Lori Daybell, a mother accused of conspiring to kill her estranged husband, children, and a lover's wife, is now mentally competent to stand trial on some of the charges, an Idaho judge announced in his ruling Monday, April 11.
According to the Associated Press, Lori and her new husband, Chad Daybell, face numerous charges in the complicated Idaho murder case, which involves allegations of bizarre spiritual beliefs, doomsday predictions, and even zombies.
Prosecutors have said that Chad and Lori Daybell adopted religious beliefs to justify or encourage the murders. The case against Lori had been on hold for months after Judge Steven Boyce ordered her committed to a mental facility. Boyce made such a ruling so that Daybell could undergo treatment to make her mentally fit enough to assist in her own defense during the trial.
Lori Vallow Daybell restored to competency
According to Boyce's new order, the judge said that Lori Vallow Daybell "is restored to competency and is fit to proceed" in the Idaho murder case. Boyce did not provide other details about Daybell's mental condition or treatment.
East Idaho News reported that Lori is scheduled to be formally arraigned in court next week, and both of the Daybells are set to stand trial together early next year. They are both charged with conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell, as well as Lori Daybell's kids, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow.
Lori Daybell is also facing charges in Arizona for conspiring to kill her estranged former husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of Alex Cox, her now-deceased brother. Chad Daybell has already pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his wife Lori has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea.
John Prior, Chad Daybell's attorney, declined to comment regarding the case. Jim Archibald, Lori Daybell's attorney, did not immediately respond to email and voice messages when asked to comment about the charges.
According to the indictment, Chad and Lori Daybell began espousing an apocalyptical religious belief system in 2018 while they were still married to other people. Cox then shot and killed Vallow in suburban Phoenix. According to the indictment in Arizona, Cox asserted that the shooting was in self-defense and was never charged.
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Lori and Chad Daybell marry two weeks after his first wife's death
Shortly after Vallow's death, Lori Daybell, who was still Lori Vallow at the time, moved to Idaho with her two children. KUTV reported that they relocated near where Chad Daybell lived. Chad was still married to his wife Tammy, who then died from natural causes in October 2019.
However, authorities became suspicious when Chad and Lori Daybell got married just two weeks after Tammy's death. Lori Daybell's two youngest kids were then the subject of a police search after relatives raised concerns about their well-being. Investigators later found the bodies of Tylee and JJ buried in Chad Daybell's yard in Idaho.
