Dubbed the “Cult Mom,” Lori Vallow, aged 50, has been dealt a life sentence without the chance for parole following her conviction in the horrific murders of her two children and her current husband’s former wife.
The proceedings revealed unsettling aspects of the crimes, stretching over several years, casting a morbid spotlight on the family’s circumstances.
Vallow was declared guilty in May for the shocking disappearance and subsequent murder of her two children – seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, who mysteriously vanished in September 2019. The jury also held her accountable for conspiring with her spouse, Chad Daybell, and her sibling, Alex Cox, in the murder of Chad’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, who passed away in October 2019. The motives tied to these horrific crimes were reportedly their peculiar cult-like beliefs and the pursuit of financial gain.
Emotional Impact and Sentence
Statements from victims’ families presented in court underscored the immense loss and heartache caused by Vallow’s actions. Colby Ryan, Vallow’s sole surviving child, shared his sorrow, emphasizing the missed potential his siblings Tylee and JJ had. The ordeal caused profound divisions within the Daybell family, exemplified by the emotional statement of Tammy Daybell’s sister, Samantha Gwilliam.
Despite the emotional testimonies, Vallow displayed a complete lack of remorse during her sentencing. She defended her actions using her religious beliefs, asserting that the victims were “busy” and “happy” in the afterlife. In her words, the victims were not murdered but merely transferred to the spiritual realm, a claim she tried to reinforce by quoting Bible verses about judgment.
Vallow’s mental health was discussed during the trial, but prosecutors countered that her alleged mental disorders did not influence her crimes. They cited additional cases in Arizona and Idaho, arguing a trend of violent behaviour and insisting that Vallow’s life sentence without parole was necessary to keep society safe.
This disheartening tale began in July 2019 when Alex Cox, Vallow’s brother, killed Charles Vallow, her then-husband, claiming self-defence. Later that year, Vallow tied the knot with Chad Daybell, a man known for his apocalyptic-themed fiction. The sudden disappearance of Tylee and JJ in September 2019 triggered suspicion, and their bodies were eventually found buried in Daybell’s backyard the following summer.
In an unsettling revelation during the trial, forensic experts detailed the gruesome conditions of the victims’ remains. Tylee seemed to have been stabbed and incinerated before being buried, and JJ was found with his head encased in plastic and tape, indicating a cause of death by suffocation.
