The defence in the murder trial of “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has rested their case without presenting any witnesses.
Shortly after Idaho prosecutors rested the state’s case at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Ms Vallow’s attorney Jim Archibald told the court that after consulting with his client, the defence was ready to proceed with closing arguments.
Ms Vallow will not take the stand in her own defence, East Idaho News reported.
“We don’t believe the state has proven its case so the defence rests,” Mr Archibald said on Tuesday.
Ms Vallow is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy, 49.
The state has called roughly 60 witnesses throughout the five weeks of the trial, while the defence called none, according to CourtTV.
Judge Steven Boyce, state prosecutors and Ms Vallow’s defence attorneys will meet on Wednesday to sort out jury instructions. Meanwhile, jurors were excused until Thursday morning, when closing arguments are set to begin.
Judge Boyce also ruled on Tuesday that the court will stream the verdict of the high-profile case once it’s reached.
JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months.
One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach.
In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder.
Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits.
Mr Daybell will stand trial separately with a potential date of June 2024 spoken about in court.
