Lori Vallow Daybell: 'Doomsday Mom' shows up sick to court, jury selection delayed
PHOENIX - Lori Vallow Daybell was briefly back in court on June 2, but proceedings were adjourned for the day because the so-called "Doomsday Mom" was sick.
Vallow Daybell left court proceedings early last Friday after telling the judge she felt sick. On Monday morning, Vallow Daybell arrived in court in a wheelchair, complaining of headaches and nausea.
The judge then informed potential jurors that they wouldn't return to court until Wednesday.
The court hopes to have 12 jurors and four alternates seated by Friday, so opening arguments can begin.
Lori Daybell shows up sick to court again
Lori Vallow Daybell was briefly back in court on June 2, but proceedings were adjourned for the day because she was sick. The so-called "Doomsday Mom" left court proceedings early last Friday after telling the judge she felt ill.
What they're saying:
Judge Beresky says this has never happened in his career and even told jurors once the final 16 are seated, he’ll provide donuts.
This came after Vallow Daybell explained her symptoms, and how she wants to represent herself in court when she’s healthy.
"I’m sick, your honor. I’ve been sick all weekend. I let my team know yesterday I was sick," Vallow Daybell said.
Court proceedings were recorded just before a pool of nearly 60 jurors had to be brought in for questioning to determine who will decide the verdict in her final Arizona trial.
Vallow Daybell told Judge Beresky that she had a terrible headache, nausea and chills and did not want jury selection to start without her.
"I do have a right to represent myself. I'm sorry that I'm sick. I did not plan on getting sick or try to get sick. This isn't anything to do with anything other than the fact that I am incapable of going forward and doing a good job representing myself. I've been incarcerated for over five and a half years. I've only ever been sick one other time in the whole time I've been here," Vallow Daybell said.
Judge Beresky was going to bring in the jurors with both prosecution and defense present to explain the circumstances behind the second delay in just days.
'I'm sick, your Honor': Lori Vallow Daybell pleads with judge as jury selection is delayed again
Courtroom video from the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County shows the exchange between so-called "Doomsday Mom" Lori Vallow Daybell and Judge Justin Beresky as she put jury selection on hold due to her ongoing illness. Vallow Daybell is representing herself in her last Arizona trial, accused of conspiring in the attempted murder of her ex-nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux.
"Judge, my concern is she's in a wheelchair now," Prosecutor Treena Kay said.
He replied, "Well, I would probably ask to have her sit in a regular seat and not be in a wheelchair that says ‘MCSO’ across the back of it."
With a trash can next to her, Vallow Daybell said she could not get out of the wheelchair.
"I don't think I can even sit here. I need to go lay down. I don't understand. I don't think … last time you said it was going to be 15 minutes, it was an hour and a half where I was sitting here trying not to throw up on TV, in front of the jurors," she said. "So tomorrow, if I'm not better, and I let my team know, are you going to drag me in here like you did today? Did you know the team that came to get me, did you know they felt so sorry for me to have to get dragged out of bed to bring me here?"
Judge Beresky replied, "Yeah, the answer is yes. I probably will order that you be here Wednesday. We'll take tomorrow off."
If Vallow Daybell had let her counsel represent her, her appearance could have been waived and the trial schedule could stay on track. The judge says he needs to see her in court Wednesday.
"You're welcome to come over to the jail and come to my cell and see how I'm doing in there," she told Judge Beresky.
He replied, "Alright. I'll take a pass on that."
Expert panel weighs in on Lori Daybell trial
Investigator Justin Lum & Executive Producer George Obi are joined by an expert panel of Judge Mel McDonald, Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Taylor, and Rich Robertson, private investigator who was hired by Brandon Boudreaux following the 2019 shooting. They discuss what happened in court on June 2 in the Lori Daybell trial in Phoenix.
The backstory:
For her second and final trial in Arizona, Vallow Daybell is accused of conspiring with her late brother, Alex Cox, in the attempted murder of her ex-nephew-in-law, Brandon 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 Vallow Daybell's two children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy.
In April 2025, Vallow Daybell was also found guilty of plotting the fatal shooting of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in Chandler.