Latest news with #LoriVallowDaybell
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Lori Vallow Daybell stoked tensions with judge in her Arizona murder conspiracy trials
Lori Vallow Daybell Arizona PHOENIX (AP) — Moments before the Idaho mother with doomsday beliefs was given two more life sentences in prison, she complained about jail conditions and the legal system, saying the rules of evidence do not allow two sides of the story. Judge Justin Beresky abruptly interrupted, saying: 'Actually, they do.' It was a moment that further highlighted the tension between Lori Vallow Daybell, who represented herself in two murder conspiracy cases in Arizona, and Beresky, who pulled no punches when the time came for him to address the court. Beresky said Vallow Daybell was not truthful when she claimed she was prevented from telling her side of the story and was unable to get a fair trial. The media attention she craved, he said, will fade into obscurity now that her trials are over. 'The amount of contemplation, calculation, planning and manipulation that went into these crimes is unparalleled in my career,' said Beresky, who has been a Maricopa County Superior Court judge since 2017 and has presided over other high-profile cases. Friday's sentencing ended the legal saga of Vallow Daybell, 51, who will likely spend no time in an Arizona prison because she already was serving three life sentences in Idaho for killing her two youngest children and conspiring to kill a romantic rival. In Arizona she was convicted of conspiring to kill her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, and her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Charles Vallow was fatally shot, while Boudreaux survived. Vallow Daybell maintained that she did nothing wrong and said the string of deaths were simply tragedies. She turned to her own religious beliefs in saying she believes she is among servants who Jesus is sending into prison to become warriors and who, ultimately, will be released to serve him. Beresky implied that she got the meaning wrong when she referenced a verse about prisoners going free. 'That is a verse about people that accept Jesus can be in prison and they will go free when they die and go to heaven, but it will take an act of God for you to go free,' the judge said. 'In short, you should never be released from prison.' Vallow Daybell's trials in Phoenix were infused with her religious beliefs, including that people in her life were possessed by evil spirits. She routinely sparred with Beresky, occasionally leaning over to consult with her advisory counsel. Charles Vallow's sister, Kay Woodcock, praised the judge's demeanor outside the courtroom. 'I don't think we could have had a better judge," she said. "He is a better man than a lot of people putting up with her like he did.' Mel McDonald, a retired Maricopa County judge who was not involved in the trials but watched them, said Beresky did an exceptional job of maintaining courtroom decorum and demonstrated extraordinary patience despite obstructive tactics from Vallow Daybell. 'He gives her latitude,' McDonald said. 'But he doesn't let her run wild.' Last month, during the trial over the conspiracy to kill Boudreaux, Vallow Daybell falsely accused Beresky of yelling at her after he explained that her efforts to introduce favorable evidence about her character could open the door to jurors hearing about her convictions in Idaho and for Vallow's death. 'You don't need to talk to me that way," Vallow Daybell said. 'Take her out,' Beresky told a security officer, who led her from the courtroom. In defending herself, Vallow Daybell struggled with legal matters that most lawyers consider routine, such as lining up witnesses to testify. She insisted on exercising her speedy trial rights and rejected the judge's offer for later dates, yet complained about not having enough time to prepare. She also tried to get Beresky removed from the case, arguing that he was biased against her. In another moment emblematic of the tensions between judge and defendant, Beresky expressed skepticism during jury selection for her second Arizona trial when she claimed she was too sick to move forward. The proceedings were postponed for the day. But the trial continued, with Beresky later saying there was no objective evidence to support her claims. ___ Associated Press writers Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix contributed.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
‘Doomsday' killer Lori Vallow Daybell receives two more life sentences
Lori Vallow Daybell, an Idaho woman already convicted of the murders of her two youngest children, received two further life sentences for conspiring to murder her fourth husband and the niece of her ex-husband. The sentences, announced Friday, follow two separate trials in Arizona this year and bring an end to the legal cases against Vallow Day, who was convicted in Idaho in 2023 of murdering her 7-year-old son, JJ Vallow, and her daughter, Tylee Ryan, who was almost 17. She had also been found guilty of conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, the first wife of her husband Chad Daybell. An author of self-published apocalyptic novels, Chad Daybell was convicted last year of all three murders and sentenced to death. Prosecutors alleged that the couple justified the killings through 'doomsday' religious beliefs and bizarre ideas about cleansing 'zombie' spirits. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Justin Beresky told Vallow Daybell at her sentencing Friday that she should 'never be released from prison.' 'You've not victimized just a single victim, but many. You've shattered lives,' he said. 'The amount of contemplation, calculation, planning, manipulation that went into these crimes is unparalleled in my career,' Beresky added. Vallow Daybell's fourth husband, Charles Vallow, was fatally shot in July 2019. The couple were estranged at the time. Vallow Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, told police that he acted in self-defense, according to records published by KUTV in Salt Lake City. Cox had not been charged in the killing before he died in December 2019. But prosecutors said Vallow Daybell was motivated by her husband's $1 million life insurance policy and her wish to marry Chad Daybell. Adam Cox, the brother of Vallow Daybell and Alex Cox, testified during the trial that he believed his sister was behind Vallow's killing; she was convicted in April. The second trial involved the alleged attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, the former husband of Vallow Daybell's niece, who was shot at from a vehicle in October 2019. His former wife, Melani Pawlowski, had been attending religious meetings with her aunt and suggested that they stockpile food for the end of the world, Boudreaux said earlier in the trial, the AP reported. In both cases, prosecutor Treena Kay said in court Friday, Vallow Daybell 'twisted religion and fashioned it as a justification for her actions. The reality is that this defendant is the same as every other murder defendant.' Kay argued that Vallow Daybell was motivated by money in the attack on Boudreaux, as she said it was with Charles Vallow. But in this case, the beneficiary would have been her niece. In court Friday, Boudreaux spoke of the impact of the shooting and said he was scared to live with his children for months after he was shot at. 'The betrayal by someone connected to my family has left me battling overwhelming emotions over the years. I felt fear, paranoia,' he said. 'I lived with constant vigilance, loneliness, regret, sadness, depression, anger, heartache and embarrassment.' Boudreaux said that he had decided to forgive Vallow Daybell but that he had 'never seen any remorse or acknowledgment from Lori or any of her conspirators.' Vallow Daybell, who represented herself at both trials, gave a rambling statement to the court in which she did not admit any wrongdoing, saying: 'Losing those close to you is painful, and I acknowledge all of the pain and I do empathize. I feel it, too. If I was accountable for these crimes, I would acknowledge it and I would let you know how sorry I was.' Vallow Daybell's son Colby Ryan told the court Friday that Charles Vallow 'cared for his family. He took care of our family and he made sure we had a good life. He was a very generous man.' 'Not only are my father, sister and brother gone, but so is my mother,' he said, adding that he had to 'fight to stay alive after the pain. There are no words for what I've experienced, and I had to choose to fight and stay alive'
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Lori Vallow Daybell stoked tensions with judge in her Arizona murder conspiracy trials
Moments before the Idaho mother with doomsday beliefs was given two more life sentences in prison, she complained about jail conditions and the legal system, saying the rules of evidence do not allow two sides of the story. Judge Justin Beresky abruptly interrupted, saying: 'Actually, they do.' It was a moment that further highlighted the tension between Lori Vallow Daybell, who represented herself in two murder conspiracy cases in Arizona, and Beresky, who pulled no punches when the time came for him to address the court. Beresky said Vallow Daybell was not truthful when she claimed she was prevented from telling her side of the story and was unable to get a fair trial. The media attention she craved, he said, will fade into obscurity now that her trials are over. 'The amount of contemplation, calculation, planning, and manipulation that went into these crimes is unparalleled in my career,' said Beresky, who has been a Maricopa County Superior Court judge since 2017 and has presided over other high-profile cases. Friday's sentencing ended the legal saga of Vallow Daybell, 51, who will likely spend no time in an Arizona prison because she already was serving three life sentences in Idaho for killing her two youngest children and conspiring to kill a romantic rival. In Arizona, she was convicted of conspiring to kill her estranged husband Charles Vallow and her niece's ex-husband Brandon Boudreaux. Charles Vallow was fatally shot, while Boudreaux survived. Vallow Daybell maintained that she did nothing wrong and said the string of deaths were simply tragedies. She turned to her own religious beliefs in saying she believes she is among servants who Jesus is sending into prison to become warriors and who ultimately will be released to serve him. Beresky implied that she got the meaning wrong when she referenced a verse about prisoners going free. 'That is a verse about people that accept Jesus can be in prison and they will go free when they die and go to heaven, but it will take an act of God for you to go free,' the judge said. 'In short, you should never be released from prison.' Vallow Daybell's trials in Phoenix were infused with her religious beliefs, including that people in her life were possessed by evil spirits. She routinely sparred with Beresky, occasionally leaning over to consult with her advisory counsel. Charles Vallow's sister Kay Woodcock praised the judge's demeanor outside the courtroom. 'I don't think we could have had a better judge,' she said. 'He is a better man than a lot of people putting up with her like he did.' Mel McDonald, a retired Maricopa County judge who was not involved in the trials but watched them, said Beresky did an exceptional job of maintaining courtroom decorum and demonstrated extraordinary patience despite obstructive tactics from Vallow Daybell. 'He gives her latitude,' McDonald said. 'But he doesn't let her run wild.' Last month during the trial over the conspiracy to kill Boudreaux, Vallow Daybell falsely accused Beresky of yelling at her after he explained that her efforts to introduce favorable evidence about her character could open the door to jurors hearing about her convictions in Idaho and for Vallow's death. 'You don't need to talk to me that way,' Vallow Daybell said. 'Take her out,' Beresky told a security officer who led her from the courtroom. In defending herself, Vallow Daybell struggled with legal matters that most lawyers consider routine, such as lining up witnesses to testify. She insisted on exercising her speedy trial rights and rejected the judge's offer for later dates, yet complained about not having enough time to prepare. She also tried to get Beresky removed from the case, arguing that he was biased against her. In another moment emblematic of the tensions between judge and defendant, Beresky expressed skepticism during jury selection for her second Arizona trial when she claimed she was too sick to move forward. The proceedings were postponed for the day, but the trial continued with Beresky later saying there was no objective evidence to support her claims.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Lori Vallow Daybell stoked tensions with judge in her Arizona murder conspiracy trials
Moments before the Idaho mother with doomsday beliefs was given two more life sentences in prison, she complained about jail conditions and the legal system, saying the rules of evidence do not allow two sides of the story. Judge Justin Beresky abruptly interrupted, saying: 'Actually, they do.' It was a moment that further highlighted the tension between Lori Vallow Daybell, who represented herself in two murder conspiracy cases in Arizona, and Beresky, who pulled no punches when the time came for him to address the court. Beresky said Vallow Daybell was not truthful when she claimed she was prevented from telling her side of the story and was unable to get a fair trial. The media attention she craved, he said, will fade into obscurity now that her trials are over. 'The amount of contemplation, calculation, planning and manipulation that went into these crimes is unparalleled in my career,' said Beresky, who has been a Maricopa County Superior Court judge since 2017 and has presided over other high-profile cases. Friday's sentencing ended the legal saga of Vallow Daybell, 51, who will likely spend no time in an Arizona prison because she already was serving three life sentences in Idaho for killing her two youngest children and conspiring to kill a romantic rival. In Arizona she was convicted of conspiring to kill her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, and her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Charles Vallow was fatally shot, while Boudreaux survived. Vallow Daybell maintained that she did nothing wrong and said the string of deaths were simply tragedies. She turned to her own religious beliefs in saying she believes she is among servants who Jesus is sending into prison to become warriors and who, ultimately, will be released to serve him. Beresky implied that she got the meaning wrong when she referenced a verse about prisoners going free. 'That is a verse about people that accept Jesus can be in prison and they will go free when they die and go to heaven, but it will take an act of God for you to go free,' the judge said. 'In short, you should never be released from prison.' Vallow Daybell's trials in Phoenix were infused with her religious beliefs, including that people in her life were possessed by evil spirits. She routinely sparred with Beresky, occasionally leaning over to consult with her advisory counsel. Charles Vallow's sister, Kay Woodcock, praised the judge's demeanor outside the courtroom. 'I don't think we could have had a better judge," she said. "He is a better man than a lot of people putting up with her like he did.' Mel McDonald, a retired Maricopa County judge who was not involved in the trials but watched them, said Beresky did an exceptional job of maintaining courtroom decorum and demonstrated extraordinary patience despite obstructive tactics from Vallow Daybell. 'He gives her latitude,' McDonald said. 'But he doesn't let her run wild.' Last month, during the trial over the conspiracy to kill Boudreaux, Vallow Daybell falsely accused Beresky of yelling at her after he explained that her efforts to introduce favorable evidence about her character could open the door to jurors hearing about her convictions in Idaho and for Vallow's death. 'You don't need to talk to me that way," Vallow Daybell said. 'Take her out,' Beresky told a security officer, who led her from the courtroom. In defending herself, Vallow Daybell struggled with legal matters that most lawyers consider routine, such as lining up witnesses to testify. She insisted on exercising her speedy trial rights and rejected the judge's offer for later dates, yet complained about not having enough time to prepare. She also tried to get Beresky removed from the case, arguing that he was biased against her. In another moment emblematic of the tensions between judge and defendant, Beresky expressed skepticism during jury selection for her second Arizona trial when she claimed she was too sick to move forward. The proceedings were postponed for the day. But the trial continued, with Beresky later saying there was no objective evidence to support her claims. ___ Associated Press writers Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix contributed.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Associated Press
Lori Vallow Daybell stoked tensions with judge in her Arizona murder conspiracy trials
PHOENIX (AP) — Moments before the Idaho mother with doomsday beliefs was given two more life sentences in prison, she complained about jail conditions and the legal system, saying the rules of evidence do not allow two sides of the story. Judge Justin Beresky abruptly interrupted, saying: 'Actually, they do.' It was a moment that further highlighted the tension between Lori Vallow Daybell, who represented herself in two murder conspiracy cases in Arizona, and Beresky, who pulled no punches when the time came for him to address the court. Beresky said Vallow Daybell was not truthful when she claimed she was prevented from telling her side of the story and was unable to get a fair trial. The media attention she craved, he said, will fade into obscurity now that her trials are over. 'The amount of contemplation, calculation, planning and manipulation that went into these crimes is unparalleled in my career,' said Beresky, who has been a Maricopa County Superior Court judge since 2017 and has presided over other high-profile cases. Friday's sentencing ended the legal saga of Vallow Daybell, 51, who will likely spend no time in an Arizona prison because she already was serving three life sentences in Idaho for killing her two youngest children and conspiring to kill a romantic rival. In Arizona she was convicted of conspiring to kill her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, and her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Charles Vallow was fatally shot, while Boudreaux survived. Vallow Daybell maintained that she did nothing wrong and said the string of deaths were simply tragedies. She turned to her own religious beliefs in saying she believes she is among servants who Jesus is sending into prison to become warriors and who, ultimately, will be released to serve him. Beresky implied that she got the meaning wrong when she referenced a verse about prisoners going free. 'That is a verse about people that accept Jesus can be in prison and they will go free when they die and go to heaven, but it will take an act of God for you to go free,' the judge said. 'In short, you should never be released from prison.' Vallow Daybell's trials in Phoenix were infused with her religious beliefs, including that people in her life were possessed by evil spirits. She routinely sparred with Beresky, occasionally leaning over to consult with her advisory counsel. Charles Vallow's sister, Kay Woodcock, praised the judge's demeanor outside the courtroom. 'I don't think we could have had a better judge,' she said. 'He is a better man than a lot of people putting up with her like he did.' Mel McDonald, a retired Maricopa County judge who was not involved in the trials but watched them, said Beresky did an exceptional job of maintaining courtroom decorum and demonstrated extraordinary patience despite obstructive tactics from Vallow Daybell. 'He gives her latitude,' McDonald said. 'But he doesn't let her run wild.' Last month, during the trial over the conspiracy to kill Boudreaux, Vallow Daybell falsely accused Beresky of yelling at her after he explained that her efforts to introduce favorable evidence about her character could open the door to jurors hearing about her convictions in Idaho and for Vallow's death. 'You don't need to talk to me that way,' Vallow Daybell said. 'Take her out,' Beresky told a security officer, who led her from the courtroom. In defending herself, Vallow Daybell struggled with legal matters that most lawyers consider routine, such as lining up witnesses to testify. She insisted on exercising her speedy trial rights and rejected the judge's offer for later dates, yet complained about not having enough time to prepare. She also tried to get Beresky removed from the case, arguing that he was biased against her. In another moment emblematic of the tensions between judge and defendant, Beresky expressed skepticism during jury selection for her second Arizona trial when she claimed she was too sick to move forward. The proceedings were postponed for the day. But the trial continued, with Beresky later saying there was no objective evidence to support her claims. ___ Associated Press writers Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix contributed.
