Lori Vallow: Lawyer for 'Doomsday Mom' argues against courtroom cameras

PHOENIX - Lawyers for the so-called "Doomsday Mom" Lori Vallow once again argued against cameras in the courtroom on Sept. 6 for the convicted child killer's trial in Arizona.

Vallow is accused of conspiring in the shooting death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and plotting a shooting attempt targeting her nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux, in 2019. Investigators say the motive was fueled by doomsday beliefs and financial benefits.

The timeline in Vallow's legal problems now and in recent years can be traced back to 2019, when she used her religious beliefs to justify killing her two youngest children, Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, while also conspiring with her then-boyfriend Chad Daybell in the killing of Daybell's first wife, Tammy. In 2023, Vallow was convicted in Idaho, where the crimes took place, and sentenced to life in prison.

As for her legal troubles in Arizona, the incident that led to Charles Vallow's death also happened in 2019. Vallow has been jailed in Arizona since November 2023. 

"I really have always felt that Charles is so relevant in this," said Larry Woodcock, Charles Vallow's brother-in-law. "Charles and his attempt to straighten this out and get help for Lori. It just seems like it was on deaf ears."

Defense lawyer argues against courtroom cameras

Vallow was not in court Friday, as she waived her right to appear. While her convictions for killing her two kids, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, are part of a high-profile case, her public defender, Gerald Bradley, says coverage has been prejudicial, and continued to argue against camera coverage of her case, telling presiding judge Justin Beresky that Vallow has received negative media attention.

"It does and will continue to impact my client's fair trial rights, and further camera coverage makes getting an impartial jury obviously more difficult," said Bradley.

"I don't watch news. I look at articles about news on my phone. This case has never come up on my news feed," said Judge Beresky.

"It's come up on mine," Bradley said.

"Well, probably because you're searching for it on your phone," Judge Beresky replied.

Prosecutor Treena Kay, meanwhile, argued that juries were found with no issues in both Vallow and Daybell trials. Those trials took place in Idaho's Ada County, which has a much smaller population than Maricopa County.

"They were able to get two juries that were unbiased, and able to hear those cases with all of the court coverage, and with that having occurred in that state as well," said Kay.

Judge Beresky said FOX 10 has been granted access to film Vallow's court proceedings, until further notice. The next hearing for Vallow's complex case management is on Oct. 24th, and the trial set to start in February 2025.