Lori Vallow Daybell, the so-called "Doomsday Mom" already convicted of killing her two children, told an Arizona jury that a "family tragedy is not a crime" as she faces trial for the murder of her fourth husband.
The trial stems from a July 2019 incident in Chandler, Arizona, where Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, ABC News reported.
Cox claimed self-defense at the time, but prosecutors now allege it was a calculated killing orchestrated by Daybell to cash in on a $1 million life insurance policy and be free to marry her current husband, doomsday author Chad Daybell.
Lori, 51, has already been convicted of murdering her children, 7-year-old J.J. Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, whose remains were found in 2020 on Chad Daybell's Idaho property.
On April 1, during opening statements in the Maricopa County courtroom, prosecutors argued that Charles Vallow's death was not self-defense, but murder disguised as such, citing text messages, emails and testimony as evidence.
They claim Lori used her apocalyptic religious beliefs to justify the killing, allegedly telling her brother that Charles was possessed by a demon named "Ned" and had to be eliminated.
Representing herself, Lori pushed back emotionally, insisting that the shooting was a tragic but defensive response during a chaotic struggle sparked by Charles's aggression. She claimed her daughter Tylee intervened with a bat to protect her and that Charles chased her through the house with it before Alex fatally shot him.
Lori Vallow makes her OWN opening statement and WOW. pic.twitter.com/fN0HRYImnO
— Lawyer You Know (@LawyerYouKnow) April 8, 2025
The trial, expected to run through mid-May, will include phone records, witness testimony and a closer examination of Lori and Chad Daybell's communications. Prosecutors aim to prove a clear financial and ideological motive, while Lori continues to claim the events were misinterpreted family tragedy.
"Self-defense is not a crime," Lori told the court. "A family tragedy is not a crime, it's a tragedy."
The 51-year-old faces additional charges in Arizona, including conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. She is already serving a life sentence without parole for the Idaho murders.
Chad Daybell, convicted in a separate trial, awaits execution on death row.
