The Idaho Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for Monday to review the appeal filed by Lori Vallow Daybell, who was convicted in Idaho for the murders of her two youngest children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow (7) and Tylee Ryan (16), as well as the alleged conspiracy to kill her romantic rival, Tammy Daybell.
Background of the case
Vallow Daybell, known for her doomsday religious beliefs, claimed that people around her were possessed by evil spirits. The children vanished in 2019, and their bodies were later discovered buried on the property of Vallow Daybell’s new husband, author Chad Daybell, who has written several novels about prophecies and the end of the world. Chad Daybell received a death sentence for the three killings, while Vallow Daybell was sentenced to three life terms.
Additional convictions
Beyond the Idaho convictions, Vallow Daybell was also found guilty in Arizona of conspiring to murder her estranged husband and her niece’s ex‑husband, the latter surviving the attempt. She received two life sentences for those Arizona convictions and has appealed those as well.
Arguments presented in the Idaho appeal
Vallow Daybell’s attorney contended that the lower court violated her right to a speedy trial and improperly denied her choice of counsel, citing a conflict of interest because the lawyer had previously represented both Vallow Daybell and her husband. The appeal also challenges the trial court’s decision to allow jurors to hear about separate shootings involving Charles Vallow and Brandon Boudreaux in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Related incidents
Months after Vallow Daybell filed for divorce, her former husband Charles Vallow was fatally shot in July 2019 in Chandler by Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, whose claim of self‑defense has since been questioned by investigators. Approximately three months later, a Jeep‑mounted shooter fired at Brandon Boudreaux, the ex‑husband of Vallow Daybell’s niece, as he approached his home in Gilbert, Arizona; the shot missed.
Prosecutors allege that Vallow Daybell conspired with Cox to kill Charles Vallow to collect life‑insurance proceeds and to marry Chad Daybell. Cox, identified by prosecutors as the shooter who targeted Boudreaux, later died from a blood clot in his lungs.
Potential impact of the appeal
The Idaho Supreme Court’s decision could affect the length and nature of Vallow Daybell’s sentences, as well as set precedent for how conflict‑of‑interest and speedy‑trial issues are handled in high‑profile criminal cases. The hearing also underscores ongoing scrutiny of the legal processes surrounding complex, multi‑state murder conspiracies.
While the appeal is pending, Vallow Daybell remains incarcerated under her three life sentences, and Chad Daybell continues to serve his death sentence.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
