Idaho Supreme Court reviews Lori Vallow Daybell's murder convictions

Idaho’s highest court is set to hear arguments Monday regarding the convictions of Lori Vallow Daybell. She faces three life sentences for the deaths of her two youngest children and the wife of her new husband. Vallow Daybell was found guilty in the state of Idaho for these three killings.

The victims were Joshua “JJ” Vallow, age 7, Tylee Ryan, age 16, and Tammy Daybell. Tammy Daybell was the spouse of Chad Daybell, who married Vallow Daybell weeks after the deaths. Vallow Daybell has described her religious beliefs as doomsday-focused and has stated that individuals in her life were possessed by evil spirits. The bodies of the two children were discovered buried on rural property in Idaho owned by Chad Daybell. Chad Daybell, an author of religious novels, was sentenced to death for the three killings.

Vallow Daybell’s legal team is asking the court to reverse the convictions based on three main issues. They argued that a lower court denied her a speedy trial. They also contended that the judge prevented her from keeping her chosen attorney because that lawyer had previously represented both Vallow Daybell and her husband, creating a conflict of interest. Finally, the defense claimed jurors should not have heard evidence regarding separate shootings in metro Phoenix involving Charles Vallow and Brandon Boudreaux.

The Phoenix case involves separate charges for which Vallow Daybell was convicted in Arizona. In July 2019, Charles Vallow was shot and killed in Chandler by Alex Cox, Vallow Daybell’s brother. Cox claimed self-defense, a claim investigators later questioned. Nearly three months later, a shot fired from a Jeep narrowly missed Brandon Boudreaux as he drove to his home in Gilbert. Boudreaux was the ex-husband of Vallow Daybell’s niece. Prosecutors said Vallow Daybell conspired with Cox to kill Charles Vallow to collect his life insurance and marry Chad Daybell. Cox, who was identified as the shooter in the incident involving Boudreaux, later died from a blood clot in his lungs.

Vallow Daybell received two life sentences in Arizona for these conspiracy convictions and has appealed those decisions as well. The Arizona case is distinct from the Idaho trial currently before the state supreme court. The children in the Idaho case went missing in 2019. Their remains were found on the property of Chad Daybell after they disappeared.