Lori Vallow Daybell Reacts After Guilty Verdict
Lori Vallow Daybell is speaking out for the first time after being found guilty of plotting to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona. Jurors reached their decision on April 22, after deliberating for three hours over two days.
In an exclusive interview with True Crime Arizona, Lori expressed surprise at the verdict. "I mean, obviously I knew that was a possibility, but it was a bit of a surprise actually," she stated. She is currently awaiting sentencing.
During her trial, Lori represented herself and claimed that her brother, Alex Cox, shot Charles Vallow on July 11, 2019, while trying to protect Lori and her daughter, Tylee Ryan. She was later convicted in the murder of Tylee.
Cox was never charged in Charles’s death and passed away in December 2019 from natural causes, according to officials.
Prosecutors argued that Lori wanted Charles dead to collect on a life insurance policy and marry Chad Daybell, an author of religious doomsday literature.
Along with Chad, Lori was also convicted of murdering her children, Tylee and seven-year-old Joshua, known as J.J. The siblings disappeared in September 2019, and their remains were found on Chad’s property in Idaho in 2020.
In her interview, Lori discussed her feelings about Tylee’s tragic death. "Well, I understand where Tylee is in heaven… I know what she’s doing and where she is, so it’s been almost six years since she passed away," she said.
Lori suggested that the events leading to Tylee’s death were a "catalyst," but expressed frustrations about not being able to address certain aspects during her trial.
Additionally, Lori mentioned telling her surviving son, Colby Ryan, that Tylee died by suicide after the death of her younger brother J.J.
Idaho prosecutors have noted that Lori followed Chad’s doomsday beliefs, which included bizarre theories about her children being "zombies," with Lori being labeled a "goddess."
Two years ago, Lori was also convicted of conspiring to kill Chad’s first wife, Tammy Daybell. In 2024, Chad was sentenced to death for his involvement in the murders of both Tammy and Lori’s children.
