Lori Vallow Daybell has been convicted of conspiring to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in a case steeped in apocalyptic religious beliefs and financial motives. An Arizona jury delivered the guilty verdict Tuesday after just three hours of deliberations, capping a trial where the self-represented defendant called no witnesses and maintained the shooting was self-defense by her late brother, Alex Cox.
Prosecutors argued Daybell orchestrated Charles' killing to collect his $1 million life insurance policy and marry Chad Daybell, her current husband and co-conspirator in separate child murder cases. Jurors heard testimony that Daybell labeled Charles a "zombie" possessed by an evil spirit, using their fringe religious ideology to justify the homicide.
The verdict marks another legal blow for Daybell, already serving life sentences in Idaho for murdering her children Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow, and conspiring to kill Chad's first wife Tammy Daybell. Sentencing in the Arizona case will occur after a separate trial addressing conspiracy charges related to an attempted hit on her niece's ex-husband.
Courtroom observers noted Daybell's unusual defense strategy, which included cross-examining witnesses but offering no exculpatory evidence. "This was a tragedy, not a crime," she told jurors during closing arguments, despite prosecutors highlighting suspicious financial transfers and apocalyptic text messages.
