Lori Vallow Daybell sentenced to life in prison for 2 murder conspiracy convictions in Arizona

PHOENIX — Lori Vallow Daybell received two sentences of life in prison Friday after being convicted of murder conspiracy twice in Arizona.

Vallow Daybell, who has achieved notoriety for her doomsday religious beliefs and claims that people were possessed by evil spirits, was already serving multiple life sentences in Idaho in connection with the murders of her two youngest children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, and her husband’s ex-wife, Tammy Daybell.

Vallow Daybell was convicted this spring of conspiring with her brother, Alex Cox, to murder her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, and her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.

Both of those crimes happened in 2019. Cox had admitted to killing Vallow and was identified by prosecutors as the person who shot at Boudreaux from the back of a car, but missed.

Prosecutors claimed Vallow Daybell conspired to kill her ex-husband in order to collect his $1 million life insurance policy and then marry her then-boyfriend, Chad Daybell.

Daybell, who is from Idaho, authored several doomsday-themed religious novels.

He has been sentenced to death for killing his ex-wife and Vallow Daybell’s two children, who went missing for several months before being found on Daybell’s property.

Vallow Daybell had represented herself in the Arizona trials. In her first trial, she argued that Cox acted in self-defense when he killed Charles Vallow. In the second trial, she claimed there was no evidence showing she conspired with Cox to kill Boudreaux.

What happened during Lori Vallow Daybell’s sentencing hearing in Arizona?

Vallow Daybell appeared in court in her orange prison jumpsuit, according to the Associated Press.

Several family members spoke at the hearing and called her “evil,” “greedy” and “a monster,” the AP reported.

The family members of the victims sat together in a jury box and many were emotional. Colby Ryan, Vallow Daybell’s son, testified remotely and told the court about how he has had to “fight to stay alive” after the deaths of his father and siblings, according to the AP.

Maricopa County attorney on Lori Vallow Daybell’s murder conspiracy sentence

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell released a statement after Vallow Daybell’s sentence was announced Friday.

“This was a long process, but one that was necessary to get justice for Charles Vallow, his family, and Brandon Boudreaux,” Mitchell said. “I’m very proud of the work by prosecutor Treena Kay and the entire team to make sure Lori Vallow Daybell returns to Idaho knowing she didn’t get away with her crimes committed in Maricopa County.”  

The Associated Press contributed to this story.