Lori Vallow-Daybell, often referred to as the “Doomsday Mom,” has been declared mentally competent to stand trial in Arizona. This decision comes after a Rule 11 hearing in Phoenix, where medical experts assessed her mental state and concluded she is fit for trial.
Vallow-Daybell faces charges 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. These charges are separate from her previous convictions in Idaho, where she was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the murders of her two youngest children, J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and for conspiring in the death of Tammy Daybell, the former wife of her current husband, Chad Daybell.
The question of Vallow-Daybell’s mental competency has been a recurring issue. In 2021, during her Idaho proceedings, she was found unfit for trial and spent nearly a year in a state hospital before being restored to competency. In Arizona, her defense team initially requested a competency evaluation but later sought to withdraw the request, citing her desire to represent herself. The court, however, mandated the completion of the evaluation process.
With the competency determination finalized, the Arizona trial is set to proceed. A status conference is scheduled for Friday morning to discuss the next steps in the legal process. It remains to be seen whether Vallow-Daybell will be permitted to represent herself during the trial.
