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\u201cCult mom\u201d Lori Vallow will now spend the rest of her life behind bars for the murders of her two youngest children and conspiracy to kill her new husband Chad Daybell\u2019s first wife, bringing some sort of conclusion to the disturbing case that shook America to its core. <\/p>\n
The 50-year-old convicted killer \u2013 who was once seen to be a loving mother \u2013 was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in Fremont County Courthouse in Idaho on Monday after her victims\u2019 devastated family members gave heartwrenching victim impact statements to the court and Vallow herself gave a bizarre statement claiming that her victims were \u201chappy\u201d in heaven.<\/p>\n
Vallow was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua \u201cJJ\u201d Vallow, 7, back in May.<\/p>\n
She was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Mr Daybell\u2019s first wife Tammy, 49.<\/p>\n
Judge Steven Boyce handed down five sentences of life without the possibility of parole for each of the five murder charges. <\/p>\n
She was sentenced to 10 years for one count of grand theft.<\/p>\n
This marks the harshest possible sentence after the death penalty was taken off the table ahead of trial.<\/p>\n
JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to both authorities and the children\u2019s desperate family members.<\/p>\n
One month later, Tammy \u2013 an otherwise healthy 49-year-old \u2013 also died suddenly. Her death was initially ruled natural causes.<\/p>\n
This bizarre spate of disappearances and death came just months after Vallow\u2019s fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by Vallow\u2019s brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019.<\/p>\n
With Vallow\u2019s children and both of their spouses then out of the way, she and Mr Daybell embarked on a new life together \u2013 flying to Hawaii to get married in a fairytale wedding on the beach.<\/p>\n
But, with months passing since the last signs of life of Vallow\u2019s children, concerns continued to grow, prompting authorities to exhume Tammy\u2019s body. A subsequent autopsy revealed that she had died by asphyxiation.<\/p>\n
In June 2020 \u2013 nine months after they were last seen alive \u2013 Tylee and JJ\u2019s remains were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell\u2019s property in Rexburg, Idaho.<\/p>\n
Tylee Ryan and Joshua \u2018JJ\u2019 Vallow<\/p>\n
(Family handout)<\/p>\n
JJ, who had autism, had been smothered with a plastic bag taped over his face, his little body still dressed in a pair of red pyjamas. Tylee\u2019s cause of death meanwhile has been impossible to establish as the teenager\u2019s dismembered, charred bones and body parts were found scattered in the ground on Mr Daybell\u2019s pet cemetery.<\/p>\n
Jurors in Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, took almost seven hours to find Vallow guilty on all charges over the three murders after a grueling six-week trial where the panel heard harrowing details about the doomsday cult mom\u2019s path of deadly destruction and were shown graphic images of the murdered children\u2019s remains.<\/p>\n
The state called over 60 witnesses to lay out its case that Vallow was motivated by both her cult beliefs but also lust for Mr Daybell and financial greed when she conspired with him and her brother Cox to kill the three victims.<\/p>\n
Vallow declined to present any defence and also didn\u2019t take the stand to testify in her own defence.<\/p>\n
At Monday\u2019s sentencing, she then shocked the court by breaking her silence for the first time over the horrific murders.<\/p>\n
In the bizarre statement, the doomsday \u201ccult mom\u201d shockingly claimed that \u201cno one was murdered\u201d, read out a Bible quote, continued to channel her doomsday cult beliefs while claiming \u201cI have had many communications with Jesus Christ\u201d.<\/p>\n
While her victims\u2019 loved ones were forced to listen in horrorr, she claimed that she had communicated with her murdered children Tylee and JJ as well as \u201cher friend\u201d Tammy from beyond the grave \u2013 and that they are \u201cvery happy\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus Christ knows the truth. Jesus Christ knows no one was murdered in this case. Accidental deaths happened. Suicides happened. Fatal side effects of medications happened,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Lori Vallow gives bizarre statement to the court <\/p>\n
(Reuters)<\/p>\n
She claimed that she has had \u201cmany communications\u201d from people in heaven and that \u201cbecause of these communications I know for a fact that my children are happy\u201d and busy in heaven.<\/p>\n
Her bizarre statement came after she was confronted by her victims\u2019 sobbing family members who branded her a \u201cmonster\u201d and described her 1,841-day \u201ccruel campaign of terror\u201d in heartwrenching victim impact statements.<\/p>\n
JJ\u2019s grandmother Kay Woodcock broke down in tears as she said she will \u201cnever understand\u201d how Vallow \u2013 who once appeared to be a caring, loving mother \u2013 could have murdered the son she \u201cchose\u201d to adopt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deplorable woman that chose to be his mother, the woman who five years earlier made the conscious decision to stand in front of a judge and swore to provide for, care, love and protect him,\u201d she sobbed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLori always showed her deepest appreciation that we gave her the greatest gift ever, being JJ,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat same mother murdered [her son]… and I will never understand it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Woodcock is JJ\u2019s biological grandmother and the sister of Vallow\u2019s fourth husband Charles Vallow.<\/p>\n
Lori Vallow in mugshot <\/p>\n
(Madison County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/p>\n
Ms Woodcock began her statement by describing that: \u201cToday marks 1,481 days that have been filled with terror,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne was the day that my brother was murdered.\u201d<\/p>\n
In July 2019, Charles Vallow was shot dead by Vallow\u2019s brother Alex Cox at her home in Arizona. Vallow is currently awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to murder for Charles\u2019 killing in Arizona.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was the beginning of her cruel campaign of terror,\u201d said Ms Woodcock of his death.<\/p>\n
Following Charles Vallow\u2019s murder, Ms Woodcock said that she was fearful for JJ and Tylee\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n
When JJ and Tylee then went missing, she described \u201c319 days\u201d of \u201cpure hell\u201d where she feared the worst \u2013 only for it to be realised when their remains were found in Mr Daybell\u2019s backyard.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing can describe the pure hell of not knowing where the children were,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201c319 days from the last day we were allowed to be able to Facetime with JJ and the day we knew the children had been found, in Chad Daybell\u2019s backyard, buried like animals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tammy\u2019s sister Samantha Gwilliam also took the stand to deliver an emotional victim impact statement where she dismissed Vallow\u2019s doomsday cult beliefs that she and Mr Daybell are \u201cexalted\u201d beings and that their victims were \u201czombies\u201d or \u201cdark spirits\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows what liars you are. They now know what horrible things you have done,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not an exalted being. There is no huge event that is going to save you. No angels are coming to rescue you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, she said that Vallow will now spend her life behind bars.<\/p>\n
Ms Gwilliam also read out a statement from her father Ronald Douglas who spoke of \u201cthe eternal ramifications\u201d of Vallow\u2019s actions on their family.<\/p>\n
As well as taking away Tammy, Vallow\u2019s actions had also torn apart the family that they still have left.<\/p>\n
Listen: Family give emotional impact statements as Lori Vallow sentenced<\/p>\n
Following Tammy\u2019s murder and the chilling revelations that came out over the past three years, Tammy\u2019s mother\u2019s health deteriorated significantly and she passed away.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, Mr Douglas said that the family had also lost their relationship with Tammy and Mr Daybell\u2019s five children \u2013 who he said have believed their father\u2019s lies.<\/p>\n
Sitting slouched cross-legged at the defence table, Vallow kept her head down and refused to look her victims\u2019 devastated family members in the eyes as they gave their emotional impact statements.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors asked the judge to give Vallow the maximum sentence of life in prison on each of the five murder charges, after the death penalty was taken off the table ahead of trial.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Vallow\u2019s attorney asked the judge to give her \u201chope\u201d that the \u201cmost hated woman in America\u201d could one day be free from prison.<\/p>\n
Judge Boyce sided with the state, ordering her to spend the rest of her life behind bars.<\/p>\n
While Vallow will now spend the rest of her life behind bars, her legal troubles are far from over.<\/p>\n
Chad and Tammy Daybell before her death in October 2019<\/p>\n
(Facebook)<\/p>\n
Following her sentencing, she is expected to be extradited to Arizona where she is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow and the attempted murder of her niece\u2019s husband Brandon Boudreaux.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mr Daybell is still awaiting trial for the murders of JJ, Tylee and Tammy \u2013 with a scheduled trial start date set for 1 April 2024.<\/p>\n
But, the third person accused of being a co-conspirator in the case won\u2019t ever have his day in court.<\/p>\n
On 11 December 2019 \u2013 hours after Tammy\u2019s body was exhumed \u2013 Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morningSign up to our free morning US email news bulletin \u201cCult mom\u201d Lori Vallow will now spend the rest of her life behind bars for the murders of her two youngest children and conspiracy to kill her new husband Chad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n