Lori Vallow Daybell Arizona murder conspiracy trial: Day 1 of jury selection

'Doomsday Mom' in court as jury selection starts

Lori Vallow Daybell, who is set to go on trial in Arizona for her alleged role in planning the death of her then-husband in 2019, was in court on March 31 as jury selection began. There was also a proceeding later in the day over various motions that have been filed. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum has more.

PHOENIX - The first of two Arizona trials of the so-called "Doomsday Mom" Lori Vallow Daybell began on March 31, with jury selection getting underway.

The backstory:

In Arizona, Vallow Daybell is accused of planning the death of her then-husband, Charles Vallow, in 2019. It was allegedly motivated by Vallow Daybell's religious beliefs, and a $1 million life insurance policy that Charles owned.

Charles was shot by Vallow Daybell's late brother, Alex Cox. Cox had said he shot Charles after a fight involving a baseball bat.

Full video: Lori Vallow Daybell represents herself in court

Jury selection for the initial Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, often referred to as the "Doomsday Mom," began on March 31. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum and Special Projects Executive Producer George Obi discuss the hearing and answer questions.

Vallow Daybell is also accused of attempted murder in connection with her ex-nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux. The shootings of Charles and Brandon happened within months of each other.

A trial date for the Boudreaux case has not been set.

In Idaho, Vallow Daybell was found guilty of killing Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow. She was also found guilty of her role in the death of Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell's first wife. Vallow Daybell was sentenced to life in prison in Idaho.

What Happened Today:

On March 31, Vallow Daybell, who is acting as her own attorney, wore civilian clothing as she went through jury questionnaires with the court.

During Monday's court proceedings, they went through a batch of 200 questionnaires, and around 51 people were moved into the jury pool. Cameras were not allowed in court during the jury selection portion of Monday's proceedings.

During the afternoon hours, there was a 90-minute motion hearing, and among the motions filed was that of a journalist who wants to get out of the trial as a witness.

The journalist in question, Nate Eaton, is a reporter who is based in Idaho. He has been covering the case extensively for more than five years, and his lawyers cited his First Amendment rights to be able to do his job. Meanwhile, prosecutors want to exclude Vallow Daybell's witnesses, saying some cannot be reached. They also don't believe any have been subpoenaed.

Prosecutors also argue that the defense had months to reach witnesses that include Vallow Daybell's own mother and sister.

"The State talks about, in their response, like the state is claiming trial by ambush from the defense. How is the defense trial by ambush since they’ve interviewed everyone in this case for the last five years since this case started?" said Vallow Daybell. "They’ve interviewed every single person on there. They have written transcripted interviews, and video interviews of all these people. And so, how are they relevant? These witnesses will testify if and when they are needed to add additional facts, or fill in the blanks that the state will no doubt leave out in their case, and they’ll be called accordingly. I need them to lay, perhaps, foundations for evidence presented by the state. The same with Lonnie Durkin, I need him. His testimony will be required if and when it's necessary to rebut digital information that the state will bring forward during trial. I feel like the state is trying to say, 'OK, if you want your speedy trial, guess what? We're not going to let you defend yourself. Guess what? You can't have any experts. And guess what else? You can't have any witnesses. You can't have anybody speak in your behalf. So good luck. Have a nice day.'"

Dig deeper:

The only family member or relative to show up for Vallow Daybell's trial on Monday was Meegan Conner, Vallow Daybell's cousin. They grew up together, and Conner wanted to see how Vallow Daybell conducted herself.

"The Lori that I see in the courtroom is the Lori that I know: fiery, insistent, sometimes belligerent, gets fired up when she doesn't get her way, and gets frustrated when she doesn't," said Conner.

What's next:

According to court officials, it is believed that a 12-member jury, along with a slate of four alternates, will be chosen and seated by the end of the week.

On April 1, the court is expected to go through more questionnaires in the morning.

Lori Vallow-Chad Daybell case Phoenix News