A jury of 16 folks has been chosen to determine the destiny of Lori Vallow Daybell at her murder conspiracy trial in Arizona.
The 51-year-old often called the “Doomsday Mother” has already been convicted and sentenced to life in jail in Idaho for killing her two youngsters and conspiring to kill her husband’s first spouse.
Now, she is on trial in Maricopa County for the July 2019 taking pictures dying of her ex-husband, Charles Vallow. Solely this time, she is representing himself.
Jury choice started on Monday and by the tip of the subsequent day, all 16 jurors — 13 males and three girls — have been chosen and sworn in. Twelve can be seated, and 4 can be alternates.
Whereas questioning the potential jurors on Tuesday, Vallow advised the jury their function was to guard her from the state.
“You’re principally right here to guard me from the state,” Vallow stated. “The prosecution is the state, the decide is the state and regulation enforcement is the state, so it’s all of them towards me.”
When Treena Kay of the Maricopa County Legal professional’s Workplace objected, Decide Justin Beresky clarified that the jury’s function was to not shield a defendant however to find out whether or not the state had confirmed its case.
All through the questioning, Vallow repeatedly requested if they’d have bother discovering her harmless if she didn’t testify.
“Would anyone have an issue with the truth that if … I don’t inform any of my facet of the story?” she requested. “In the event that they didn’t show that I dedicated against the law in any respect, would anyone say, ‘Effectively, I can’t discover you harmless till you inform me what occurred?’”
Not one of the jurors stated they’d.
Vallow additionally requested the pool of potential jurors whether or not they could possibly be sturdy sufficient to face up towards the others.
“Might you be sturdy sufficient if the opposite 11 folks didn’t assume that — to face your floor?” she requested. “That’s exhausting. That might be exhausting for me.”
When the state posed their questions, Treena Kay requested the potential jurors if they’d give Vallow extra leeway as a result of she was defending herself. Nobody stated they’d.
Whereas the convicted killer often wears a vibrant orange jail jumpsuit, handcuffs and shackles when showing in court docket, she’s going to have the ability to put on civilian garments and be restraint free for her trial, the decide beforehand dominated.
Vallow has, nonetheless, been ordered to put on a stun belt. If she tries to flee, she might get a shock, the decide’s order stated. Deputies will even be positioned outdoors the courtroom exits.
That is the primary of two trials Vallow faces in Arizona.
Vallow, who has pleaded not responsible to the fees, will face trial for conspiracy to commit homicide within the dying of Charles Vallow in addition to conspiracy to homicide her niece’s estranged husband Brandon Boudreaux after he narrowly escaped a drive-by taking pictures. He was not harmed. The 2 instances can be tried individually after which she can be returned to Idaho to complete out her three life sentences.
On Tuesday, Decide Beresky went over jury directions, explaining the definition of conspiracy to commit homicide and stated that the cost requires proof that Vallow meant to encourage or support in first-degree homicide and that both she or her brother Alex Cox deliberate to hold it out. Cox, who died in December 2019, claimed he shot Charles Vallow in self-defense.
Charles’ dying was step one in a wider plot by Vallow and her present husband, alleged cult chief Chad Daybell, to rid their lives of “obstacles,” which means their spouses and her youngsters, in line with textual content message proof offered at her trial final yr for the murders of younger JJ and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan.
In Might 2023, Vallow was discovered responsible of the youngsters’s murders and of conspiring to kill her husband’s former spouse, Tammy Daybell. Daybell was convicted of the identical three murders in 2024 and obtained the death penalty.
Vallow’s trial in Arizona will resume on April 7 with opening statements.
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