Lori Vallow Daybell Arizona murder conspiracy trial: Day 2 of jury selection
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 discussed the hearing and answered questions.
PHOENIX - April 1 marks day two of jury selection in the Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the so-called "Doomsday Mom" accused of conspiring to murder her former husband, Charles Vallow.
On Monday, the jury pool dwindled from 200 to just over 50. The judge also addressed a number of filed motions, including the state's attempt to exclude several of Vallow Daybell's witnesses because some had not been subpoenaed.
What they're saying:
FOX 10 Investigative Reporter Justin Lum spoke with a prosecutor who helped convict Vallow Daybell in her 2023 Idaho murder trial. She provided some insight on how Vallow Daybell might select her upcoming jury.
"She would make eye contact with certain jurors, predominantly men. And when she would make eye contact with them, she would attempt to get them to engage with her. It was pretty obvious what she was attempting to do," said Rachel Smith.
Vallow Daybell is representing herself in the trial.
Prosecutor shares insight on Doomsday Mom
Rachel Smith is a special prosecutor who was part of the State of Idaho’s team for the first Lori Vallow Daybell trial. She shared her insight on the case with FOX 10’s Justin Lum as jury selection began for Vallow Daybell's Arizona trial.
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.
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'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.
What you can do:
For continuing coverage of the trial, you can follow Justin Lum on X at https://x.com/jlumfox10.