Lori Vallow Daybell, infamously known as the “Doomsday mom,” has been declared mentally competent to stand trial in Arizona, marking a new chapter in the ongoing legal saga surrounding her and the deaths of her former husband and niece’s ex-husband. This ruling comes after a Rule 11 evaluation, a standard procedure to assess mental competency, where doctors concluded that Vallow Daybell, 51, is mentally fit to proceed with the trial. The state of Arizona did not contest this finding, paving the way for legal proceedings to move forward with a status conference scheduled for Friday.
This development is significant as Vallow Daybell is already serving a life sentence without parole in Idaho for the murders of her two youngest children, Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, and Tammy Daybell, the former wife of her current husband, Chad Daybell. Chad Daybell himself has received the death penalty for the same heinous crimes. Now, Vallow Daybell faces additional charges in Arizona, accused of orchestrating the murder of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, her niece’s former husband.
The question of Lori Vallow Daybell’s mental competency has been a recurring theme throughout her legal battles. Prior to this Arizona ruling, similar concerns arose during her Idaho murder trial. In June 2021, she was initially deemed incompetent to stand trial, resulting in a 10-month stay at an Idaho mental health facility for treatment. Following this period, she was declared fit to proceed, although her trial faced another brief pause in 2022 due to renewed questions about her mental state. Ultimately, the court determined she was competent to continue with the proceedings in Idaho, which led to her conviction and life sentence.
In a November 2024 hearing, Judge questioned Vallow Daybell about her time at the Idaho mental health facility and the evaluations she underwent. Vallow Daybell mentioned “competency classes” and numerous meetings with “doctors and evaluators.” Her attorney, Pamela Hicks, objected to her publicly disclosing details of her diagnosis from the Idaho facility, highlighting the sensitive nature of her mental health information.
The backdrop to these legal proceedings is the disturbing context of Vallow Daybell’s beliefs and actions. She and Chad Daybell, a self-published author of Doomsday-focused fiction, engaged in an affair while both were involved in what has been described as a “Doomsday cult.” This group shared apocalyptic religious beliefs that heavily influenced their actions. Prosecutors in the Idaho case presented evidence suggesting that the couple conspired to murder Vallow Daybell’s children and Chad Daybell’s wife to eliminate obstacles to their relationship, fueled by their extreme religious ideologies.
A psychiatric assessment conducted in February 2023 revealed that Vallow Daybell was suffering from a “delusional disorder” combined with “hyper-religiosity” and an “unspecified personality disorder” exhibiting narcissistic traits. Evidence presented during the Idaho trials detailed their belief system centered around “light” and “dark” souls. Vallow Daybell reportedly believed that evil spirits had possessed individuals in her life, including her own children, transforming them into “zombies.”
With the Arizona trial now set to proceed, the focus will likely remain on the details surrounding the deaths of Charles Vallow and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux. However, Lori Vallow Daybell’s mental state and the potential influence of her diagnosed “delusional disorder” and extreme religious beliefs will undoubtedly continue to be a significant aspect of this case, as they were in the Idaho proceedings. The legal journey of the “Doomsday mom” is far from over, and the intricacies of her mental health will remain a central point of examination as justice seeks to be served in Arizona.
