Lori Daybell Trial Day 4: 'Doomsday Mom' finishes cross-examination of AZ officer
Lori Daybell Trial: Witness from Idaho testifies
June 10 was Day 4 of Lori Vallow Daybell's 2nd and final Arizona trial, and on Tuesday, a key witness who is a familiar face from out-of-state took the stand. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum has more.
PHOENIX - The second and final Arizona trial of Lori Daybell, the so-called "Doomsday Mom," resumed in a Phoenix courtroom on Tuesday morning.
What Happened Today:
On June 10, Daybell continued her cross-examination of Gilbert Police Officer Ryan Pillar, who also testified on June 9.
Pillar is the case agent who investigated the shooting at Brandon Boudreaux's home on Oct. 2, 2019. During Vallow Daybell's cross-examination, she questioned Gilbert's lack of testing to determine the type of gun used, why Boudreaux's Tesla vehicle was not kept in evidence, and the trajectory of the shooting.
"So, is it not in your protocol to preserve evidence?" Vallow Daybell asked.
"It's in our protocol to preserve evidence, but not in this case," Pillar replied. "In this case, I made the decision not to maintain custody of that Tesla."
"So, without this evidence available, how would my experts be able to test for a trajectory?" Vallow Daybell asked.
"We couldn't test for trajectory with what we had If it was here today, it's possible that you guys could test for trajectory with the advancements in technology. Again, not being somebody who is trained or certified any time in any type of trajectory training, I don't know how that process would even look, but we simply don't have the vehicle today as we're, as we're discussing this," Pillar replied.
Prosecuting attorney Treena Kay later re-directed testimony to argument that evidence showed a clear shooting from a Jeep Wrangler that was allegedly driven by Alex Cox, Vallow Daybell's brother. Cox died in December 2019.
"You were asked a lot about the measurements of the Tesla and trajectory. Did Brandon Boudreaux stop at the time of the shooting and put down a little ticky-tack marker and say, ‘better note this for later so I can tell the detectives exactly where my vehicle was when I was shot?’" Kay asked.
"No. He did not," Pillar replied.
"Did Brandon Boudreaux get out of his car and go over and mark the exact end of the Jeep, so that you would know exactly where that was when he was shot?" Kay asked.
"No. He did not," Pillar said in response.
Later on, Lieutenant Ray Hermosillo from Rexburg, Idaho took the stand. Lt. Hermosillo was one of the detectives on the case against Lori and Chad Daybell, a crucial part of the investigation leading to the discovery of the remains of Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan on Chad Daybell’s property in June 2020. Daybell did not choose to cross-examine Hermosillo.
Lt. Hermosillo did surveillance on Lori and Alex, helping Gilbert Police seize a Jeep Wrangler believed to be the suspect vehicle in the Gilbert shooting a month prior. Once impounded, Daybell never reported the jeep stolen, and major evidence revealed later to the jury shows Lori and Chad moving a tire and backseat into her storage unit, on the same day that Boudreaux was shot at from a Jeep without a rear tire.
During Tuesday's proceedings, we also saw photos of rifles discovered in Alex Cox’s garage at his Rexburg apartment.
What Happened on Monday?:
Besides Pillar, the people who testified on June 9 include:
- The owner of a Rexburg, Idaho window tinting shop, who said he worked on a Jeep Wrangler. The suspect vehicle in Boudreaux's shooting was a Jeep Wrangler. The owner said he placed a 5% tint on top of the factory's 20% tint, meaning a small amount of light is allowed into the glass, making it very dark and hard to see through.
- A witness from the Drug Enforcement Administration, who testified to a license plate reading camera that showed a Jeep with no rear tire on Interstate 40, about 26 hours before the shooting.
- Forensic scientists who tested DNA from the Jeep Wrangler, after it was recovered in November 2019.
- Retired Gilbert Police officer Marianna Robb, who said Boudreaux was "bewildered" after the shooting.
Lori Daybell: 2nd AZ trial enters Day 3
As the second and final Arizona trial for the so-called "Doomsday Mom" enters its second week, the state has called more than half of its witnesses. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum reports.
What Happened Last Week?:
The trial kicked off on Thursday with both sides presenting their opening statements. During Daybell's opening statement, multiple objections were made by the prosecuting attorney, Treena Kay.
Daybell's ex-nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux, also took the stand.
On Friday, Daybell was briefly removed from the courtroom after an intense exchange with the judge.
Judge orders deputy to remove Lori Daybell from courtroom
During day two of Lori Daybell's trial in Phoenix, outside the presence of a jury, the so-called "Doomsday Mom" demanded a hearing regarding Rule 404B after Judge Justin Beresky warned her about opening the door to details of her previous murder convictions. Daybell accused him of yelling at her and things got intense in the courtroom.
The backstory:
Daybell is accused of conspiring with her late brother, Alex Cox, in the attempted murder of Boudreaux.
Boudreaux was shot at outside his Gilbert home in October 2019. While Boudreaux was not hit, the incident is linked to a series of deadly events in Idaho, including the murders of Daybell's two children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy.
In April 2025, Daybell was also found guilty of plotting the fatal shooting of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in Chandler.
Just like she did in her first Arizona trial, Daybell is representing herself.
What you can do:
You can watch live coverage of the trial on FOX 10's YouTube channel.