“48 Hours” airs “Lori Vallow Daybell: Guilty” Saturday, May 13 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
An Idaho jury found Lori Vallow Daybell, the mother accused of murder in the deaths of her two sons, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, guilty of all charges.
Vallow Daybell, 49, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of the children and the death of her husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, as well as guilty of theft charges for stealing Social Security payments Social issued for children.
Judge Steven Boyce said she will be sentenced in about three months. She could have faced up to life in prison, but Boyce had taken the death penalty off the table before her trial.
Her husband, Chad Daybell, has also been charged in the case, but will face a separate trial at a later date. He has pleaded not guilty.
A source close to the trial told CBS News that while Vallow Daybell showed no emotion at the verdict, she was upset with her lawyers for trying to argue at the end to blame her husband.
Kyle Green/AP
Relatives of the victims reacted with tears, signs of relief and a fist pump, and sat arm in arm as the judge closed the hearing.
JJ Vallow’s grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, were greeted by applause as they left the courthouse as supporters sang “We Will Rock You,” one of JJ’s favorite songs. Both had attended much of the trial.
A visibly emotional Larry Woodcock thanked jurors and said he wanted to hug them for what they had seen and heard during the case, and thanked everyone involved.
“Even the defense, I shook their hands. I’ve said many times, I want a fair, honest, just decision. I think we had 18 jurors who all deserve our recognition, our love, and they gave us an honest decision , fair and just. verdict,” he said.
When Lori was asked for her final message, she broke into a Willie Nelson song: “Turn off the lights, the party’s over; they say all good things must come to an end.”
“Lori, it’s over,” he said.
Woodcock also had a message for the three victims in the case as he fought back tears.
“JJ, I love you. Papa wishes you were here under different circumstances. Tylee, Papa loves you. Tammy, I never met you. Tammy, you’re a part of our life… Tammy, I’m sorry. I my heart hurts for you. My heart hurts for you three,” she said.
Prosecutors Rob Wood and Lindsey Blake said in a statement they were pleased with the verdict and thanked the jury, but did not discuss further details of the case, citing pending charges against Chad Daybell.
“We want to assure each of you that we remain committed to seeking justice for Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow and Tammy Daybell,” they said in the statement.
The jury of five women and seven men began its deliberations Thursday afternoon, returning Friday to deliberate through lunch before returning a unanimous verdict.
Prosecutors called dozens of witnesses to build their case against Vallow Daybell, who they accused of being motivated by money, power and sex in a case involving the accused couple’s increasingly fringe religious beliefs. Other deaths in his circle have also raised suspicion, including the shooting death of Vallow Daybell’s husband, Charles Vallow, by her brother, Alex Cox, in what Cox claimed was self-defense, and the subsequent unexpected death of Cox.
The defense called no witnesses and Vallow Daybell did not testify.
Vallow Daybell is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the July 2019 death of her husband Charles Vallow in a separate case in Arizona.
In a statement released to CBS News Friday afternoon, the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office said it has notified authorities in Idaho of its “intent to prosecute the defendant in Arizona on charges arising from these filings “.
After his sentencing in Idaho, the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office will begin extradition proceedings, noting that these could take “a few weeks to a few months.”
— Kris Van Cleave contributed to this report.
