I’ve been obsessed with the Lori Vallow case since those kids went missing in 2019. You know the one—pretty blonde mom whose children mysteriously vanished while she gallivanted off to Hawaii with her new husband? Yeah, THAT case. The one that makes you triple-check your locks at night and side-eye that neighbor who’s a little too into apocalypse prepping.
The trial has been as twisted as my true crime-loving heart could hope for (which makes me feel slightly guilty, but we’re all friends here, right?).
The “Doomsday Mom” Saga: A Refresher
If you’ve somehow missed this nightmare fuel of a case, here’s the CliffsNotes version: Lori Vallow Daybell—dubbed the “Doomsday Mom” faster than you can say “where are those children?”—was found guilty in Idaho for murdering her two kids, Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, plus her husband’s previous wife, Tammy Daybell.
The bodies of her children were found buried on Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020, and let me tell you, I didn’t sleep for a week after reading those autopsy reports. (Ryan says I need therapy. He’s probably right.)
The Courtroom Drama That Had Me Glued to My Screen
The trial itself? Pure psychological thriller material. I’ve watched enough episodes of Law & Order to fancy myself an amateur legal expert (I’m not), but this case had twists that even Dick Wolf wouldn’t write.
Lori actually fought to keep cameras OUT of the courtroom. In her own words from court documents: “Court T.V. should be ashamed of its very nature and its request, since its sole objective is NOT to bring people real news or facts but instead its objective is to entertain the public with the very true-life tragedies that happen in real people’s lives.”
Um, pot, meet kettle? The woman accused of murdering her children is suddenly concerned about media ethics? That’s about as believable as my claim that I only watch true crime documentaries “for the educational value.”
The Evidence That Made My Coffee Go Cold
The prosecution’s evidence was as damning as a bloody glove that actually fits. Cell phone data placed Lori’s brother Alex Cox (now conveniently deceased—more on that in a second) at each burial site. Text messages revealed Lori referring to her kids as “zombies.”
And then there’s the money trail—Lori continued collecting her children’s Social Security benefits after they disappeared. Nothing says “grieving mother” like cashing government checks for kids you know aren’t using them. (Sorry, was that too dark? This case does that to me.)
The “My Brother Did It But He’s Dead Now” Defense
One of the most fascinating aspects of this trial was how the defense tried handling statements from Alex Cox, Lori’s brother who allegedly helped with the murders but died in December 2019 of “natural causes.” (Natural causes that arrived at a suspiciously convenient time, if you ask me.)
The legal debate over whether statements from deceased individuals should be admissible had attorneys from both sides throwing legal precedents around like confetti at a parade. Arizona news outlets have been covering these developments extensively as Lori now faces additional charges there for the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
The Cult Angle That Makes Heaven’s Gate Look Mainstream
The defense leaned heavily on the “Chad made me do it” strategy, suggesting Lori was under the spell of Chad Daybell’s extreme religious beliefs. They painted a picture of a woman so convinced her children had become “zombies” possessed by dark spirits that murder seemed like the only solution.
As someone who’s researched cult psychology more than is probably healthy, I can tell you that while belief systems can absolutely warp reality, they rarely erase someone’s entire moral compass without some pre-existing… let’s call them “issues.”
What Happens Next?
While Lori’s been found guilty in Idaho, her legal troubles are far from over. She’s currently facing conspiracy to commit murder charges in Arizona for Charles Vallow’s death, with another trial for the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, waiting in the wings.
Educational researchers studying high-profile cases like this one often point to the challenges of ensuring fair trials amid media frenzies. The intersection of mental health, religious extremism, and criminal justice creates a perfect storm for both legal scholars and true crime enthusiasts alike.
I’ll be watching every development with my usual mix of horror and fascination. And maybe—just maybe—triple-checking that my doors are locked tonight.
Because if there’s one thing the Lori Vallow case teaches us, it’s that sometimes the monsters aren’t hiding under the bed.
Sometimes they’re taking the kids to school and smiling for family photos.