Lori Vallow Daybell, the woman whose children’s mysterious disappearance in 2019 led to a nationwide search, is now facing sentencing for their tragic murders. The bodies of 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow were found buried on her husband’s property in Idaho several months after their disappearance. In a weeks-long trial spanning from April to mid-May, Vallow Daybell was also found guilty of conspiring in the murders of her children and her husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, alongside other charges involving the theft of Social Security payments meant for the children.
Prosecutor Rob Wood, urging the court to impose a life sentence without parole, emphasized the need to protect society from a defendant who was willing to harm her own children. Wood described Vallow Daybell as remorseless and lacking accountability for her actions
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Steven Boyce granted permission for immediate family members of the victims to deliver victim impact statements. Those who chose to speak included Daybell’s son, Colby Ryan, who submitted a written statement, Samantha Gwilliam (Tammy Daybell’s sister), Tammy Daybell’s aunt, Vicki Hoban, and JJ Vallow’s grandmother, Kay Woodcock.
Gwilliam began by reading a statement on behalf of her late father, Ronald Douglas, herself, and her mother, Phyllis, who had passed away earlier in the year. In her own emotional statement, Gwilliam addressed Lori Vallow Daybell directly, accusing her of planning not only the murders of her own children but also her previous husband’s. She questioned the motive behind such heinous actions, expressing the profound impact Vallow Daybell’s choices had on her family. Gwilliam emphasized the irreparable loss they endured, describing her murdered sister as an irreplaceable figure, highlighting the devastation caused by Vallow Daybell’s desire to fulfill her selfish desires at any cost.
Kay Woodcock, the biological grandmother of JJ Vallow, who was adopted by Charles and Lori Vallow, shared her statement through tearful sobs. She referred to Vallow Daybell as a “money-hungry, power-mongering monster.” Woodcock expressed deep regret that she would have given Vallow Daybell the $1 million from Vallow’s life insurance had she allowed Tylee and JJ to live. She criticized Vallow Daybell’s actions, driven by greed and an insatiable need for attention, which tore their family apart.
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