With the infamous “Doomsday Mom” about to enter a courtroom in Arizona, Lori Vallow discussed her choice to represent herself in her current murder proceedings.
Vallow is acting as her own attorney as she confronts conspiracy to commit murder charges linked to the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, from Maricopa County.
“I'm fighting for my life here,” Vallow stated. Interview True Crime Arizona.
“Doomsday Cult Mom” requests the court to prohibit cameras during future murder trials
Lori Vallow Daybell was seen at a ruling hearing in the Fremont County Courthouse, St. Anthony, Idaho, on July 31, 2023. (Tony Blakeslee/Eastidahonews.com)
In 2019, Vallow’s brother, Alex Cox, fatally shot her husband while Vallow was retrieving the couple’s son from their Phoenix residence.
At that moment, Vallow’s daughter, Tyree, confronted Charles with a baseball bat after hearing Vallow’s screams inside the home. Tyree’s bat was allegedly taken from her by Charles. Cox informed investigators he shot in self-defense and faced no charges regarding Charles’ death before he passed away from natural causes months later.
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“It's a tragedy, and there's a tragedy in the family,” Vallow expressed in Arizona. “Circumstances led to a tragic domino effect in my life, which is deeply sorrowful.”
Prosecutors contend that Vallow “informed Cox that at least one of them would partake in actions that would qualify as first-degree murder.” As per the June 2021 indictment.
Both advisory counsels, from the prosecution and Vallow, did not reply promptly to Fox News Digital’s request for a statement.
“Doomsday Mom’ Lori Vallow has undergone mental health evaluations before the second murder trial
Lori Vallow is seen in a mugshot taken following her conviction for the Idaho murders. (Madison County Sheriff)
Vallow is opting to represent herself as her trial is set to start on Monday.
“I'm not a lawyer nor trained to be one,” Vallow told True Crime Arizona. “I realized something when I arrived at this prison. This ordeal has spanned five years. I have gone through a full trial in other states, and now I am in Arizona to confront more severe allegations.”
High-profile defendants taking on self-representation are not uncommon and can introduce a degree of unpredictability in courts that are already scrutinized by the public.
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“I'll give this [Vallow] credit; she depends on previous cases, and since she is already sentenced to life in Idaho, she has little to lose.
When questioned in Arizona about the “public perceptions” related to her choice of self-representation as “having nothing to lose,” and if it is a “challenge, show, game” for her, Vallow dismissed the notion.
“I am in a room where I don’t hear such things. [For] You can’t get any news or external information for 23 hours a day. Truly,” Vallow remarked.
Lori Vallow’s Verdict: Idaho Judge claims “Cult Mom” “shows no remorse.”
Investigators searched for human remains at Chad Daybell’s residence in Salem, Idaho, on June 9, 2020. (John Roark/After Idaho registration)
Vallow’s upcoming trial occurs nearly two years following an Idaho judge’s decision to imprison her for the murders of her children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow, aged 7, and 16.
Daybell was also found guilty of three murder charges and sentenced to death.
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Vallow asserts that she is prepared for the trial and has been “dedicating time to my case for five years,” claiming to “understand my case better than any lawyer could grasp in two years.”
“It’s now happening. If you delay a swift trial, they can keep you here indefinitely,” Vallow told True Crime Arizona. “I’m an intelligent, strong, beautiful woman who has endured eight years due to family tragedy. It’s similar in my situation; it’s not just family tragedy, but crime. It’s a family tragedy waiting to be addressed, with the looming death penalty hanging over my family.”
