Jury selection has begun in “Doomsday” mom Lori Vallow’s murder trial, where the Idaho hairstylist is accused of killing her two children and her husband’s previous wife.
Vallow, along with husband Chad Daybell, allegedly killed 7-year-old JJ and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan in 2019 in what prosecutors say was a doomsday-focused plot after the mom began believing in “zombies.”
About 1,800 jurors in Boise received a questionnaire to take part in the trial, with hundreds selected for screening on Monday.
The defense and prosecutors will whittle the numbers until 12 jurors are chosen, along with six alternates.
Vallow attended the hearing Monday morning inside the Ada County courthouse, where her attorney, Jim Archibald, focused his questions on the pre-trial publicity.
Exposure to publicity about the case can be grounds for a juror to be dismissed given that the exposure could lead to bias against the defendant.
Vallow and Chad made nationwide headlines when their children were reported missing in September 2019 before their bodies turned up in a makeshift grave near their home.
Lori Vallow created a doomsday-focused plot after she began believing in “zombies.” AP/Tony Blakeslee
Vallow and Chad made nationwide headlines when their children were reported missing in September 2019. Madison County JailThere was also intense scrutiny over the couple’s beliefs, with officials and close friends reporting that Vallow and Chad shared doomsday-themed ideas about fighting evil spirits that could possess people and turn them into ghouls.
Vallow’s friend Melanie Gibb told investigators that the mother referred to her two children as “zombies” before they died, according to police documents.
Following the children’s death, Chad’s wife, Tammy Daybell, died and he and Vallow got hitched less than a month later.
The parents are accused of killing 7-year-old JJ and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan in 2019. AP
The children’s bodies were found in a makeshift grave near the family home. AP/ John RoarkTammy was originally believed to have died of natural causes, but an autopsy led police to believe she was killed.
Vallow also faces separate charges in Arizona in connection with the July 2019 death of her previous husband, Charles Vallow, who was shot to death by her brother, Alex Cox, who claimed self-defense.
As the defense focuses on the media coverage of the case, prosecutors warned jurors that they may have to see the autopsy photos of the dead children during the trial.
Following the children’s death, Chad’s wife, Tammy Daybell, died and he and Vallow got hitched less than a month later. AP/ John RoarkThe jury selection process will likely take multiple days, with the full trial itself expected to last 10 weeks.
