In a case that captivated the nation for almost four years, Lori Vallow has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the deaths of her two children and her husband’s previous wife. The trial concluded with Vallow’s conviction in May, after which she addressed the court, claiming a near-death experience allowed her to communicate with the “spirit world.”
Vallow asserted that her children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, along with Tammy Daybell, were now happy in heaven. She insisted that they had communicated with her, assuring her of their happiness after their tragic deaths.
“I mourn with all of you who mourn my children and Tammy. Jesus Christ knows the truth of what happened here, Jesus Christ knows no one was murdered in this case. Accidental deaths happen, suicides happen, fatal side effects from medications happen,” said Vallow.
The victims’ backgrounds reveal the tragedy of the situation. Tylee is Vallow’s biological daughter from her third marriage to Joseph Ryan, who passed away from a heart attack in 2018. Joshua was adopted in 2014 by Lori and her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
Lori Vallow and her fifth and current husband, Chad Daybell, were known to be engrossed in doomsday prophecies and held beliefs that individuals could become “zombies” possessed by evil spirits.
During the trial, prosecutors characterised Lori Vallow as a woman who would stop at nothing to eliminate any obstacle in her way, using “money, power, and sex to get what she wanted.” Her defence argued that she was a loving mother who became intrigued by biblical prophecies about the end of the world.
The search for Tylee and Joshua began in November 2019 after family members reported not having seen or spoken to the children since September. During the investigation, Lori Vallow and her husband provided false information to the authorities and failed to comply with court orders to produce the children.
In June 2020, the remains of Tylee and Joshua were found on property owned by Chad Daybell in Idaho. The disturbing details revealed that Joshua was buried in a pet cemetery, while Tylee’s remains were dismembered and burned in a fire pit.
In October 2019, Tammy Daybell was found dead, initially thought to have died from natural causes. However, investigators later ruled it a homicide after exhuming her body and conducting an autopsy.
Lori Vallow married Chad Daybell shortly after his previous wife’s death, leading prosecutors to claim that she conspired to kill Tammy Daybell so that she and Chad could be together. Chad Daybell, a self-published author focused on doomsday fiction, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges.
Lori Vallow’s estranged relationship with her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, further complicated the tragic story. In June 2019, Charles Vallow discovered Lori’s affair with Chad Daybell and was shot by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, weeks later. Cox and Lori claimed self-defence and were not charged until nearly two years later when a grand jury charged Lori Vallow with conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. Cox passed away in December 2019 from a pulmonary embolism.
During the sentencing hearing, the impact of Lori Vallow’s actions was evident as Kay Woodcock, Charles Vallow’s sister and Joshua’s biological grandmother, tearfully expressed her grief. She referred to Lori as “undeniably a monster” for the pain and loss inflicted on their family.
