Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Lori Vallow Daybell, often referred to as the "Doomsday Mom," is an American woman convicted of multiple murders and conspiracies tied to her apocalyptic religious beliefs. Born Lori Norene Cox on June 26, 1973, in Loma Linda, California, she grew up in a Mormon family and married five times, with her final marriage to Chad Daybell, a self-published author of doomsday-themed books, playing a central role in her crimes. Vallow Daybell's descent into radical religious ideologies began around 2015, intensifying after meeting Daybell in 2018 at a religious conference. The couple, who led a small Mormon sect described as a "doomsday cult," believed in zombies and evil spirits, justifying their actions as part of a divine mission. This led to the murders of her two youngest children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow, whose remains were found buried on Daybell’s Idaho property in June 2020, as well as the murder of Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, and Vallow Daybell’s fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
In 2023, Vallow Daybell was convicted in Idaho of murdering her children and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, receiving a life sentence without parole. She was later extradited to Arizona, where she faced additional trials for conspiring to murder Charles Vallow in 2019 and attempting to murder her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, also in 2019. Representing herself in both Arizona trials, she was found guilty in April and June 2025, respectively, facing further life sentences. Prosecutors argued her motives included financial gain, such as life insurance policies, and her desire to be with Chad Daybell. Despite her convictions, Vallow Daybell maintains her innocence, claiming in a 2025 jailhouse interview that she never hurt anyone and that her situation is a "family tragedy" misrepresented by the media. She remains incarcerated, with sentencing for her Arizona convictions set for July 25, 2025, after which she will return to Idaho to serve her life sentences
Lori Vallow Daybell, often referred to as the "Doomsday Mom," is an American woman convicted of multiple murders and conspiracies tied to her apocalyptic religious beliefs. Born Lori Norene Cox on June 26, 1973, in Loma Linda, California, she grew up in a Mormon family and married five times, with her final marriage to Chad Daybell, a self-published author of doomsday-themed books, playing a central role in her crimes. Vallow Daybell's descent into radical religious ideologies began around 2015, intensifying after meeting Daybell in 2018 at a religious conference. The couple, who led a small Mormon sect described as a "doomsday cult," believed in zombies and evil spirits, justifying their actions as part of a divine mission. This led to the murders of her two youngest children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "J.J." Vallow, whose remains were found buried on Daybell’s Idaho property in June 2020, as well as the murder of Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, and Vallow Daybell’s fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
In 2023, Vallow Daybell was convicted in Idaho of murdering her children and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, receiving a life sentence without parole. She was later extradited to Arizona, where she faced additional trials for conspiring to murder Charles Vallow in 2019 and attempting to murder her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, also in 2019. Representing herself in both Arizona trials, she was found guilty in April and June 2025, respectively, facing further life sentences. Prosecutors argued her motives included financial gain, such as life insurance policies, and her desire to be with Chad Daybell. Despite her convictions, Vallow Daybell maintains her innocence, claiming in a 2025 jailhouse interview that she never hurt anyone and that her situation is a "family tragedy" misrepresented by the media. She remains incarcerated, with sentencing for her Arizona convictions set for July 25, 2025, after which she will return to Idaho to serve her life sentences
