Arizona vs. Lori Vallow Daybell: Lori acts as her own attorney, prosecution calls 12 witnesses in first 4 days
The first week of the Lori Vallow Daybell trial concluded with emotional testimony from Charles Vallow's sister Kay Woodcock.
"Doomsday Mom" Lori Vallow Daybell, who is already serving life in prison without parole for the murder of her two children, is on trial for conspiracy to commit murder to her fourth husband, Charles.
The case has captivated a nationwide audience, crossed multiple state lines and explored the extreme beliefs of Lori Vallow Daybell and her fifth husband, Chad Daybell, who is on death row in Idaho for the murder of the two kids and his wife, Tammy Daybell.
What we know:
Police say Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori Vallow Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, and prosecutors say it was all part of a scheme orchestrated by Chad and Lori that started a string of killings that included Lori's daughter Tylee Ryan, her autistic son J.J. Vallow and Chad's wife, Tammy Daybell.
Week 1 of Arizona vs. Lori Vallow Daybell
Opening statements
Prosecutor Treena Kay lays out the state's argument in front of the jury for the first time.
She says Lori acted as a religious figure to direct her brother to kill Charles.
Kay also explained that Vallow Daybell believed she was the beneficiary of Charles' $1 million life insurance policy and that Charles learned Lori Vallow Daybell began having an affair with Chad Daybell.
For Kay's full opening statement, watch here:
Lori Vallow Daybell Trial: Prosecutor makes case
On Day one of the first trial for the so-called 'Doomsday Mom' in Arizona, prosecutors made their case in front of a jury. Lori Vallow Daybell is accused of conspiring to kill her former husband, Charles Vallow.
Lori Vallow Daybell then laid out her own case.
Most of her sentences started with "the evidence will show…"
She outlines her day and argued that the shooting by Alex was self-defense.
She finished by saying, "that self-defense is not a crime."
For Vallow Daybell's full opening statement, watch here:
Lori Vallow Daybell Trial: Defendant makes her case
On day one of the first trial for the so-called 'Doomsday Mom' in Arizona, Lori Vallow Daybell made her case in front of a jury, after prosecutors did the same thing earlier in the day. In Arizona, Lori Vallow Daybell is accused of conspiring to kill her former husband, Charles Vallow.
Witnesses
The prosecution called 12 witnesses to the stand.
Day 1 saw the first two first responders to arrive to the crime scene where they confronted Alex Cox and found Charles Vallow laying on his back in the floor of the home.
They also covered the demeanor and reactions of Cox and Vallow Daybell who arrived at the scene midway through body camera footage started on both Wierzicki and Krautheim's cameras.
Day 2 covered more of the physical evidence of the home, including what was found and what wasn't found at the crime scene.
Friends and acquaintances of Charles and Lori were introduced to the jury on Day 3.
Nancy Jo Hancock had recently started dating Charles before his death and provided testimony about how she found out about his death.
The fourth day of trial brought family members to the witness stand.
Lori's brother, Adam Cox testified to the jury that he and Charles were in the early stages of planning an intervention on Lori for her religious beliefs, which were becoming more extreme.
The sister of Charles Vallow, Kay Woodcock, broke down in tears multiple times.
Full list of witnesses:
Day 1:
Witness 1: Chandler Police Sergeant - Irwin Wierzbicki
Witness 2: retired Chandler Police Officer - Robert Krautheim
Day 2:
Witness 3: Chandler Firefighter - Scott Cowden
Witness 4: retired Chandler Fire Captain - Kent Keller
Witness 5: retired Chandler Police Detective - Daniel Coons
Day 3:
Witness 6: Friend of Charles Vallow - Nancy Jo Hancock
Witness 7: Former friend of Lori Vallow Daybell - Christina Atwood
Day 4:
Witness 8: Brother of Lori Vallow Daybell - Adam Cox
Witness 9: former church friend of Lori Vallow Daybell - Sarena Sharp
Witness 10: retired Chandler Police Detective - William McDonald
Witness 11: Chandler Police Forensic Analyst - Marrisa Francisco
Witness 12: Sister of Charles Vallow - Kay Woodcock
Click here for full coverage on our FOX 10 webpage.
"Doomsday Mom" - The Lori Vallow Daybell Story
The backstory:
The story of Lori Vallow Daybell is a complicated one.
There's a voluminous list of people involved from Vallow Daybell's children, siblings, parents, church friends and first responders.
Chad and Lori were connected through their religious beliefs. Through their beliefs, they categorized people in their social circle as "light or dark spirits" based on a rating system.
What's next:
Charles Vallow was shot dead on July 11, 2019, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow went missing in September 2019, Tammy Daybell was found dead due to asphyxiation on October 19, 2019.
For a full breakdown of the backstory, check out the FOX 10 documentary "No Remorse" for free, live on YouTube.