Lori Vallow Daybell murder conspiracy trial l Day 3
PHOENIX - The Lori Vallow Daybell murder conspiracy trial resumed on Wednesday in Phoenix, a day after more law enforcement officers took the stand.
The convicted killer and so-called "Doomsday Mom" is accused of conspiring to kill her then-husband, Charles Vallow. Vallow Daybell is representing herself (known in legal language as pro se) in the trial.
What they're saying:
On April 9, a retired Chandler homicide detective took the stand to testify about the shooting death of Charles. He was the fifth witness to testify so far in the trial. During Daniel Coons' testimony, Vallow Daybell questioned the detective about the gun that shot Charles, and whether he believed her brother, Alex Cox, shot him.
The testimony by Coons was followed by Nancy Jo Hancock and Christina Atwood. Hancock's testimony contained a rather tense moment between her and Vallow Daybell.
Hancock is the woman who went on a date with Charles Vallow in July 2019, the night before Vallow was shot and killed. During her testimony, Vallow Daybell asked Hancock about that date, and whether Hancock knew that she and Vallow were still married at the time.
"Would you have gone out on a date with him, if he would have said he was married?" Vallow Daybell asked.
"If I would have realized how married he still was, maybe not," Hancock replied. "But, I just met for dinner. I wasn't sleeping with him or anything."
Vallow Daybell later asked Hancock if they spent the night talking about her, leading to a rather tense moment.
"Are you trying to tell me and this jury that you went on one date with my husband, and he told you all the details of our lives?" Vallow Daybell asked.
"I'm telling you the truth, and that's what I know," Hancock replied.
"So you spent your whole date getting to know each other, talking about me?" Vallow Daybell asked.
"Don't flatter yourself," Hancock retorted. "No. We did not spend the whole time talking about you."
"You talked," Vallow Daybell asked, in response. "You knew a lot about me, right?"
"I knew what I've testified to," Hancock replied.
Lori Vallow Daybell trial: Police detective cross-examined
The Doomsday Murder Trial resumed on April 9 with a rather lively cross-examination by Lori Vallow Daybell of retired Chandler Police detective Daniel Coons. During the questioning, Vallow Daybell said Coons didn't actually know various details surrounding Charles Vallow's death. At the same time, Vallow Daybell's relative inexperience in the legal field continued to show.
What's next:
The seventh witness to take the stand was Christina Atwood, a former friend of Lori Vallow Daybell who says the "Doomsday Mom" believed Charles was possessed by a dark spirit and described learning when he had been killed.
"Had you spoken to someone who was passing along information to you of what they understood had happened?" Kay asked.
"Yes," said Atwood.
"Okay, the shooting of Charles by Alex was about a month after you had heard him say he wanted to kill Charles, correct?"
"Yes," said Atwood.
Interestingly, Vallow Daybell did not cross-examine her old friend.
Lori Vallow Daybell trial: Tense moments in court
There was some fireworks during a portion of the Doomsday Murder trial on April 9, as there was a heated exchange between Lori Vallow Daybell and a witness who went on a date with Charles Vallow a day before his death.
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.
Charles Vallow killed: What police saw l FOX 10 Talks
The Lori Vallow Daybell murder conspiracy trial resumes on Wednesday in Phoenix, a day after more law enforcement officers took the stand. The convicted killer and so-called "Doomsday Mom" is accused of conspiring to kill her then-husband, Charles Vallow. FOX 10's Ron Hoon and Syleste Rodriguez discuss the day's top stories.
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.
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.
Chad Daybell, Lori's husband, was convicted of all three murders last year. He was sentenced to death.
What you can do:
You can watch FOX 10's full coverage of the trial on our YouTube channel.