Lori Vallow murder trial day 28: Deliberations complete, verdict reached
BOISE, Idaho - Lori Vallow, a former Valley mom accused of killing her two children and conspiring to murder her husband's previous wife, has been found guilty on all charges.
The verdict was read at 11:45 a.m. today. The jury unanimously agreed that she was guilty on all six charges.
Lori Vallow murder trial: 'Doomsday mom' found guilty of killing her 2 kids
Investigators say Vallow and Daybell used their religious beliefs to justify these three killings. They allegedly claimed JJ and Tylee became zombies and that a dark spirit possessed Tammy who died suddenly in October 2019.
The jury started deliberating over the case on Thursday and finished Friday afternoon. The prosecution's closing arguments reiterated what was said during the opening statements, claiming money, power and sex motivated the killings.
The lead prosecutor says Vallow and Chad Daybell's affair set off events leading to the murder of three people: J.J. Vallow, Tylee Ryan and Tammy Daybell. It was also argued that Vallow used her religious beliefs to justify the murders.
"There is no question that JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan and Tammy Daybell were murdered. Who is the common thread? Lori Vallow," said Lead Prosecutor Rob Wood. "What does justice for these victims requires? It requires a conviction of each and every count."
Lori Vallow murder trial day 27: Closing arguments made, deliberations begin
On Wednesday, the judge met with defense attorneys and prosecutors to work on jury instructions. Both sides rested their cases on Tuesday in an Idaho courtroom after nearly five weeks of testimony.
The defense is pinning the crimes on her husband, saying there's no proof that Vallow killed any of the victims.
"Lori so wants to testify of Jesus. You heard her on her podcasts. She wants to tell the world how much she loves Jesus. She wants to tell you that she personally met him on one occasion, but is Lori a leader, or is she a follower of Chad? She so wants to be a leader, but she’s not leading anyone. She’s following Chad," said Vallow's defense attorney, Jim Archibald.
Cameras have been banned from the courtroom since September over worries that too much coverage would make it hard to find a fair and impartial jury.
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Murder, Money and the End of Days: The Lori Vallow story
Murder, Money & the End of Days. Why investigators believe religion, greed and an affair led an all-American mom on a trail of death. This is the Lori Vallow story. FOX 10’s Justin Lum walks us through the crucial timeline on the eve of Vallow’s trial.
For all previous and extensive coverage on this case, visit https://fox10phoenix.com/vallow + watch the in-depth special here.