Five Lives to Serve: Lori Daybell’s Final Courtroom Sermon

By Mike King | Profiling Evil

If Lori Vallow Daybell believed in reincarnation, and let’s be honest, she believed in a lot of strange things… then justice just gave her the chance to live out her prophecy. Five times over. That’s right. With the conclusion of her Arizona sentencing, Lori has now officially been handed five life sentences. Each one, a grim reminder of the lives she destroyed in pursuit of a fantasy rooted in twisted theology, lust, money, and delusion.

Check out the Doomsday Daybell StoryMap here: https://arcg.is/10fmWX

In Idaho, Lori was convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the murders of her children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, as well as for conspiring to murder her then-boyfriend’s wife, Tammy Daybell. The judge stacked those sentences consecutively, along with a sentence for grand theft, because Lori had the gall to collect the kids’ Social Security checks even after they were buried in her new husband’s backyard.

And just when you thought the story was over… Daybell took her preaching on the road and landed in Arizona, where she was just handed two additional life sentences. These involve conspiring with her brother, Alex Cox, to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and for attempting to have her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, murdered in a drive-by shooting. She stood trial but Alex didn’t, because he conveniently died just before Tammy Daybell’s body was exhumed. You remember the case.

Was Lori Daybell even living near you?

But now she has five lives, five sentences and zero parole. She always wanted and even proclaimed that she had multiple lives. Now she really does thanks to an Idaho and Arizona court. But you’d think with five life sentences, Lori would finally sit down and quite talking. Nope. At her Arizona sentencing, she launched into one final courtroom sermon, claiming she visited with many of the people she’s accused of murdering and she found them to be vibing in heaven, doing celestial hobbies, and sending love to the earthbound.

She said Charles, Tammy, JJ, and Tylee were all “busy and happy.” She insisted that “no one was murdered.” And she wrapped herself in scripture, claiming to speak with “authority from God.” Let that sink in. She said, “If I was accountable for these crimes I would acknowledge it.” Then Lori Daybel spent ten minutes implying that she wasn’t guilty of anything. This isn’t just denial. It’s ritualized deflection.

Both Judge Steven Boyce in Idaho and Judge Justin Beresky in Arizona weren’t having it though. Remember how Judge Boyce put it bluntly? “The most unimaginable type of murder is to have a mother murdering her own children, and that’s exactly what you did.” Judge Beresky added: “You’ve shattered lives. You’ve undermined trust… You’ve left a wake of destruction across multiple states.” And then he reminded Lori that justice isn’t just about punishment, it’s about honoring the victims.

Lori Daybell is the poster child for the type of predator I profile in my book, Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing. She used spiritual language to mask murderous intent. She reframed accountability as persecution. She destroyed lives while claiming divine purpose. If you’ve ever wondered how people like Lori gain followers, escape suspicion, and justify unspeakable crimes, this book will open your eyes. You can order signed copies if you live in the USA by visiting www.ProfilingEvil.com/wolves or you can get the book anywhere in the world through Amazon.

If the Daybell case interests you, check out my Doomsday Daybell Playlist.

Pick up Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing. Signed and deliver for free in the USA through http://www.ProfilingEvil.com or anywhere in the world through Amazon.