“She just wasn’t the same person anymore. It was like someone else was living in her body.” – Kay Woodcock, JJ Vallow’s grandmother
I’ve spent more nights than I care to admit falling down the Lori Vallow rabbit hole. While most cases eventually lose my attention (sorry, but true crime ADHD is real), this one has me in a chokehold that rivals my obsession with the Golden State Killer case.
What started as a missing persons case morphed into something so twisted that even the most seasoned true crime junkies were left speechless. A seemingly normal mom transformed into someone who allegedly viewed her own children as “zombies” possessed by dark spirits.
Let’s dive into the truly WTF aspects of this case that don’t always make the headlines.
1. Her Spiritual Transformation Started With Near-Death Experience Books
Before Lori became the poster child for doomsday cults, she was just another Mormon mom with a seemingly normal life. Then she picked up some books about near-death experiences.
Most people read these kinds of books and think, “Neat! The light at the end of the tunnel sounds pleasant!” Not Lori. She took these concepts and ran with them straight into crazytown.
She began claiming she could see “dark spirits” possessing people around her – including her fourth husband Charles and eventually her own children. This wasn’t just casual spiritual curiosity; this was full-blown “I have a divine mission and you’re either with me or against me” territory.
The transformation was so dramatic that family members described her as becoming an entirely different person. (Would I have spotted the warning signs? I like to think so, but who knows – I once dated a guy for three months before realizing he believed in lizard people.)
2. The Body Count Goes Beyond Her Children
When most people hear “Lori Vallow case,” they think of her children Tylee and JJ, whose remains were found buried in her fifth husband Chad Daybell’s backyard. But the trail of suspicious deaths around Lori is as subtle as a bloodstain on white carpet.
There’s Charles Vallow (husband #4), shot dead by Lori’s brother Alex Cox in what was initially claimed as “self-defense.” Convenient.
Then there’s Tammy Daybell, Chad’s first wife, who died mysteriously in her sleep just weeks before Chad and Lori got married on a Hawaiian beach. (Nothing says “I’m mourning my wife” like a tropical wedding, am I right?)
And let’s not forget the attempt on Brandon Boudreaux’s life – the ex-husband of Lori’s niece – when someone shot at him in his driveway. The shooter was driving Charles Vallow’s car, which should have been in police custody after his death. Subtle.
Oh, and Alex Cox, Lori’s brother who shot Charles? He later died of supposedly “natural causes.” The body count around this woman makes the first season of Mindhunter look like an episode of Blues Clues.
3. It Was All About the Money, Honey
While the doomsday beliefs get all the attention, let’s not ignore the cold, hard cash motivating these crimes. Lori and Chad weren’t just preparing for the apocalypse – they were funding their beach vacations with dead people’s money.
After Charles Vallow’s death, Lori collected on his $1 million life insurance policy. Except… she wasn’t supposed to. Charles had removed her as beneficiary before his death, but somehow the paperwork “didn’t go through.” (Insert eye roll here.)
She also continued collecting Social Security benefits for her children months after they were murdered. Nothing says “mother of the year” like cashing government checks for your dead kids while dancing on a Hawaiian beach.
Ryan (my husband) always says to follow the money in true crime cases. I hate when he’s right.
4. The Doomsday Beliefs Were Next-Level Bonkers
I’ve researched my fair share of cult-related murders, but the Lori Vallow-Chad Daybell belief system deserves its own special category of bizarre.
Chad claimed to be a reincarnation of James the Less (an obscure biblical apostle – not even one of the famous ones!) and that he had died multiple times, with his spirit moving to a new “light” body each time.
Lori believed she was married to Chad in multiple past lives and that they were destined to lead 144,000 chosen people into the New Jerusalem after the apocalypse – which they believed was happening in July 2020.
They assigned “light” or “dark” ratings to people around them. Those with “dark” ratings? Zombies possessed by evil spirits that needed to be “released” (read: murdered). Imagine finding out you didn’t make the cut because your mother-in-law thought you had a demon inside you.
5. Her Legal Saga Is Far From Over
After being found guilty of murdering her children and conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell, Lori was sentenced to life without parole. Most people would think “case closed,” but this story has more chapters than a Stephen King novel.
Lori still faces charges in Arizona for the murder of Charles Vallow and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux. That’s right – even with multiple life sentences, she’s got more trials coming.
Meanwhile, Chad Daybell received the death penalty for his role in the murders. The legal proceedings continue to unfold with new details emerging that somehow make this case even more disturbing.
The most chilling part? Throughout her trial, Lori maintained that same eerie smile that’s become her trademark. The kind of smile that makes you check your locks twice before bed.
Speaking of which, I should probably go do that now.