Lori Vallow: ‘Doomsday Mom’ confirms she wants to represent herself in Arizona trial

PHOENIX - Lori Vallow, the so-called "Doomsday Mom" who was convicted of murder in Idaho, appeared in a Maricopa County courtroom for the first time in months.

Vallow is charged in the fatal shooting of her fourth husband Charles Vallow, and the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. She is also accused of conspiring to commit murder in both cases that were investigated by Chandler and Gilbert Police.

A status conference was held on Nov. 6 to discuss her mental competency process, which could likely delay her murder conspiracy trial. Vallow’s new public defenders appeared in court for the first time, asking Judge Justin Beresky to grant their motion to withdraw the Rule 11 request.

It was Vallow's former public defenders who filed a motion for the Rule 11 evaluation. Those public defenders have since withdrawn themselves from the case . Per the Maricopa County Superior Court's website, under Rule 11, the Forensic Services Division evaluates defendants for competency in criminal cases. Vallow’s February 2025 trial has been vacated at this time, due to the request.

Judge Beresky was told by one of Vallow's new lawyers, Pamela Hicks, that after a "lengthy" conversation with Vallow, they feel she does not need to be in Rule 11, and the defendant wants to move forward with her trial, representing herself.

The prosecution, meanwhile, told Judge Beresky that he had already decided a Rule 11 process was necessary when the initial motion was granted on October 21. That motion was filed by Vallow’s previous public defenders who have since withdrawn themselves from her case. Prosecutors argued that ‘a reasonable basis’ to conduct the competency evaluation has been found, and if the request to withdraw was granted, the State would ask for a mental evaluation.

Lori Vallow (Courtesy: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

Ultimately, the judge wants more information related to Vallow’s Idaho case, in which she was deemed incompetent for nearly a year before being restored to competency in April 2022. Vallow was ultimately convicted in the murders of her two youngest children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, as well as the conspiracy for the murder of her romantic rival Tammy Daybell, the first wife of Vallow’s co-defendant and current husband, Chad Daybell.

The judge presiding over Vallow’s Idaho case said she was diagnosed with a personality disorder and hyper religiosity. Trial evidence revealed that Vallow and Daybell used a grading system to decide who was a ‘light’ or ‘dark’ spirit, and believed it was their mission to rid the world of zombies as the end of the world came closer. Judge Beresky now wants to know if medication was key in restoring Vallow to competency, and has decided to keep the Rule 11 process going, especially if she wants to represent herself in court without a lawyer.

Reports from two court-appointed doctors are expected to be received as soon as November 7, and the judge will keep Vallow’s Rule 11 hearing on the schedule for November 14. Afterwards, a status conference is set for November 20 to determine more on the status of the case.