Lori Vallow: Lawyer for 'Doomsday Mom' files motion to have her mental competency evaluated
Lori Vallow (Courtesy: MCSO) ( )
PHOENIX - There is a new update in the years-long legal saga involving the woman who is known as the so-called ‘Doomsday Mom.’
We learned on Oct. 21 that Lori Vallow's defense lawyer filed a motion on Oct. 9 for what is known as a "Rule 11 evaluation." The motion was filed in connection with her murder trial in Arizona.
According to the Maricopa County Superior Court's website, under Rule 11, the Forensic Services Division evaluates defendants for competency in criminal cases.
"If found competent, they return to trial court; if found incompetent but restorable, they receive treatment in a Restoration to Competency (RTC) program or an Outpatient Treatment Program. If deemed incompetent and not restorable within statutory time limits, civil commitment may be pursued, leading to evaluation and treatment at Valleywise Behavioral Health Center and dismissal of criminal charges," read the description.
Per the Associated Press, Vallow's Idaho criminal case was paused in 2021 after she was declared incompetent to stand trial, and was committed to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for treatment. She was declared competent 10 months later.
In Arizona, Vallow is accused of conspiring in the fatal shooting of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and plotting the attempted murder of her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Initially, the trial was scheduled for Aug. 1, but a judge later decided to push the trial to Feb. 24, 2025, despite Vallow not waiving her right to a speedy trial.
Vallow was extradited to Arizona in November 2023, months after being sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing her two youngest children, J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and conspiring in the murder of Tammy Daybell. Tammy was the former wife of Chad Daybell, who is Vallow's current husband.
In other news related to Vallow's Arizona trial, a judge has denied her lawyer's motion to allow laptop access for discovery review. The judge said she can sit with an investigator without having a laptop overnight.