ARIZONA NEWS

Sheriff Paul Penzone discusses possibility of holding Lori Vallow Daybell in Valley jail

Aug 11, 2023, 4:35 AM | Updated: Aug 16, 2023, 3:09 pm

File headshots of Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone and Lori Vallow Daybell. Penzone knows the s...

Sheriff Paul Penzone knows Lori Vallow Daybell won’t be a typical case if she’s extradited to face charges in Maricopa County. (Getty Images and AP Photo - File)

(Getty Images and AP Photo - File)

PHOENIX – Maricopa County jails deal with dangerous types on a regular basis, but Sheriff Paul Penzone knows Lori Vallow Daybell won’t be a typical case if she’s extradited to face charges in the Valley.

“Her story gets a lot of coverage, and it’s horrific,” Penzone told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday. “But I could tell you, unfortunately, we’ve got a handful of folks that are in our custody right now that their circumstances aren’t a heck of a lot different.”

Penzone expects his staff to maintain constant professionalism, though he acknowledged an inmate like the so-called “Doomsday Mom” would be a different beast.

“Obviously, due to the fact that this is extremely high profile, it’s going to garner a lot of attention. … It will create a little bit of a — I don’t want to say unrest, but there will be an energy to it that’s not always positive. So, we’ll be overly conscientious about the circumstances,” he said.

Why would ‘Doomsday Mom’ be jailed in the Valley?

Vallow Daybell was sentenced last month to life in prison in Idaho for her role in the deaths of her two youngest children and a perceived romantic rival.

The case included bizarre claims that Vallow Daybell’s son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse. As a result, headline writers started calling her the “Doomsday Mom.”

With the Idaho case complete, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is moving ahead with plans to prosecute the Vallow Daybell on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Wednesday her office has completed extradition documents to be signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Mitchell said the extradition process should take several months. She anticipates that Vallow Daybell will be in Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office custody by the end of the year.

What is Lori Vallow Daybell accused of in Maricopa County?

A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Vallow Daybell in 2021 on a charge of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. Police said Vallow Daybell’s brother Alex Cox shot and killed Vallow on July 11, 2019, in Chandler.

A second Valley indictment unsealed in May of this year charged Vallow Daybell with conspiring to murder Brandon Boudreaux, her niece’s ex-husband. Police say Cox shot at Boudreaux in Gilbert on Oct. 2, 2019, but missed.

Cox was never charged and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.

Echoes of Jodi Arias case

If extradited, Vallow Daybell wouldn’t be the first high-profile female inmate held at a Valley jail.

In 2013, Jodi Arias was found guilty of murdering her ex-boyfriend in Mesa five years earlier. She was sentenced to life in prison in 2015, ending a case that drew years of national and global media attention.

Penzone said the Arias case brought “energy into the space that normally doesn’t exist” but didn’t change how jail staffers performed their work.

“They understand the focus is just on doing the job the right way and handling people no different one from the other, treating them with respect, handling the business but not tolerating any bad behavior and circumstances that undermine our ability to run a safe and sound jail system,” he said.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

(Facebook Photo)...

Associated Press

Pilot killed in small plane crash near Eloy Municipal Airport

A pilot has been killed in a small plane crash in a vacant lot near Eloy Municipal Airport, about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, police said.

7 hours ago

Firebird Motorsports Park....

KTAR.com

Chandler racing complex renamed Firebird Motorsports Park

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler has a new name -- Firebird Motorsports Park.

9 hours ago

Pamela Andrews...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after 68-year-old woman located

The Mesa Police Department canceled a Silver Alert on Saturday after locating Pamela Andrew, the Arizona Department of Safety says.

9 hours ago

Silver Alert...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after 81-year-old found dead

John Saler, an 81-year-old who went missing in Tonopah on Wednesday, was found deceased, authorities said Saturday.

11 hours ago

Southwest Human Development...

KTAR.com

New Head Start early education center set to open in Phoenix

Southwest Human Development will host an open house for a new Head Start campus in Phoenix next week.

13 hours ago

caution tape...

KTAR.com

Woman charged with murdering her husband in west Valley home

A woman is behind bars for allegedly murdering her husband in their west Valley home, according to police.

15 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Sheriff Paul Penzone discusses possibility of holding Lori Vallow Daybell in Valley jail