'Cult mom' Lori Vallow sentenced to life in prison for murdering her two children
Anish Vij
Featured Image Credit: Madison County / Natalie Behring/Getty Images
Lori Vallow Daybell has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the killing of two of her children.
Among the charges were grand theft, conspiracy to murder, and first-degree murder, following the deaths of her children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7, and the planned murder of Tammy Daybell, her new husband Chad Daybell's first wife.
Daybell - who was the subject of Netflix documentary Sins of Our Mother - was found guilty for the 2019 deaths of her children.
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Their remains were found on an Idaho property belonging to her husband, after a months-long search.
She was also found guilty of conspiring to kill her husband's first wife Tammy, who died on 19 October, 2019.
Her death was a month before Daybell and Chad got married.
Prosecutors argued Daybell was convinced by doomsday conspiracy theories.
Judge Steven Boyce said: "Something radically changed in you that led you to where you are today.
"You had so many other options.
"You could have found someone to take care of those kids.
"You killed those children ... to remove them as obstacles and to profit financially."
Vallow spoke at the sentencing and said: "Jesus knows me and Jesus understands me. I mourn with all of you who mourn my children and Tammy.
"Jesus Christ knows the truth of what happened here.
"No one was murdered in this case. Accidental deaths happen. Suicides happen. Fatal side effects from medications happen."
She added: "I have had many communications with people now living in heaven.
"I know for a fact that my children are happy and busy in the spirit world.
"Because of my communication with my friend Tammy Daybell, I know she is also very happy and extremely busy.
"Tylee is free now from all the pains of her life.
"Tylee suffered horrible physical pain her whole life.
"I am the only person on this earth who knows how much Tylee suffered.
"Her body did not work right."
Lori Vallow Daybell's defense attorney, John Thomas, added: "We need peace to replace the hurt. And that peace and that healing will only come about by love and compassion.
"Lori, if she could speak to each one of those people who have been hurt by this case … her message would be one of love.
"Lori's a very misunderstood person.
"She was a great mother to her kids.
"She has redeeming values.
"There's a lot of confusion and there's a lot of misunderstanding about how this ultimately came to pass."