“Doomsday Mom” Lori Vallow Daybell was found guilty of murder and conspiracy Friday in a bizarre cult plot that resulted in the deaths of her two children and her husband’s first wife.
Vallow Daybell, 49, appeared expressionless as the verdict was read out in the Idaho courtroom, which was delivered just seven hours after the jury began deliberating in the case.
Before her fate was handed down, Vallow Daybell smiled while chatting with her attorney.
She was also found guilty of multiple counts of grand theft by deception and grand theft.
During the emotional six-week trial, prosecutors painted Vallow Daybell as a wannabe cultist driven by “money, power and sex” to kill her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua “J.J.” Vallow in Sept. 2019.
The children’s remains were unearthed in the backyard of Vallow Daybell’s third husband, doomsday author Chad Daybell, in June 2020.
Vallow Daybell was also accused of plotting with Chad to kill his first wife, Tammy Daybell, who died at their Salem home on Oct. 19, 2019.
Within days of Tammy’s funeral, the couple decamped to Hawaii, where they were married and lived for several weeks before authorities tracked them down in January.
Madison County prosecutor Rob Wood told jurors that Vallow Daybell repeatedly lied about her children’s whereabouts even after she missed a court-appointed deadline to produce them safely.
The court was also forced to endure graphic images of the children’s remains.
Prosecutors argued that Vallow Daybell killed the children so that she and Chad could start a new, unrestricted life together.
Text messages read in court revealed how the couple planned to “cause pain” to Tylee and J.J., as well as Vallow Daybell’s older son.
Her defense attorney Jim Archibold, however, countered that Chad manipulated Vallow Daybell with his apocalyptic teachings.
“She wanted to be with Chad. They were obviously having an affair…But there was no plan by Lori to kill her kids,” Archibold told the court.
Because of new evidence that was discovered too late to be presented at trial, Vallow Daybell is not facing the death penalty in the case.
Daybell will be tried on similar charges at a later date.
Following the verdict reading, the judge explained that Vallow Daybell would be remanded to custody as she awaits sentencing, though no date has been set for the hearing.
Vallow’s grandfather, Larry Woodcock, arrived at court on Friday morning wearing a special t-shirt that read “World’s Greatest Papa.”
Speaking through tears, he told reporters “I’m not the world’s greatest papa… but I hope I was the world’s greatest papa to J.J. and Tylee.”
Both Larry and his wife, Kay, were said to be crying and hugging each other after Vallow Daybell left the courtroom.
Outside the courthouse, Larry led reporters in a rousing chorus of “We will rock you” before answering questions.
“For once in my life, I’m kinda at a loss for words,” he said.
“I want to personally thank and I want to personally hug every one of those jurors. What they went through and what they saw was mind-boggling.”
Larry said he looked forward to being back in court for Chad Daybell’s trial.
When asked by FOX10’s Justin Lum if he had a final message for Vallow Daybell, Larry responded “Turn out the lights. The party’s over.”
In a statement shared shortly after the courtroom was dismissed, the Madison and Fremont County prosecutors said they were “very pleased” with the jury’s decision.
“We want to reassure each of you that we remain committed to pursuing justice for Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow and Tammy Daybell,” they wrote, while explaining that they could not offer further comment due to the pending charges against Chad.
