St. Anthony, Idaho – Lori Vallow Daybell, a woman convicted of the murders of her two children and her husband’s previous wife, received multiple life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. The case garnered national attention after Vallow Daybell’s children disappeared nearly four years ago.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her kids, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, as well as being involved in the murder of her husband’s previous wife, Tammy Daybell. The judge ordered consecutive life sentences for the individual murder charges due to the separate occurrences of the crimes.
During her sentencing, Vallow Daybell claimed to have had a near death experience that enabled her to communicate with the “spirit world.” She expressed to the court that she was sure her children and Tammy Daybell were content in heaven, as they had spoken to her following their passing.
Judge Steven W. Boyce mentioned that Vallow Daybell’s mental health evaluation revealed she suffered from “hyper religiosity” and an unspecified personality disorder with histrionic and narcissistic traits. Despite this, she did not comply with court-ordered screenings that could have influenced her sentencing.
The remains of Tylee and Joshua were discovered on Chad Daybell’s property in Fremont County, Idaho, after an extensive search launched in November 2019. Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell misled authorities about the children’s whereabouts during the investigation and failed to adhere to court orders to produce them physically.
Chad Daybell, a self-published author focusing on doomsday-themed fiction, is awaiting trial on similar murder charges related to the case. Prosecutors accused Vallow Daybell of being involved in a plot to kill Tammy Daybell so that she and Chad Daybell could be together.
Kay Woodcock, sister of Charles Vallow and grandmother of Joshua, tearfully expressed her grief during the sentencing hearing. She referred to Vallow Daybell as a “monster” for the pain she inflicted on their family.
Larry Woodcock, husband of Kay Woodcock, condemned Vallow Daybell’s statement in court, dismissing it as falsehoods. Vallow Daybell will face a separate trial in Arizona for charges related to conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree.