Lori Vallow Daybell, infamously known as the “Doomsday Mom,” has been sentenced to two additional life sentences in Arizona for her role in a pair of murder conspiracies — adding to the three life terms she is already serving in Idaho for the killings of her two children and involvement in the death of her fifth husband’s former wife.
On Friday, Vallow Daybell received the new sentences without the possibility of parole. They will be served consecutively — both to each other and to her Idaho sentences — ensuring she will remain behind bars for life.
Victims’ Families Speak Out
Larry Woodcock, grandfather of 7-year-old Joshua “J.J.” Vallow, appeared virtually to deliver a pointed message to Vallow Daybell before sentencing.
“I will never speak your name again, murderess,” Woodcock said. “You are nothing.”
Vallow Daybell was found guilty of conspiring with her late brother, Alexander Cox, to kill two men in 2019: her fourth husband Charles Vallow, and her niece’s ex-husband Brandon Boudreaux. Cox fatally shot Charles Vallow in July 2019 and attempted a drive-by shooting on Boudreaux in October of the same year. Cox died later that year.
Brandon Boudreaux addressed the court, saying, “The betrayal by someone connected to my family has left me battling overwhelming emotions over the years,” and noted the potential lifelong trauma his children would have faced had the murder attempt succeeded.
Surviving Son: “I’ve Lost Everyone”
Colby Ryan, Lori Vallow Daybell’s only surviving child, gave a heart-wrenching statement about the impact of her crimes.
“I’m the son of Charles Vallow, the brother of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow,” he said. “Not only are my father, sister, and brother gone — but so is my mother.”
He criticized Vallow Daybell for refusing to take responsibility, stating, “Rather than acknowledge the pain she caused, she blames it all on a family tragedy.”
J.J.’s father, Todd Trahan, also spoke, saying he forgives her but reminded her that she now must live with the consequences. “Once you go sit in that cell, you have to relive everything that you did.”
Kay Woodcock, Charles Vallow’s sister, read a tearful letter written from the perspective of young J.J. Vallow: “I should be 13 years old now, but I am forever seven.” She ended her statement in tears, shouting, “I trusted you!”
Vallow Daybell Defends Herself in Courtroom
Representing herself, Vallow Daybell maintained her innocence and veered into spiritual claims and personal revelations. She told the court, “If I was accountable for these crimes, I would acknowledge it… but I have witnessed for myself what it is like to leave this mortal existence… when I died giving birth to Tylee.”
She claimed that in the “spirit world,” emotions such as hate and anger disappear. She also argued that she wasn’t allowed to tell her full story during the trials — a claim the judge swiftly refuted.
Judge Justin Beresky reminded her that both parties were granted full legal rights and challenged her unsupported statistics about Maricopa County trials. He also explained why Arizona moved forward with the case despite her existing life sentences.
“Trials are not just about punishment,” Beresky said, “but about justice and giving the victims a voice.”
With Friday’s ruling, Lori Vallow Daybell’s fate is sealed — a total of five life sentences, all to be served consecutively, leaving no possibility of release.
