Idaho Supreme Court Hears Lori Vallow Daybell's Murder Appeal

The Idaho Supreme Court began hearing the appeal of Lori Vallow Daybell on Monday. She is seeking to overturn her convictions for the murders of her two youngest children and the conspiracy to kill a romantic rival. The case centers on the deaths of Joshua Vallow, Tylee Ryan, and Tammy Daybell.

Joshua, who was seven years old, and Tylee, who was 16, went missing in 2019. Their bodies were discovered buried on rural Idaho property owned by Chad Daybell, Vallow Daybell's new husband. Tammy Daybell was the first wife of Chad Daybell. Vallow Daybell married Chad Daybell weeks after Tammy's death. Both couples had previously been involved in a shared religious community.

Vallow Daybell holds doomsday religious beliefs and has stated that individuals in her life were possessed by evil spirits. Chad Daybell, an author of religious novels concerning prophecies and the end of the world, was sentenced to death for the three killings. Vallow Daybell received three life sentences in Idaho for the same crimes.

Her attorney argued that a lower court denied Vallow Daybell a speedy trial. The lawyer also contended that the trial judge improperly prevented her from retaining her chosen attorney. The judge had ruled that a conflict of interest existed because the lawyer had previously represented both Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell.

Defense counsel further argued that jurors should not have heard evidence related to shootings in metropolitan Phoenix. Those incidents involved the murder of Charles Vallow and a shooting attempt on Brandon Boudreaux. Charles Vallow was Vallow Daybell's estranged husband. Brandon Boudreaux was the ex-husband of Vallow Daybell's niece.

Charles Vallow was fatally shot in Chandler in July 2019 by Alex Cox, Vallow Daybell's brother. Cox claimed self-defense, but investigators later questioned that account. Nearly three months later, someone fired a gunshot at Boudreaux from a Jeep parked near his home in Gilbert. The shot narrowly missed him. Prosecutors stated that Vallow Daybell conspired with Cox to kill Charles Vallow to collect life insurance money and marry Chad Daybell.

Alex Cox died later from a blood clot in his lungs. He was identified by prosecutors as the person who shot at Boudreaux. Vallow Daybell was separately convicted in Arizona for conspiring to murder Charles Vallow and Brandon Boudreaux. She received two life sentences for those Arizona convictions and has filed an appeal in that state as well.