Lori Vallow Daybell has been extradited to Arizona and booked on conspiracy to murder charges in Maricopa Counta.
The Wednesday night extradition came as a bit of a surprise, as Maricopa County officials had previously said it would likely not take place until the so-called cult mom’s appeal on her Idaho murder convictions made its way through the courts.
Vallow Daybell was convicted early this year on murder and conspiracy charges in the deaths of two of her children, 7-year-old JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, and her fifth husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, as CrimeOnline has reported. She was given three life sentences with no parole.
That husband, Chad Daybell, is set to go on trial on the same charges on April 1, 2024.
Vallow Daybell faces conspiracy charges in Arizona for the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, was the suspect in both shootings. Cox claimed he killed Vallow in self-defense, but he died, reportedly of natural causes, a few months later just as the many questions about the deaths began swirling around the Daybells.
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone told KSAZ that Vallow Daybell is being held in isolation as a high security inmate at the Estrella Women’s Jail in Phoenix. He said four of his deputies brought her to Phoenix over an 18-hour road trip.
“I understand that she was very sociable the entire trip, talked quite a bit… I don’t know that she gave any specific statements related to the investigation, but she was very chatty,” said Penzone.
Penzone said that Vallow Daybell will not be going back to Idaho “until the conclusion of her case and then once there is a conclusion, the county attorney will have to determine – I would imagine that she would have to return to spend her time there.”
Familiy members were happy to see the Arizona case going forward. JJ Vallow’s grandfather, Larry Woodcock, told KSAZ that “All we can do for now is hope that that continues, and that Lori is found guilty on the charges that she has been presented with.”
Bourdeaux told the station he believes that Arizona authorities could have done more to prevent the deaths of the children and Tammy Daybell, which took place just weeks after Charles Vallow was killed, but that he is grateful “towards those who are helping to create accountability. And hope that this process leads to healing and closure.”
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[Featured image: Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office via KSAZ]
