A jury of 16 people has been selected to decide the fate of Lori Vallow Daybell at her murder conspiracy trial in Arizona.
The 51-year-old known as the “Doomsday Mom” has already been convicted and sentenced to life in prison in Idaho for killing her two children and conspiring to kill her husband’s first wife.
Now, she is on trial in Maricopa County for the July 2019 shooting death of her ex-husband, Charles Vallow. Only this time, she is representing himself.
Jury selection began on Monday and by the end of the next day, all 16 jurors — 13 men and three women — were selected and sworn in. Twelve will be seated, and four will be alternates.
While questioning the potential jurors on Tuesday, Vallow told the jury their role was to protect her from the state.
“You’re basically here to protect me from the state,” Vallow said. “The prosecution is the state, the judge is the state and law enforcement is the state, so it’s all of them against me.”
When Treena Kay of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office objected, Judge Justin Beresky clarified that the jury’s role was not to protect a defendant but to determine whether the state had proven its case.
Throughout the questioning, Vallow repeatedly asked if they would have trouble finding her innocent if she did not testify.
“Would anybody have a problem with the fact that if ... I don’t tell any of my side of the story?” she asked. “If they didn’t prove that I committed a crime at all, would anybody say, ‘Well, I can’t find you innocent until you tell me what happened?’”
None of the jurors said they would.
Vallow also asked the pool of potential jurors whether they could be strong enough to stand up against the others.
“Could you be strong enough if the other 11 people did not think that — to stand your ground?” she asked. “That’s hard. That would be hard for me.”
When the state posed their questions, Treena Kay asked the potential jurors if they would give Vallow more leeway because she was defending herself. No one said they would.
While the convicted killer usually wears a bright orange jail jumpsuit, handcuffs and shackles when appearing in court, she will be able to wear civilian clothes and be restraint free for her trial, the judge previously ruled.
Vallow has, however, been ordered to wear a stun belt. If she tries to flee, she could get a shock, the judge’s order said. Deputies will also be positioned outside the courtroom exits.
This is the first of two trials Vallow faces in Arizona.
Vallow, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, will face trial for conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Charles Vallow as well as conspiracy to murder her niece’s estranged husband Brandon Boudreaux after he narrowly escaped a drive-by shooting. He was not harmed. The two cases will be tried separately and then she will be returned to Idaho to finish out her three life sentences.
On Tuesday, Judge Beresky went over jury instructions, explaining the definition of conspiracy to commit murder and said that the charge requires proof that Vallow intended to encourage or aid in first-degree murder and that either she or her brother Alex Cox planned to carry it out. Cox, who died in December 2019, claimed he shot Charles Vallow in self-defense.
Charles’ death was the first step in a wider plot by Vallow and her current husband, alleged cult leader Chad Daybell, to rid their lives of “obstacles,” meaning their spouses and her children, according to text message evidence presented at her trial last year for the murders of young JJ and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan.
In May 2023, Vallow was found guilty of the children’s murders and of conspiring to kill her husband’s former wife, Tammy Daybell. Daybell was convicted of the same three murders in 2024 and received the death penalty.
Vallow’s trial in Arizona will resume on April 7 with opening statements.
