'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow Daybell to be sentenced again
Lori Vallow Daybell, the Idaho woman serving life in prison for the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival, is set to be sentenced July 25 for conspiring to kill her estranged husband and attempting to murder her niece's ex-husband.
Vallow Daybell, often referred to as "Doomsday mom" because of the apocalyptic beliefs that fueled her string of grisly murders, was previously convicted for the murder of her former husband, Charles Vallow, and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux in 2019.
She is already serving multiple life sentences in Idaho for the 2019 murders of her children, Joshua 'J.J.' Vallow and Tylee Ryan, along with the killing of her current husband's former wife, Tammy Daybell.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty of conspiracy to murder and attempted murder by two separate Arizona juries earlier this year.
Prosecutors alleged Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, believed an apocalypse was imminent and people around them were evil zombies. They accused Vallow Daybell of manipulating her brother and husband, Chad Daybell, into carrying out the crimes to cash in on Social Security benefits and a life insurance policy.
Prosecutors asked for life sentences in both Arizona cases, citing Vallow Daybell's prior convictions, the emotional toll on victims' families and alleged financial motives behind the killing of Charles Vallow. After sentencing, she is expected to be transferred back to Idaho to serve out her sentence.
The murders of Charles Vallow and Brandon Boudreaux
Vallow Daybell met her current husband, Chad Daybell, in 2018 at a religious conference in Utah. The pair bonded over their shared religious beliefs, including that an apocalyptic doomsday would soon be arriving.
Shortly after, in 2019, Charles Vallow filed for divorce, claiming that his wife had threatened to kill him and believed she was a godlike figure preparing for the second coming of Christ.
Vallow was shot at Vallow Daybell's rental home in Chandler, Arizona, in July 2019. Months later, her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, was shot at while driving in Gilbert, Arizona. The shooting was later tied to Vallow Daybell's brother who had begun to share her apocalyptic beliefs.
The murders of Joshua Vallow, Tylee Ryan and Tammy Daybell
Vallow Daybell moved in September 2019 with her children to the small Idaho town where Chad Daybell lived with his then-wife, Tammy Daybell. Weeks after the move, Tammy Daybell was found dead of asphyxiation.
Relatives of Vallow Daybell soon after reported to police that they had not seen her children.
Vallow Daybell was arrested in February 2020 in Hawaii, where she and Chad Daybell got married, on child abandonment counts. She was extradited to Idaho, and in early June, authorities found the bodies of her children buried on Chad Daybell's property.
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Crooks threaten deportation or offer immigration help The AARP Fraud Watch Network has heard plenty of complaints about government impersonation scams this summer, including crooks impersonating the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. One woman received an unexpected call, supposedly from the Federal Trade Commission, to tell her that a package was stopped at the border and she'd need to pay money to receive it, according to AARP's Amy Nofziger. In another case, Nofziger said, an online shopper ordered decorations made of walnut shells but kept being told the box was rejected at customs. The woman's debit card was charged $31.72 and then $141.31, and then $89.95 for this order. She realized it had to be a scam from the start. Another caller reported an extortion scam where impersonators are threatening her with deportation because she is not a documented citizen, Nofziger said. The con artists aren't even in the United States. But they are threatening that if she doesn't pay the $5,000 that she supposedly owes that they will go after her nephew who is a soldier and other family members until she pays. Not surprisingly, the woman being targeted by the scams was extremely frightened. Another consumer was sent a package that included a $385 cost for renewing her green card, known as a permanent resident card. She gave her credit card and a copy of the front and back of her green card. She then found out it was a scam. Another caller, a case worker, was assisting two separate individuals who were defrauded by con artists impersonating immigration attorneys via Facebook and WhatsApp. The individuals paid $13,400 and $36,000 to the scammers for their immigration cases. "Turns out the scammers were not attorneys," Nofziger said, "and they lost their money." The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services warns online that some businesses and websites pretend to be immigration experts or say they have special connections to the government. "They might also 'guarantee' that you can get a visa, Green Card, or work permit faster if you pay a fee," according to the agency. But it's a scam. Elaborate immigration scams, according to an alert from the Federal Trade Commission, can start with someone impersonating attorneys and law firms, offering immigration services through posts on Facebook and other platforms. The service reportedly offers to help you with immigration paperwork. The consumer is often then asked to send money using Western Union or Zelle. In return, the con artists claim they'll supposedly get you an appointment with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS. "People who paid report having virtual appointments on Zoom or WhatsApp with a 'USCIS officer' in uniform — all part of the scam," according to an FTC alert issued in December 2024. "The truth? Some immigration proceedings are now virtual, but applicants get their appointments by mail or through their 'myUSCIS' account, never on messenger apps," according to the FTC. Nofziger, who is director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network, said government impersonation scams have been ongoing for years. Often, the scammers will frighten someone into thinking that they must act quickly or suffer some serious consequences. The AARP network's phone number is 877-908-3360 to get help spotting a scam. In some of these scams involving a package stopped at customs, Nofziger said, the con artists will claim that the package contained drugs, guns or pornography. The message is that you'd have to pay immediately to avoid being arrested. "There's fear around being stopped at the border at U.S. Customs," Nofziger said. News headlines are filled with stories associated with the federal government crackdown on immigration, as well as efforts by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to seize cocaine and ketamine shipments. Con artists re-activate their scams based on what's trending in the news or what's creating confusion for consumers. Why else would seniors receive endless recorded phone calls on Medicare? Nofziger said it's important for consumers to do more research on some of these complex areas, including going to websites like to learn about U.S. residency and citizenship requirements and other issues. also offers warnings about scams, too. "No legitimate lawyer or notary is going to be asking for payment in cryptocurrency via a bitcoin machine. They're not going to be asking for payment via a peer-to-peer app. They're not going to be using scary language," Nofziger said. "I would not seek an attorney off social media." Wise words — the scammers, unfortunately, know how to exploit us. Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@ Follow her on X @tompor.
