Doomsday Mom’ Lori Daybell Sentenced to Two Life Terms for Murder Conspiracy

Lori Daybell Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Terms in Arizona Murder Conspiracy Cases

Lori Daybell was sentenced Friday in Arizona to two consecutive life sentences for conspiring with her late brother to murder her fourth husband—fatally shot in 2019—and to kill her niece’s ex-husband, who survived a failed drive-by shooting that same year.

Earlier this spring, Daybell was found guilty in two separate Maricopa County trials of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. For each conviction, she received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years, to be served consecutively, according to the presiding judge.

"You have not victimized just a single person, but many. You've shattered lives and undermined trust," said Judge Justin Beresky, who oversaw both trials in Phoenix. His remarks came as he handed down the sentences, bringing an end to a yearslong legal saga.

"In the face of such profound damage, a long prison sentence is not merely a punishment," the judge continued, "it is a necessary affirmation that our society values justice, protection, and the sanctity of human life."

The woman known as the “doomsday mom” is already serving multiple life sentences after being convicted in Idaho in 2023 for the murders of two of her children. During that trial, prosecutors argued that Lori Daybell and her current husband, Chad Daybell, believed the children were “possessed zombies” and killed them in 2019 so they could be together. She was also convicted of stealing Social Security survivor benefits intended for the care of the children after they were reported missing.

In a similar case in Maricopa County, Arizona, prosecutors alleged that Lori conspired with her brother to kill her estranged husband of 13 years, Charles Vallow, in order to collect his $1 million life insurance policy and continue her relationship with Chad Daybell, a religious fiction author whom she married four months after the fatal shooting.

Prosecutors further claimed that Lori used their “twisted” religious beliefs to justify the killing, granting her brother what she called “religious authority” to murder Vallow, whom they believed was possessed by an evil spirit they referred to as “Ned.”

During the first of her two trials in Arizona, Lori Daybell claimed that her brother, Alex Cox, shot Charles Vallow in self-defense at her home in Chandler, Arizona, in July 2019.

In a subsequent trial, she was found guilty of conspiring with Cox to kill Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of her niece. Three months after Vallow’s death, Boudreaux called 911 to report that someone driving a Jeep had opened fire on him outside his home in Gilbert, Arizona. The bullet narrowly missed his head by just inches.

In a sentencing memo, prosecutors stated that Boudreaux lived in ongoing fear after the attempted shooting, constantly worried that Cox might "return to finish the job."

Alex Cox died of natural causes in December 2019.

Prosecutor Says Lori Daybell’s Motives Were “Money and Sex”

Lori Daybell, 51, chose to represent herself in both of her Arizona trials and did not call any witnesses or testify in her defense. In her closing argument, she claimed her family had suffered a series of tragedies and insisted she had not conspired to commit any crimes.

However, during sentencing, Maricopa County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Treena Kay rejected Daybell’s repeated characterization of the case as a “family tragedy.”

“A family tragedy does not involve the intentional killing of a person,” Kay said. “It does not involve working with an accomplice to commit premeditated murder. And it does not involve conspiring with others to kill.”

Kay argued that Daybell’s true motives were the same ones commonly seen in murder cases: money and sex. She said the deaths of Charles Vallow and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux would have financially benefited Daybell and her niece, respectively.

“Although this defendant denies it, her text messages and her own actions show that these were her motives,” Kay told the court.

Ahead of sentencing, Lori Daybell maintained her innocence and addressed the victims’ families.

“I want everyone to know that I mourn with all of you. I am sorry for your pain. Losing those close to you is painful, and I acknowledge all of the pain. I do empathize — I feel it, too,” she said. “If I were accountable for these crimes, I would acknowledge it.”

Daybell also claimed that she was denied the opportunity to fully present her defense during the trials, a statement Judge Justin Beresky firmly rejected as false.

“When she says that she couldn’t get a fair trial in Maricopa County, that is not the truth,” he said before delivering her sentence.

She also questioned the need for more life sentences in addition to those she’s already serving in Idaho. “Now I will serve seven life sentences — will that be enough? Will that be enough?” she asked.

Judge Beresky responded that justice “demands not only recognition of the pain inflicted but a firm response that upholds the dignity of every victim harmed by the actions of someone who has shown blatant disregard for humanity.”

He said Daybell has “left a wake of destruction” across multiple states and that “the amount of contemplation, calculation, planning, and manipulation that went into these crimes is unparalleled in my career.”

“Your powers of manipulation are profoundly destructive — they undermine trust, distort truth, and erode the very foundations of healthy relationships and society,” the judge continued. “The impact of your manipulation has been devastating, insidious, and far-reaching — and perhaps still unknown.”

Judge Beresky ordered the two life sentences in Arizona to run consecutively to those already imposed in Idaho.

The sentencing followed multiple failed attempts by Daybell to secure new trials in both cases. After her conviction in the Charles Vallow conspiracy case, she unsuccessfully sought to have Judge Beresky removed, alleging judicial bias.

Throughout the proceedings, Daybell frequently clashed with the court. During her second trial, she was briefly removed from the courtroom after becoming combative during discussions about her character. The judge had previously warned her that if she portrayed herself as having “great character,” the state would be allowed to present rebuttal evidence — including details of her prior convictions in Idaho.

Both Lori and her husband, Chad Daybell, were convicted in separate Idaho trials of first-degree murder in the deaths of her two children: Joshua “J.J.” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16. The children were reported missing months after Charles Vallow was killed in 2019. Their remains were discovered in June 2020 on Chad Daybell’s property in Idaho.

The Daybells were also found guilty of conspiring to murder Chad’s first wife, Tamara Daybell, who died under suspicious circumstances in October 2019 — just two weeks before Lori and Chad married in Hawaii. Chad Daybell was later found guilty of her murder.

Lori Daybell is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. Chad Daybell was sentenced to death for the three murders and is now on death row in Idaho, awaiting execution.

Emotional Victim Impact Statements

Several of Lori Daybell’s relatives spoke in court ahead of her sentencing. In grief-stricken and sometimes angry remarks, they reflected on the loss of Charles Vallow, his nephew Joshua “J.J.” Vallow—whom Charles and Lori had adopted—and Tylee Ryan, a child from Lori Daybell’s third marriage.

Her eldest son, Colby Ryan, from her second marriage, remembered Charles Vallow as a caring and generous man.

“My father, Charles Vallow, cared deeply for his family. He took care of us and made sure we had a good life,” Ryan said.

He also shared how his mother initially told him that Charles had died of a heart attack before he learned the truth, expressing the pain of losing his father and then his siblings.

“I’m here to tell you the effect this has had on me. Simply put, each one of my family members was taken from us all in one devastating blow,” Ryan said.

Regarding his mother, he said, “It must be a very sad life to smile your way through all the pain you’ve caused.”

“Instead of acknowledging the pain she has inflicted, she insists that the deaths of Charles, Tylee, and J.J. were simply a family tragedy and not the result of her own wrongdoing,” he added. “Quite frankly, I believe Lori Vallow herself is the true family tragedy.”

One of Charles Vallow’s sisters, Susan Vallow, spoke virtually and said the day her brother died “changed my life forever.”

“My brother’s death was a deliberate act of evil motivated by selfish financial gain. Her greed has caused immeasurable pain that continues to this day,” she said.