Lori Vallow Daybell, the Idaho mother accused of murdering two of her children, appeared in an Arizona courtroom recently, where she is facing charges of conspiring to kill her estranged husband. During her emotional opening statement, Lori, who is representing herself, denied the allegations that she plotted to kill Charles Vallow for his life insurance policy.
She told the jury that claims of financial gain were unfounded, explaining, “Spouses having insurance policies is not a crime.” Lori emphasized that there is a significant difference between a tragedy and a crime, stating, “A family tragedy is not a crime, it’s a tragedy.”
The incident in question occurred on July 11, 2019, when Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, fatally shot Charles in the chest at Lori’s home. Alex claimed he acted in self-defense and was never charged; he passed away in December 2019.
Lori’s defense argues that on the day of the shooting, Charles had arrived at her house and began to yell at her. She recounted that her daughter, Tylee Ryan, tried to protect her with a baseball bat, which led to a struggle between Tylee and Charles.
In her statement, Lori explained, “The evidence will show that after the struggle on the ground between Charles and Alex, that Charles prevailed with the bat and began to come towards me with the bat as I ran away from him into the kitchen.” She suggested that this was when Alex retrieved his gun.
On the other hand, prosecutors painted a different picture, arguing that Lori wanted Charles dead not just for the money but also to be free to marry her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, who writes about doomsday scenarios. They presented the idea that Charles’s death would provide Lori with a significant financial windfall and social security benefits.
In the months leading up to the shooting, Charles had told police that Lori had become increasingly unstable and had even threatened his life, according to body camera footage.
Currently, Lori is serving a life sentence without parole after being convicted of first-degree murder for the deaths of her children, Joshua “J.J.” Vallow and Tylee Ryan, whose remains were discovered in June 2020 after they went missing in September 2019. J.J. was found wrapped in plastic and duct tape, and Tylee had been dismembered and burned.
Lori was also found guilty of conspiracy in the death of Chad’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, who died under suspicious circumstances. Chad himself has also been convicted in connection with the murders of J.J. and Tylee, as well as the death of Tammy.
