Lori Vallow Daybell, already convicted in Idaho for her role in the deaths of her two children and husband’s former wife, is now found guilty in Arizona of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the 2019 death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. A Maricopa County jury delivers the verdict after days of testimony that included harrowing evidence of manipulation, digital records, and chilling messages revealing what prosecutors describe as a calculated and premeditated plan.
Charles Vallow was shot and killed in July 2019 by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, in what was initially reported as self-defense. However, the case was reopened after a string of suspicious deaths surrounding Lori and her new husband, Chad Daybell, came under nationwide scrutiny. Prosecutors in Arizona argue that Lori conspired with Cox to kill Charles in order to collect a life insurance payout and remove what she saw as an obstacle to her new life with Chad.
The trial includes damning evidence from text messages and Google searches, along with testimony about Lori’s increasing involvement with apocalyptic religious beliefs and a cult-like ideology that allegedly justified eliminating people she believed were “dark spirits.” Witnesses, including Charles’ family and former friends of Lori, describe her rapid transformation from suburban mom to someone deeply immersed in doomsday prophecy and spiritual manipulation, often referring to people around her as having been “possessed” or “zombies.”
In a dramatic portion of the trial, the prosecution reads aloud messages between Lori and Chad Daybell that reference “missions,” “removing obstacles,” and “being free” from interference. Prosecutors argue that the couple used spiritual justifications as a veil for their criminal conspiracy.
This conviction in Arizona follows Lori’s May 2023 conviction in Idaho on multiple charges, including the murder of her children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, and conspiracy to murder Chad Daybell’s former wife, Tammy Daybell. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for those crimes. Her Arizona conviction could carry an additional sentence of up to life in prison, depending on sentencing outcomes, which are yet to be announced.
Jurors in the Arizona trial speak out after the verdict, expressing sorrow for the victims and describing their emotional toll. “It was hard to hear what she did to her own family,” one juror says. “But justice had to be served.”
Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who played a direct role in Charles Vallow’s shooting, died of natural causes in December 2019, complicating the prosecution’s effort to fully account for his role in the broader conspiracy. However, prosecutors maintain that Lori was the central figure tying together multiple deaths across state lines, all linked by a shared apocalyptic worldview and a thirst for control, money, and power.
Lori Vallow Daybell now joins a small group of individuals in U.S. legal history to be convicted in multiple states for separate murder conspiracies tied to a series of domestic homicides. She continues to face ongoing legal proceedings in Arizona, including additional conspiracy charges in connection with the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
As families of the victims react to the verdict, there is a shared sense of relief but also enduring grief. “This doesn’t bring Charles back, but it helps us know that his life mattered,” says Charles Vallow’s sister. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him, and we’ll keep fighting for justice.”
