]
April 7, 2025 marked the beginning of opening statements in Lori Vallow Daybell’s latest criminal trial, where the 51-year-old is representing herself against first-degree murder charges in Maricopa County. Having pleaded not guilty, Daybell faces allegations she conspired in the July 2019 killing of her estranged husband, Charles Vallow – shot dead by her brother Alex Cox during a confrontation at her home.[2]
The trial, projected to continue through mid-May 2025, revisits a case where Cox’s claims of self-defense were cut short by his unexpected death from natural causes while under investigation. A 2021 grand jury indictment charged Daybell with orchestrating her husband’s murder, adding to her infamy following her previous life sentence for the doomsday-motivated killings of her two youngest children.
This latest proceeding represents another chapter in one of America’s most disturbing crime sagas, as Arizona prosecutors seek to hold Daybell accountable for what they allege was a calculated pattern of family annihilation blending financial motives with apocalyptic beliefs.
In May 2025 – Lori Vallow will face another criminal trial for conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
April 22, 2025 – Lori Vallow was found guilty of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. She will be sentenced after her upcoming trial for conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
- Mar 7, 2025: Lori Vallow speaks in interview on Dateline NBC [1]
- Apr 7, 2025: Lori Vallow Daybell faces a new murder trial, this time accused of conspiring to kill her fourth husband. [2]
- May 2025: Will face new trial in attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux
- April 22, 2025 – Lori Vallow was found guilty of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow
CRIMES COMMITTED
The disturbing saga began in July 2019 when Charles Vallow—Lori’s fourth husband—was fatally shot, while attempting to pick up his (and Lori’s) adopted son Joshua “JJ” Vallow for school. Charles was shot by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who claimed self defense. Tylee Ryan, Lori’s daughter, later stated she witnessed the confrontation but left with JJ before the shooting.
Charles Vallow previously reported to police that his wife Lori has threatened to kill him, claiming she believes herself to be a god preparing for the apocalypse. He filed for divorce, expressing fear for his life and the safety of their children, Tylee Ryan (16) and JJ Vallow (7).
Alex Cox died of apparent natural causes months later in December 2019 leaving key questions unanswered.
In October 2019 Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s wife, was found dead in her bed. Her family initially claimed she died of natural causes and declined an autopsy, later her death was ruled a homicide. Lori and Chad Daybell married shortly afterward.
On December 20, 2019, Rexburg Police publicly announced Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow’s disappearances, revealing neither child had been seen since September. Authorities plead with Lori and Chad to cooperate.
For months, Lori refused to cooperate with authorities or distraught family members searching for the children. Human remains were found buried in June 2020 in shallow graves on Chad Daybell’s property in Salem, Idaho. They were later identified as Tylee and JJ. JJ’s body was bound in duct tape and plastic, while Tylee’s remains showed signs of dismemberment and were burned beyond recognition.
Lori Vallow Victims:
Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow
Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow was the youngest child of Lori and Charles Vallow – adopted by the pair in 2013. He was publicly reported missing in December 2019, after not having been seen since September 2019. In June 2020 his remains, bound in duct tape and plastic, were discovered buried on Chad Daybells property.
Tylee Ryan
Tylee Ryan was the middle child of Lori Vallow. In June 2020 her remains were discovered buried on Chad Daybells property, showing signs of dismemberment, they were burned beyond recognition.
Tammy Daybell – October 2019
In October 2019 Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s wife, was found dead in her bed. Her family initially claims she died of natural causes and declined an autopsy, later her death was ruled a homicide.
Charles Vallow – July 2019 – (Pending Conviction)
Charles Vallow—Lori’s fourth husband—was fatally shot, while attempting to pick up his (and Lori’s) adopted son JJ Vallow for school. He was shot by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who claimed self defense.
CAPTURE & INVESTIGATION
Police executed a search warrant at Lori and Chad’s home in November 2019 but found them gone. Lori was served with a court order to produce the children in January 2020.
On February 20, 2020 Lori was arrested in Hawaii on child abandonment charges, later extradited to Idaho. The investigation intensified after the children’s remains were found on Daybell’s property, leading to additional charges against both Vallow and Daybell. Lori and Chad were indicted on multiple charges, including first-degree murder and conspiracy in the deaths of Tylee, JJ, and Tammy Daybell.
The investigation revealed Charles Vallow’s documented concerns about Lori’s mental state and the children’s welfare before his death. Police reports show they quickly doubted Alex Cox’s account of Charles’ shooting, though Cox died before facing charges.
TRIAL & CONVICTIONS
Lori Vallow’s trial began in April 2023 in Idaho.
On Monday, July 31, 2023, Lori Vallow Daybell received multiple life sentences without parole for her role in the murders of her two youngest children – 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow – and for conspiring to kill her husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell. The judge ordered these sentences to be served consecutively, ensuring she will never walk free again.
Chad Daybell was convicted in May 2024 and sentenced to death for his role in the murders.
Prosecutors revealed Lori Vallow Daybell and husband Chad Daybell’s motives combined doomsday fanaticism with financial gain through life insurance and survivor benefits. The case remains one of America’s most disturbing true crime sagas, exposing how religious extremism and greed led to the destruction of an entire family.
Lori Vallow faces additional charges in March – May 2025 for the alleged conspiracy to murder Charles Vallow and an attempted murder plot involving her niece’s ex-husband Brandon Boudreaux.
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REFERENCES / CITATIONS:
[1] NBC: Lori Vallow Daybell feels certain she will be exonerated in children’s deaths – March 8, 2025
[2] CNN: Idaho mom who killed 2 of her kids goes on trial over death of her husband – April 7, 2025
BOOKS ABOUT Lori Vallow
The Doomsday Mother: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family
In The Doomsday Mother, bestselling true crime author John Glatt tells the twisted tale of Lori Vallow, accused of having her two children murdered to start a new life with her new husband, doomsday prepper Chad Daybell…
Children of Darkness and Light: Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell: A Story of Murderous Faith
A blonde beauty queen, missing children, six suspicious deaths, and the twisted Mormon doomsday writings of her fifth husband are only the beginning of a tragic crime saga that gripped Americans and instigated frantic searches all over the country…
When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End
Examines the culture of end times paranoia and a trail of mysterious deaths surrounding former beauty queen Lori Vallow and her husband, grave digger turned doomsday novelist, Chad Daybell…
TV SHOWS & DOCS FEATURING Lori Vallow
Sins of Our Mother
When Lori Vallow’s kids vanished, the search for them unearthed a trail of suspicious deaths, a new husband who shared her doomsday views – and murder.
TV Mini Series / Documentary | 2022 | 3 Episodes
NETFLIX
Forty Eight Hours – S33.E30 – The Missing Children of Lori Vallow Daybell
Two children vanish and an Idaho mother won’t say where they are. In their first network TV interview, her mother and sister say she’d never harm her children. So where are the kids?
TV Series / Documentary | 1988>
Dateline NBC – S33.E18 – Lori Vallow Daybell: The Jailhouse Interview
Lori Vallow Daybell, convicted of murdering two of her children, sits down for her first TV interview; lead detectives in the case speak out exclusively about the investigation.
TV Series / Documentary | 2025
NBC
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT Lori Vallow
A selection of interesting articles about Lori Vallow, sourced and curated from around the web:
Idaho mom who killed 2 of her kids goes on trial over death of her husband
CNN | Author: Associated Press | April 7, 2025
Lori Vallow Daybell feels certain she will be exonerated in children’s deaths
NBC | Author: Tim Stelloh, Shane Bishop and Brittany Morris | March 8, 2025
What did Lori Vallow Daybell do? A full timeline of the “doomsday mom” case
CBS News | Author: Kat Teurfs, Lauren Turner Dunn, Chelsea Narvaez, Michelle Singer | June 4, 2024
Lori Vallow Daybell gets multiple life sentences in murders of her 2 kids and romantic rival, speaks of ‘spirit world’ in court
NBC | Author: Doha Madani | August 1, 2023
Lori Vallow Daybell’s murder trial is underway in Boise. Here’s a timeline of the case
Idaho Statesman | Author: Alex Brizee | May 9, 2023
