You know those family reunions where Uncle Bob drinks too much and Aunt Susan brings up that embarrassing childhood story? Well, the Vallow family gatherings were a bit different — they involved doomsday prophecies, “zombies,” and eventually, murder. (And you thought your family had issues.)
When Blood Ties Turn Bloody
I’ve been obsessed with the Lori Vallow Daybell case since those kids first went missing. There’s something particularly unsettling about a mother who goes from seemingly normal suburban mom to alleged killer faster than you can say “the end is near.” But what fascinates me most about this whole twisted saga isn’t just Lori — it’s the siblings who orbited around her like planets around a destructive sun.
Family dynamics in true crime cases often reveal more than any police interrogation ever could. And the Vallow siblings? They’re as complex as a blood spatter pattern on textured wallpaper.
The Deadly Brother-Sister Bond
At the center of this family web sits Alex Cox, Lori’s brother and apparent partner in crime. This wasn’t your typical protective big brother relationship — unless “protective” now includes shooting your sister’s husband and claiming self-defense. (Spoiler alert: the courts didn’t buy it.)
Alex was like Lori’s personal hitman, allegedly helping dispose of her children’s bodies after they were murdered. The pair shared an unusually close relationship that seemed to intensify as Lori’s beliefs became more extreme. Their text messages read like a murder planning committee rather than family catch-ups.
When Alex died suddenly of natural causes in December 2019, it was as if the universe delivered justice more swiftly than the legal system could. (My husband Ryan says that’s a terrible thing to say, but come on — the timing was suspicious as hell.)
The Brother Who Saw It Coming
Then there’s Adam Cox, Lori’s other brother, who watched his sister’s descent into madness from a horrified distance. Unlike Alex, Adam recognized the dangerous path Lori was traveling down after she became entangled with Chad Daybell and his apocalyptic teachings.
In interviews after everything unraveled, Adam described how his sister transformed from a loving mother into someone unrecognizable. He noticed the change years before the murders, watching helplessly as Lori’s beliefs became increasingly bizarre.
“When people are deceived by religious extremism, they’re not bad people,” Adam told ABC News. “They’re just being led by the nose by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
(I would argue that murdering your children definitely puts you in “bad people” territory, but I get his point about manipulation.)
The Cult Connection
What turned this family dynamic deadly? Enter Chad Daybell, doomsday author and self-proclaimed prophet, who convinced Lori that her children were “zombies” possessed by dark spirits. According to the extensive documentation of the case, Chad’s apocalyptic teachings provided the perfect justification for eliminating anyone who stood in their way.
The siblings’ relationships fractured along belief lines. Alex bought into the doomsday cult mentality hook, line, and sinker. Adam remained firmly in reality. And Lori? She became the high priestess of her own deadly religion.
Family Ties That Bind and Gag
What makes this case so haunting isn’t just the murders themselves — it’s how family loyalty twisted into something unrecognizable. Alex chose his sister over morality. Adam chose truth but couldn’t save his niece and nephew.
The detailed timeline of events reads like a horror movie script no one would believe if it weren’t real. Text messages between Lori and Alex show casual discussions about “taking care of problems” as if they were talking about running errands rather than plotting murders.
The Warning Signs Nobody Heeded
Looking back (with my armchair detective glasses firmly in place), the warning signs were as subtle as a bloodstain on white carpet. Lori’s increasing religious fanaticism, her casual disregard for her children’s whereabouts, the convenient deaths surrounding her — all red flags waving frantically in the Idaho breeze.
What terrifies me most about this case is how a family can implode so spectacularly while maintaining a façade of normalcy. Neighbors described Lori as “nice” and “normal” even as she was allegedly plotting to eliminate her own children.
The Aftermath
Lori now sits in prison, sentenced to life without parole. Chad Daybell received the death penalty. Alex Cox died before facing justice. And Adam Cox is left to make sense of how his siblings became entangled in such darkness.
The Vallow siblings’ story isn’t just about murder — it’s about how family bonds can either save us or destroy us. In this case, blood wasn’t just thicker than water — it was spilled in service of delusion.
Would I have survived this family? Absolutely not. I’d have been calling the FBI after the first “my kids are zombies” comment. But then again, that’s why I write about true crime instead of living it.
Sleep tight, crime junkies. And maybe skip the next family reunion if your siblings start talking about the apocalypse.