Lori Vallow Daybell, the Idaho mother accused of murdering her two children, will not face the death penalty in her upcoming murder trial, a judge has ruled, according to multiple outlets.
Vallow Daybell is facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of her children, 16-year-old Tylee and 7-year-old J.J. She has pleaded not guilty, and last April, she was deemed mentally fit to stand trial.
Vallow Daybell’s husband, Chad Daybell — a self-published author who wrote about religious doomsday scenarios — is facing the same charges, but will have a separate trial.
In the motion to remove the death penalty, Vallow Daybell’s lawyers said that the media attention on this case would possibly contaminate the juror pool and called Vallow Daybell a “mentally ill person.”
Vallow Daybell and Daybell are both also facing a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the death of Chad Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, the Deseret News reports. Daybell has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Vallow Daybell was also indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder in connection with the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, according to the outlet.
Four months after the shooting death of Charles and two weeks after the mysterious death of Tammy, Vallow Daybell and Daybell married on Nov. 5, 2019.
Shortly after today’s ruling, prosecutors in this case — Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood and Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsay Blake — released a joint statement, the East Idaho News reports.
“While we are disappointed and respectfully disagree with today’s decision, we will continue to vigorously pursue justice for Tammy, Tylee and JJ,” the statement reads.
J.J. and Tylee were reported missing in November 2019 by the grandparents of J.J., which set in motion a review of several mysterious deaths in Vallow Daybell and Daybell’s pasts.
The couple quickly became the targets of police scrutiny, but before authorities could execute a search warrant on their home in Rexburg, Idaho, police said the couple fled, only to be located without the kids two months later in Kaua’i, Hawaii.
The last known image of Tylee was taken Sept. 8, 2019, while she was on a day trip to Yellowstone National Park with her mother, brother and Vallow’s brother Alex Cox, according to a court filing. J.J., who had an autism diagnosis, was last seen Sept. 23, 2019 at his Rexburg school before Vallow withdrew him and told the principal she was considering home-schooling.
The remains of J.J. and Tylee were found on June 9, 2020, on Daybell’s Idaho property. J.J. was wrapped in plastic and bound by duct tape; Tylee was dismembered and burned, the East Idaho News reported, citing court documents.
Vallow Daybell’s trial is expected to begin on April 3.
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