Hidden True Crime - BEYOND THE VEIL: THE FULL SENTENCING OF LORI VALLOW DAYBELL

Episode Date: August 6, 2023

July 31, 2023 - Fremont County Courthouse. Lori Vallow Daybell is sentenced by Judge Boyce for murdering of her two children--16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow. She is sentenced for conspiring to kill 49-year-old Tammy Daybell, as well as two counts of insurance fraud, and one count of grand theft. Watch Dr John Matthias, Psychologists analysis of sentencing HERE Our Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Armoire and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.armoire.style* Check out Effecty and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.effecty.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hidden-a-true-crime-podcast1836/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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KCR 2221-1624 state of Idaho versus Lori Roryin Valo Fremont County case. This is the

time scheduled for sentencing today. The defendant is here appearing in person along with her

attorneys, Jim Archibald and John Thomas. The state's represented by Rob Wood, Rachel Smith

and Lindsay Blake. At this time, I do want to inquire of counsel from the state who will be making the sentencing recommendation today. I will, Your Honor. All right. Thank you, Mr. Wood. And for the defense, who's going to be making the sentencing recommendation? I will, Your Honor. All right, Mr. Thomas, thank you. And with the sentencing hearing today, I'll go through some procedural history of the case

first. Ms. Valo, at the time of your arraignment in this case, which was on April 19, 2020, you were informed that an indictment had been filed against you by the state of Idaho charging you with the following crimes. Two counts of conspiracy to commit first degree murder and grant theft by deception. Two counts of first degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder and one count of grand theft. At the time of your arraignment, you were advised of the potential penalties involved with those charges, your constitutional rights, your plea options, and the legal consequences of exercising each of those options. You pled not guilty to the charges. Later during trial and amended indictment was filed by the

state. A jury trial in your case took place in Ada County, Idaho, with jury selection beginning March 27th of this year, 2023. And as I mentioned during the trial and amended indictment had been filed. The case was submitted to the jury for their deliberations on May 11th of this year and on May 12th, the jury returned their verdict, finding you guilty of the following counts of that amended indictment. Count one, conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Tiley Ryan and grand theft by deception. Count two, first degree murder of Tiley Ryan. Count three, conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Joshua Jackson, Vallow, and grant theft by deception. Count four, first degree murder. degree murder of Joshua, Jackson, Ballow, count five, conspiracy to commit first degree murder

of Tamara Tammy Dayball, and count six, grand theft. After you were found guilty by a jury of your peers, the sentencing hearing was scheduled. Soon to Idaho law, the court then ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence investigation report, which will be referred to throughout this proceeding as a PSI, and the court's considered that report for sentencing today. The court did order a full PSI, which would include orders for a behavioral health assessment, a mental health examination, substance abuse assessment, and all pursuant to Idaho Code 192524. However, you chose not to participate in the pre-sentence process, so much of that information that could have been included for my consideration in the report has not been included.

I've received and I have carefully reviewed the pre-sentence investigation report and a copy of that report was provided to both the state and the defendant through her attorney. I'll ask the state at this time then was the state able to review the PSI? Yes, we were. Mr. Wood, in that report, and I know it's a voluminous report, 430 pages, but were there any sections or parts of the report that you believe need to be clarified or corrected after your review? Thank you. Just very briefly, Your Honor, there were multiple victim impact statements submitted with

that report. We don't usually comment on those, but just for purposes of the record. In one of those victim impact statements, there was reference made to Tammy Daybale dying by a pillow on the record for the purposes of the record. The state has no evidence that happened that way. There was also reference to that we don't know where whether or not the defendant was there at Tammy Debel's death. And just for purposes of the record, we and as it was shown in trial, we are aware she was not at the location. Tammy Debo was murdered.

She was in Hawaii. Again, our concern, we just wanted to be clear for purposes of the record so that an allegation could not be made down the road that the state had provided evidence or information to victims that we had not, one that wasn't true or to have. hadn't been provided to the defense. All right, regarding those statements then, the court would most likely strike those from the record based on those comments. Court would also note in ruling on motions over the weekend, I further ordered stricken certain parts

of victim impact statements. Mr. Thomas, any objection to me striking those comments in those statements? Your Mr. Archibald is going to address this portion if that's okay with the court. Very well, Mr. Archibald. We've reviewed the court's order striking portions of those victim impact statements.

We do not object to court ordering that those strings. All right. Thank you, Mr. Archibald. So back to you, Mr. Wood. Could you clarify with some specificity where those specific comments were located and the court will go through and what they would refer to as redlining,

I'll line those out in the final PSI that gets submitted into the case file. Yes, thank you, Your Honor. They were contained in Ms. Hoban's PSI, or I'm sorry, victim impact statement. And if the court would like, I can find the page number of that. I think just to reference for the record, if you could reference the page number, then I will go in and redline those revisions to the report before that's finalized. It is in the third, full paragraph on, or full third paragraph on page two.

Okay. the court sees those comments as mentioned in the third paragraph of page two the court will go and redact those out of the victim impact statement and if the miss hoban intends to make a statement i would ask that she refrained from making any further comments to that extent and we'll get those filed other than that mr wood then is there any uh other requested clarification or correction to the PSI no there is not all right let me next move to the defense then mr archibald in regards to the I filed in the case, does the defense have any further objection or anything you wish clarified or corrected in the report? Your Honor, on June 13th, I submitted 661 pages to the pre-sentence investigator that I believe dealt with the help of the defendant. 660 pages. I didn't know how many of those pages would be included in the report. It turns out only 27 pages were included. The 27 pages do include Dr. Watson's psychological opinion and also Dr. Cunningham's. So I appreciate the pre-sentence investigator, including those two reports,

but I asked for additional reports regarding the health of the defendant. The court has now issued an opinion this morning ruling on that. But my objection to the pre-sentence report stands. All right. Thank you, Mr. Archibald. The court would note in the order issued this morning in its entitled order on objection to the PSI. Court went through an analysis on the statutes and the rules as relating to the prior competency information and why I found it was inappropriate to include in the PSI as the investigator noted. And so that will be the court's order at this time on those submissions.

Any other matters in the report you wish clarified or corrected, Mr. Archibald? No, Your Honor. Okay. Thank you, counsel. Let me confirm with counsel then to Mr. Thomas and Mr. Archibald. Was your client able to review the report as well? Yes. Yes.

All right. Thank you. All right, I will note that I'll rely on that report then with those redactions in fashioning the sentence today. Moving now to the question of whether there will be any witness statements or testimony here proffered today. For the defense, are you offering any statements from any witnesses today, Mr. Thomas or Mr. Archibald? No, Your Honor. All right. Ms. Val may speak. Very well.

So the defendant, I'll address that. She'll have a right of allocution if she wishes. From the state, Mr. Wood is the state intending to call any witnesses to testify or victims to provide oral impact statements today? Your Honor, the state will not be calling any evidentiary witnesses. However, there are four victims who wish to be heard. The victims, well, Tiley Ryan and JJ Valle's brother, Colby Ryan, has asked that we read his statement into the record. So with permission to the court, I will do that on his behalf. After that, Samantha, William, Tammy Daybill's sister has asked to be heard. Vicki Hoban, Tammy Davis, aunt has asked to be

heard and Kay Woodcock, JJ Vallow's grandmother has asked to be heard. Very well. The court has previously determined that these are either victims or designated representatives under Idaho statute to be able to provide statements in this case given the murder convictions. So the court will allow for them to make their comments today. Let me just indicate then how the hearing will proceed going forward. So first, the court will consider those victim impact statements that may be read into the record or offered by those individuals. After that, I intend to hear the recommendations on sentencing from you, Mr. Wood. Once the state's concluded then making its recommendation,

Mr. Thomas, you may make recommendations on behalf of your client, Ms. Vallow. And then finally, Ms. Vallow, if you wish to address the court directly, you can do that after your attorney has done so. So with that in mind, Mr. Wood, I'll start by going through the victim impact statements the state intends to introduce. And you can either read into the record or call your first victim to make a comment at this time. One more point of clarification, sorry. The victims, if they do wish to speak, will speak at the podium over to my left. And I'll note that that is not being filmed for this proceeding. So it won't be shown on the video.

That's how the courts arranged the courtroom, just so counsel knows. So Mr. Wood, if you'd like to either read a comment or have your first victim speak, you can do that now. Thank you. Before I do that, Your Honor, I did neglect to say that Samantha William will also be reading into the record. the statement of her father, which was included in the PSI if the court permits. All right, the court will so permit that on your request. And with that then we would we would ask that Samantha be allowed to make her statement now. Very well. Ms. William then if you'd like to come forward and you can provide your statement

at that lectern right in front of you. Please state your name for their record as you begin. My name is Samantha William. Do you want me to do my father's after mine or do it before mind. It's up to you. I'm going to read his first. This is what my father wrote. His name is Ronald Douglas. He's writing on behalf of myself, my now deceased wife. I would like to share thoughts about the impact of the actions of Lori Valo on our family. Tammy's death was unexpected and had a profound impact on all of us. We were barely into our recovery process when we learned of Chad's new marriage exactly two weeks after losing Tammy. We had no knowledge of missing children until we were visited by law enforcement officers

and informed of Tammy's disinterment and autopsy. The drama began to unfold and the reason for the quick burial became apparent. Over the course of the following months, the ensuing revelations of deceit and intrigue caused extreme emotional stress on my wife Phyllis. We became estranged from the daybilled children and began losing the close relationships we had with them. I'm sure they feel awkward about their father's actions and how Tammy's death was affecting us.

We value them as grandchildren and want to keep them close to us. While Phyllis was already battling her leukemia of over 30 years, the emotional stress of this drama seemed to accelerate her declining health. Her remaining months of life were full of strain and a heartache. Lori entered Chad's life long before we were aware of any interaction between them. In retrospect, we see that Chad was living a double life

and the bonds of his family were being eroded due to his involvement with Lori. The eternal ramifications of her actions are yet to be calculated. Lori needs to pay for her actions according to the laws of mortals. She will still answer according to the laws of God when she passes from this life, Ron Douglas. This is my statement.

Over the last few years, I've often thought about I would ever say, to you, Lori. I've often thought about what my sister would have said, too. The minute I found out that Chad had quickly remarried after the death of my most beloved sister, Tammy, it confirmed what I had always felt. You see, the minute I received the phone call that she had died, I knew something had happened to her, but I didn't know why I would feel that way. So when we were told by Chad that he had married you and that had happened two weeks after Tammy had been buried, my heart knew I've researched you like any true woman would find out who you were.

What did I find? Lies. Everything about you that you tried to tell others is a lie. And at this point I'm going to object. Don't believe this falls within the statute or within the Idaho Constitution or within Idaho versus pain. All right, Mr. Thomas, your objections noted. It's overruled. The court will be able to consider and

ferret out these statements and properly consider what's in the record. You can continue, Ms. William. We asked what's her name? Boy, buying. That was a lie. That was two husbands ago. So I searched. What happened to your previous husband?

She told us that he died from a heart attack. Lie. Tied from being shot. I asked, are there children? I was told we will be empty nesters. That's a lie. The police ask us about missing children. You answer, the children aren't missing.

They're safe and ham. happy. It's a lie. Your children, your poor children were dead and buried on Chad's property and my sister. I was told was sick and her health was telling, well, that was a lie. I had seen her with my own eyes two weeks prior. She was very healthy. We have to go through her being disinterred and having an autopsy done. I was glad to get some answers and some truth after so many lies. But to find out what we knew in our hearts all, along, she had been murdered by those who saw her as an obstacle to a plan. Planned her murder as much as you planned the murders of your own children, your previous husband. Why? Why plan something so heinous? You had an affair with a married man. You lied to yourself

by what is okay to sneak behind the backs of your spouses. You are not exalted beings, and your behavior makes you ineligible to be one. Well, why pick Chad? He was an average guy, and you had married several men before him. He made you feel special and singled out. You tell yourself that you were high spiritual beings who have lived lives together through time. You felt powerful. This is too as a lie.

But Chad has no real wealth. How will you live? You can easily have divorced your spouses and made your own perverted life together, but you need money. So you tell this story about people being dark and that they are zombies. This is how you justify who needs to be removed.

you use this lie to justify the murders of four people whose test you profit from. You get there and think, you've never met me, and I don't know you. But I've always been able to tell when I am being lied to, and you are a liar, an adulteress, and a murderer. Because of the choices you made, my family lost to beloved mother, sister, aunt, and daughter. She is irreplaceable. She was 1,000 times a woman you will ever dream of being. Because of the choices you made, we have been hounded by media, and those who revel on all of the salacious scandal you have stirred up.

Because of you and your desire to get what you want at any cost, my family has been ripped apart. I helped raise Tammy's children. And because of you, they no longer have their mother or grandmother. and because of fear of losing another parent, they listen to the lies spewed by you and Chad. Our relationship is strained and most contact with them is gone. Your trial was the last thing my alien mother had to live through.

She declined in health that she heard through news reports all the horrible things that happened and she had to relive. All the things we have tried to forget the last four years. My mother passed away in June knowing that you will never come out of prison again. Her passing was marred by the fact that Tammy's children chose not to participate in her funeral because of fear of causing more drama. We were deprived of the chance to heal and have them realize how much we love them.

We don't blame them from what happened, but we blame you and Chad for all the lies you've told and ripping apart this family. We didn't do anything. My parents are not evil. They did not deserve to lose their grandparents. grandchildren on top of losing their daughter. I did not deserve to lose the relationships of children I helped raise or a sister that was my dearest friend.

I am not a dark person or a zombie. And for me and my family to be portrayed that way is unacceptable. Lucky for me, the world can see the truth as much as I can. Everyone now knows what liars you are. They now all know what horrible things you have done. You will have to live in your prison cell for the rest of your life. You are not an exalted being, and there's no huge event that is going to save you. No jail walls are going to fall so you can leave.

No angels are coming to rescue you. You make judgments of others and determined if they should die based on the fact that they might do bad things and we need to kill them before they do. That is not how the atonement works. We cannot punish and judge others on things they haven't happened yet, but you did. You have also made choices that have led you here. You have been judged by the court, and you have been found guilty.

Your consequences are before you. I miss my sister every day. I will grieve her and now the loss of my mother for the rest of my life. I will always remember them. As for you, I choose to forget you. And as I leave this courtroom today, I choose to never think, give you a gap. Thank you. All right. Thank you for the impact statement. Ms. William, Mr. Wood, if you'd like to call the next victim who wishes to speak. That would be Vicki

Hoveen, Your Honor. All right, Ms. Hobin, you may come forward, offer your statement there at the lectern. First, I'd like to thank the court for allowing me to give a statement here today. I'm Tammy St. Fickey. I was able to attend a big part of this trial, and so my first comment will be to address what I felt the defendant's behavior was. I felt she was shameful during the trial. It was apparent to me and others that the defendant did not take the proceedings in this courtroom seriously. It was extremely disrespectful to watch, especially during some of the most sensitive and heartbreaking testimony her smirking her smiling giggling talking i'm going to object based on state versus pain based on the idaho constitution based on idaho code uh 19536 she's supposed to give an impact

statement which uh which the defendant's criminal conduct had upon the victim pain states that the victim impact statement must relate to the characteristics of the victim and the emotional impact of the crime on the family We have a brief sidebar with Mr. Thomas and Mr. Wood. All right, the court will just note on the record there was an objection lodged on this victim impact statement. I had a brief sidebar with counsel and discuss that. I do in part grant the objection and I've instructed the state to discuss that with the victim to tailor her comments to those appropriate for an impact statement at this point. So Mr. Wood, I gave you an opportunity to discuss that with Ms. Hoban.

Ms. Hoban, if you're ready to continue, apologies for the interruption, but we want to make sure the records followed carefully here. Thank you. The type of vibe that was in the courtroom at the time was really hurtful to us. We were unable to be in our feelings and listen to the testimony without having extreme emotion. I'll say it this way. This was a woman who had killed her own children and was on trial for doing that and for killing Tammy and felt that she could have had more respect for the family members in the courtroom. Tammy was a most excellent person and she led her life with the utmost dignity and was beloved not only by our family but by the community at large.

there will be a huge void. And this is Tammy's story. And therefore, it's part of our family history. This statement will not be about Lori. It will be about Tammy because it's her story. It's her life that was taken. She was a mom, a grandma, a daughter, a sister, a niece, a cousin, friend. And yes, she was a librarian.

But more than a librarian, she was a teacher. She loved her job and went above and beyond for her students. Her last days filled with preparing a book fair for underserved children. I'm sure when she arrived home Friday, October 18, 2019, she was very tired from a long day and the hours at school. As she got into bed that night, I would imagine she was thinking the same thing as every other night. Nothing more than getting a good night's sleep once her eldest had checked in from his late

night job. She had no idea what the plan was for that night or what had been the plan for quite some time. Unbeknownst to her, there had been quite a bit of discussion about how to get rid of the obstacles that Lori had. Lori had already killed two of her children. Tammy was next on her list of obstacle removal. Lori wanted money, sex, and more power. And what Lori wants, Lori gets. The plan was in place on how to get it. Instead of a good night's sleep, Tammy was brutally executed in her own bed.

She was taken from us by murdering thieves. Lori sets here, convicted, and prepped her prison. And let's be honest, the only question left is for how long, but Tammy was robbed of her entire life. And all of

her family robbed of ever seeing her again. Never will she whisper a joke with a friend and laugh. Never see another sunrise or a sunset. Never smell fresh rain. Or see her grandchildren stomped through a mud puddle. Never to hear being called grandma or mom.

Not another birthday, Christmas. Birth of a grandchild, graduation from preschool. No seeing pictures of prom first dates or weddings. No searching for something fun to do. or growing a garden, never attending one of our families just for the girls' lunches where we reconnected from all over, laughed about the good old times, and the funny way that Grandma Cooper took pictures. And then we take photos with each other that we would compare at the next lunch. There would never be another hilarious rendition of Patty and her seeing, do your ears hang low?

She'd never wave at a friend as they passed by. Make dinner for a sick friend. Never have a last conversation with her beautiful mother. Her one last kiss. Her dad's dad jokes are Samantha's outdoor parties. No more lining up with all of her siblings to get the photo at the next event. A life full of people she loved and who loved her deeply. Her life was snuffed out.

To say heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, unbearable is not a big enough statement to convey knowing the way this most excellent existence was taken by planning and execution. The most innocent of lives was simply just discarded like it meant nothing, but it did. And like all of Lucille's grandchildren, her life was a vibe. It was a valiant and reproach. unreproachable life. Laura, you participated in the savage murders of precious people of great value and worth. It is most likely something that you would probably

never understand to be selfish and just to live life in a simple way, enjoying life for what it is, to love, to be loved, to smile, and to be smiled at while you had a shameful relationship with Tammy's husband and planned out a murder Tammy lived her life

she supported her family in every way and for you to turn her home where she lived and slept into a cemetery her two innocent and beautiful children is one of the most horrific things I can think of you would have been horrified to know

what you had done and it has broken us as a family You are now going to pay the price, albeit never sufficient in this life. It's all that we can do. I hope that the life you live is filled with fear and that every day you are terrified, just the way that beautiful Tiley lived in fear for hers and sweet JJ as you continue terrifying her by saying they would be zombies. and she knew the consequences of being what you call dark.

Kylie had many wonderful friends that loved her in a cruel irony. My granddaughter was a good friend to Tyley. This friend group can still to this day not speak of Tyley freely. They are so stuck in their grief and sadness for their friend who is savagely brutalized and murdered at her mother's hands. It's unconscionable to them and the grief is still overwhelming. In closing, I would like to thank all of the law enforcement, the FBI, the investigators, the prosecutors, the administration, everybody has worked so diligently on this case.

Especially want to thank those who had to see those things that can't be unseen. We understand your pain also and grateful for the many, many hours of hard work and dedication and the search for the truth. Thank you, Judge. I trust that you will do the correct penalty for this. Thank you. All right, Ms. Hylvan, thank you for your impact statement. Mr. Wood.

The next victim will be Kay Woodcock. All right, Ms. Woodcock. Good day, Judge, voice. I want to express my thanks and appreciation for being able to speak publicly today on the impact of the defendant's actions. Thank you. 80, 1, 1401, 1481, 1, 72, 1, 1, 732, 5236, 0, 52, 8, 712, 319, and finally, 1 million. These are more than just numbers and very important numbers and will make sense as I continue.

80 days ago, on May 12, 2023, the word guilty was read for each of the charges inmate daybell is being sentenced for today. Guilty, the word cemented what I had known for 1,401 days was returned by the jury. The jury devoted their time, energy, and dedication to deliver justice for JJ Tiley and Tammy for every single heinous crime charged. Our family is eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Justice would not have been possible without the time, perseverance, and tireless work, every member of multiple law enforcement agencies,

prosecution team, court personnel, and the court. Our appreciation and thanks can never be expressed in a way that will adequately or effectively convey our gratitude. Today marks 1,481 days that have been filled with terror. One was the day my brother Charles was murdered. It took over 30 hours for the defendant to finally send a cold-hearted text to Charles's sons, informing them that their father was dead. No phone call, no explanation as to how, when, and where.

Colin Zag immediately called me hoping this was a cruel joke. I'm going to object. This has nothing to do with this case. It's overruled. Mr. Thomas, you can continue, Ms. Woodcott. This was the beginning of her cruel campaign of terror, a campaign that resulted in the deaths of JJ entirely, two innocent children, and Tammy, a devoted mother, grandmother, and wife. Our intense fear for JJ's safety began the very moment we learned of Charles's death.

We knew Lori didn't want JJ anymore, as we had seen her abandon him for 72 days, with little to no concern of his well-being. We now understand that this was so she could carry on her illicit and toward affair with Chad Daybill and to conspire with him to murder and profit from my brother's death. With the number of divorces in Larry's past,

it took me a while to understand why my brother had to die. I now realize what a nothing Chad Daybill is, a man with no ability to support anyone, no success of his own, a user of the weak-minded, a lazy, good-for-nothing, spineless man that wrote his wife's co-tails of success. After learning of Charles' death, I immediately began reaching out to Lori. I began calling, leaving voicemail, and texting. Finally, after three long hours, I received a brief text with zero details.

She couldn't be bothered or felt too guilty to pick up a phone and call. This time, his sister, and explained what happened. It set out so many alarms. for Larry and I. Within minutes, we were on the phone with an Arizona detective learning the horrifying truths of my brother's murder. This all began with greed. The greed for and desire for a $1 million life insurance policy.

She should have answered my calls. She should have spoken to me. I would have given her the money. She could have let JJ entirely live and had a million dollars. She could have been free to be Chad's mistress and foot the bill with the money. money from spilled blood. JJ and Tiley could have been with us living happy lives.

Instead, she took all that away, all because she is a money-hungry, power-mongering monster. We flew to Arizona the next morning and were finally able to meet with the detective shortly after. We learned the frightful details of my brother being ambushed by Lori and Alex. I know my brother and what we were hearing made no sense to the kind, gentle, and generous and loving man we knew him to be. After hearing the details, our immediate, immediate concern was JJ's safety. We had no legal rights to JJ. This simply left our hands tied.

We were powerless then and have felt overwhelmingly powerless sense. It is the most unwanted and terrible feeling to be in that position. I pray no one ever must deal with this type of circumstance. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I would say not even Lori or Chad, but their evil and malicious plans are why we are here. She has shown no grief for the lives she willingly took or the pain she caused. Today, I take the power back by standing here speaking out loud of all the pain and loss she caused.

I pray that my words will assist you. My sincerest hope is that they will seriously. seriously contemplated in imposing a sentence for her cruel and heinous crimes. During the trial, a lot of information was shared about JJ's death. Today, I want to share how he lived. That is truly the only way to understand and know who he was in the gaping hole. His death has left in our hearts and in this world. Payne and Todd Trahan came into this world fighting on May 25th, 2012,

10 weeks premature and weighing in at a tiny, but mighty two pounds and 14 ounces. He was transferred to a hospital with neonatal intensive care unit within minutes of being born where he spent weeks fighting to grow and live. I remember seeing him for the first time. My son Todd, his biological father, and I had followed the ambulance to the hospital. He was about two hours old when we were finally able to see him. He was so tiny and looked so fragile.

In fact, I still have one of his tiny premedical. diapers. It fits in the palm of my hand. As soon as I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was my grandson. He was the tiniest version of my son, Todd, who was also seeing him for the first time. Todd struck with the love for him that can't be explained. The love that hits new parents can't be put into words. I remember him later saying, how can I love someone I've never met this much? It is a feeling I and millions of others have experienced at the birth of a child. Lori, Todd forgives you. I wanted to make sure you know that.

While he was in the NICU, I was only able to see him for a few minutes at a time until I was notified that he could be released to Larry and I in a few days. When we were initially asked if Canaan could come home with us, Larry and I didn't hesitate and immediately said yes, even though it had been 25 years since I had a new baby at home and never a preemie with their many medical needs. The only place we wanted him to be at home with us was at home with us. The night before he was discharged, I stayed in a little room next to the NICU talking to the nurses and learning all the little things that our little preemie grandbaby would need. The next day, when it was time to leave, the nurse brought a wheelchair in and said,

have a seat and I'll get you out of here. I looked at her and kind of perplexed. I don't need a wheelchair. I can walk. She gave me a smile and a little chuckle and then let me know it's hospital policy for discharged babies. So I sat in the wheelchair, took Canaan in my arms and was wheeled out of the hospital just like a new mama. I felt so much pride for this little baby who had not only overcome being born 10 weeks early, but also being born with a list of substances in his tiny little body. He was healthy and ready to come home well before he was expected, and my pride in him knew no bounds. We knew then that he was a champion and oh so very special that day began an amazing experience of raising our cherished little man. His first night

homes I bathed him, he cried so hard, and I cried right along with him. My heart was so heavy with all that he had been through in just a few short weeks since his birth. After his bath and still crying, my husband Larry, who JJ called Pop-Ball, asked me to hand Canaan to him. He placed our baby cannon on his bare chest and wrapped his robe around him, gently breathing on his head, rhythmically patted his back. Larry kept patting and breathing warmth onto the top of his head until he finally relaxed, stopped crying, and fell asleep. This became a daily occurrence, part of our routine. He would hold him for hours so that Canaan would feel loved, comforted, and secure.

I saw my husband in a new light. Larry jumped in feet first at 65 years old and did all the things a young and new father should and more. It made our relationship grow and gave us a new strength. Canaan was our strength and we were his comfort. His first six months were spent going to countless appointments. We went to appointments with doctors, heart, kidney, and urology problems, then to appointments for speech and occupational therapy, as well as visits to other pediatricians for our host of medical problems.

We were always going from one appointment to another, constantly working to help him thrive and grow. That along with Lovingham was our number one priority. At each appointment, it became inevitable for me to cry. It deeply wanted me to see him go through so much, but I also felt immense pride in seeing him grow and how much love and happiness he gave to us and everyone that met him.

My sister Susan had a special bond with Canaan and spent her days watching him so that I could work. She used to take him for walks, pushing his stroller inlessly. She could get him to belly laugh with silly animal noises, especially the froggy noise. There is no sweeter sound than a baby with an ecstatic belly laugh. memories of the time spent watching Canaan and Crow discovering his hands, toes, and feet, are all Susan has left of that special bond and the immense grief of his loss is overwhelming.

At six months old, the time came for the surgery he needed to repair a hernia. Charles and Lori flew to be with us at the Children's Hospital in New Orleans. This is a scary moment in time for us. Our tiny little man was undergoing surgery and their small. meant so much to us. After his surgery, Lori insisted I take the sofa as she slept overnight on the floor of the hospital room. Later, the decision was made to let Charles and Lori adopt Payne. I knew she would always be 1,000% involved in his care, and I knew it would be okay since I witnessed that. She would always be there to help support and care for Canaan. That is part of why this is so hard.

How does a woman that would go to that length for a baby boy, a few short years later, brutally take his life? It is mind-blowing, and I will never understand it. Charles and Loy were granted custody a short time later. It was then Canaan became JJ. It was happy and devastating at the same time. We loved every minute of raising him. We poured all our loved energy into ensuring

he grew and thrived. We knew our conditional, unconditional love, and that time was priceless. Canaan's growth and milestones were clear evidence for our love for him. We knew the adoption was the best decision for his future to have energetic parents, siblings, and access to the types of schools and services we didn't have in Lake Charles, Louisiana. With his departure, we felt a grief that really can only be compared

to the grief of losing someone to. death, which is now a feeling we all know too well. We had barely made it 30 days before we were standing on Charles's front steps to love on our baby. When the door opened, there he was in his little baby walker, and I swear I saw tears in his eyes at seeing us. He had missed us, too. Before I could take a step, Larry swooped him up in his arms and at 11 months old,

JJ wrapped his tiny arms around Larry, laying his head on him. There was the connection. It was still so strong. We never lost that special connection with JJ. We were always who loved comfort and safety. AJ's adoption was final in July of 2014 and Charles and Lauren moved with the kids to Hawaii, living in a house that backed up to a closed golf course. And it was perfect for Jay Day. It was like having the biggest backyard ever and it was heaven for him. He would go outside and he would run and run and run and run. I ran and ran to chase him and catch up to him. Somewhere, somehow he never, ever ran out of energy. JJ also had no fear and everything was an adventure. He climbed on everything and he could do it in the blink of an eye. We have pictures sent from trials of JJ sitting on top of refrigerators and cabinets with a grin on his face.

Listening to testimony during the trial and hearing the defendant claimed to others that he turned into a demon, for doing what he had always done, it devastates me. How dare she take his energy and adventurous nature and turn it into a reason to further her murderous conspiracy? We would visit Hawaii every four to five months and stay, it's 10, 14 days. We needed to soak up as much JJ time as we could. On one trip, in the winter of 2015, JJ stayed home with me while Charles and lawyer went to church. I was making a big pot of gumbo.

I had to bring a little bit of Louisiana home cooking to Charles, and JJ was excited to help me. We pulled up a stool. He poured ingredient after ingredient. I can still see him standing next to me pouring chicken broth in the pot. Afterwards, he climbed on the counter and just watched, taking it all in. It is a memory that I will always cherish and dearly hold on to. During our visits with Charles or Lori,

during our visits Charles or Lori would comment on how JJ would do things with us that were in stark contrast for them. He always awoke at the crack of dawn, never sleeping any later. However, when we would visit, we would have him sleep with us. JJ would ask Paul Paul to pat his

back just like when he was a baby and fall asleep. He would sleep until 9 or 10, which astonished them. There was never a doubt. He had an innate and unbroken attachment to us. Each visit, no matter where they live, Lori always, always expressed her deep appreciation that we gave them the greatest gift ever in JJ. Lori loved to entertain and have family visit ours and hers.

She invited family and friends to Hawaii and friends from Hawaii to Arizona. Zero is the number that same mother murdered. of that same child she expressed her deep appreciation for. It is mind-boggling, and I don't think I will ever be able to understand it. Back to JJ, he was incredibly smart. He was reading at middle school level. By the time he was four, I remember being in a store with JJ, and on the eye with eye drops, and there he was reading off the labels,

vizine, sustain, and he histamine, one long word after another. I hadn't seen him do that before, so you can imagine my surprise and delight. As we stood there, he would occasionally stumble on a syllable or pronunciation, but we took the time to go through the words and helped him learn. As he got a little older, his special education school in Arizona, old Charles, he was a mass of a lot. He could calculate anything. I continually wonder what he would have become, what type of man would he be.

What did Lori deprive the world of? JJ left school, loved his family, friends, and cousins, especially his cousin, Paxi. The two of them had such a special bond and love for each other. There are so many lives he touched from family, teachers, neighbors, and church members that all feel the immense pain and loss of him being gone. Not only was JJ smart, but he was also funny, content, healthy, compassionate, and an empathetic child. JJ didn't show his empathy and compassion with hugs and kisses. In fact, you had to chase him down for those.

But instead, with his gentle touch and speaking and soft tones, he would constantly stop to ask people if they were okay, if he could see her since they were hurt. His world was fascinating and exciting with his huge imagination. He would put on concerts for his stuffed animals under our enormous oak tree, playing the drums on buckets and pots and pans. the joy the joy he exuded

and shared cannot be measured. I loved watching him, taking him in and seeing how he approached the world. I never got enough of him. Now I've had all I will get for the rest of my life and I will only have the precious memories to cling to.

Now memories are how I feel the love I so desperately miss do the heinous act of his mother. the deplorable woman that chose to be his mother, the woman that five years earlier made the conscious decision to stand in front of a judge in this war to provide for, care, love, and protect him. When Charles and Lori married,

when Charles and Lori married, Tiley was three years old. She was the most precious blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl. There was never any doubt that Tiley was an absolute mama's girl when she was little. adored Lori. I was thrilled to have a new niece, especially one as sweet as her. While Charles and Lori lived in Austin, we visited frequently. On one of our visits, we passed a roadside stand selling swings made from old tires. I saw one that had been made into a horse complete with the saddle and

stirrups. I grabbed Larry's arm and said, stop. We have to get that for Tiley. Her brother Kobe and stepbrothers, Cole and Zach, were always around her, and she needed something girly just for her, and she loved it. As a big sister, Tiley would put notes on her bedroom door, one of them being, do not enter. And as you can assume, even though JJ could read and understand the notes, it didn't mean he listened. After all,

isn't that what little brothers do? He would storm into her room and she would laughingly tell him to get out. I think she did it on purpose just to tease and play with him. It was hilarious to see them interact and warmed our hearts, seeing them together. Tyler was nine

years old when JJ became her little brother. She loved him so incredibly much and he loved her right back. She doted on him and JJ loved every minute of attention he got from his big sister. The love they have for each other is captured in the last photo taken of them, both grinning and hugging each other. Hauntingly, this photo was taken shortly before and by the defendant, hours before she murdered her own child, her sweet girl, Tiley. I have a niece that is a few months. younger than JJ. Her name is Maddie. She and JJ loved each other and would spend days playing together when Charles and JJ would visit. On her eighth birthday, in October of 2020, we were celebrating and singing happy birthday to her. The glow of the candles shining on her face, that huge grin that

kids get during the singing hit me like a truck. I grabbed the keys from Larry and ran to the car, and I just bawled and bawled until I could compose myself enough to rejoin the party. I knew then that JJ didn't get his eighth birthday song and it broke me. 1,536. That is how many days it has been since I've seen JJ and how many days since I was able to see that same candlelight growing, blowing grin and from being sung Happy Birthday. You see, the last time I was able to hug and kiss JJ was in May of 2019 when we celebrated his seventh birthday.

It is just so wrong. He didn't get to have that joy and feeling of love of another birthday because his mother is greedy and his life was expendable to her. We never know when one of those moments are going to hit, but I can tell you that there have been too many situations in the past few years where we get slammed with the fact that JJ won't hit another. milestone in his life, all because his materialistic, self-scented mother cruelly and brutally stole his life and him from the world. Lory's acts of depravity, cruelty, and betrayal have no limits. She murdered and stole JJ's daddy from him on July 11, 2019. Next, she was trying to sell Bailey. J.J.'s adored and cherished service dog, his shadow and his

best friend. When caught, she was confronted and forced to give Bailey back to his original trainer. I can't imagine how that impacted JJ. Bailey went everywhere with him and provided him so much security and happiness. 52. That's how many days after Tras's death, she waited, continuing her trail of destruction by taking JJ away from his home, his family, his school, his sense of well-being and normalcy by moving to Rexburg. JJ and Tiley were isolated and deprived of everything and everyone they knew and loved. Eight, that's how many days later, until another act of treachery with the murder and desecration of Tiley. The immense sorrow I feel in thinking of JJ's last days and weak cannot be measured.

How did he cope with the shockwave of change, confusion and chaos, Being autistic and just a child in general, he thrived and excelled with his routines and schedules, and nothing was routine at that point. How much grief and fear did he experience? The loss of his dad, his world was upside down. During those two months, I continually asked to the point of pleading with Lori to let us visit JJ.

She only agreed once and then canceled. The trip was for JJ to attend Charles of Memorial Services back home in Louisiana. Our face-time calls, something that had been the norm, were cut shorter and shorter until our last call on August 10th of 2019 that lasted for 35 seconds. This is all started with her greed. Her greed for a $1 million life insurance policy and her lust for Chad. 72 days, that is how many days it took glory to take everything from JJ. He lost his dad, his home, his best friend. Bailey, his beloved big sister, and his life, all in 72 days. My sister said it best. My sister Susan

said it best. She killed him slowly by taking away everything that mattered. The following nine months were pure health. Nothing else can describe the feeling of not knowing where the children were. We were continually learning more about the evil that the defendant was involved with, and our fears continued to mount daily. 319. That's how many days from the last time we were able to FaceTime with JJ until the moment we learned that children had been found in Chad Daybill's backyard, buried like animals.

When the call came home, when the call came, a sound escaped me that only can be described as guttural. Our worst fears were confirmed and we were destroyed. The grief my family and I have endured. it is immeasurable. Lori cruelly took my big brother, Charles, my adorable grandson, JJ, and my beautiful niece, Tiley, and sweet Tammy, whose family I've come to know and love. Lori is undeniably a monster, a monster that has not taken any responsibility or shown an ounce of remorse for her vile actions. She deserves to never again breathe oxygen as a free member

of society. Her actions, dismissive behavior, and disinterest in court proceedings continue to validate her lack of accountability and remorse or any possibility to be rehabilitated. Lloyd Cox Daybill is a danger to society. Her body and manipulative mind are weapons used for her selfish greed and satisfaction. We firmly believe that she has zero mental illness. I'm going to have to object. I think the court ruled on this particular portion of her statement I'm going to ask that the court enforce that. Give me a moment. Let me review the section of the written PSI in the court's

previous order. The objections overruled, this is not the section the court struck from the statement so you can continue this would talk. We firmly believe that she has zero mental illness that drove her to commit these heinous acts. Rather, she is driven by her greed

and need to be the center of attention. During the trial, a jail call was played between Lori and her son Colby as she continued her manipulation. Today it feels especially poignant, quoting Lori. They have made all these judgments. They think they know what happened. They think they know who's responsible.

They think they know everything, but you don't know because you weren't there. And one day you will know, one day you will know what actually happened. Those are her words. It is the one truth that Lori has told since the beginning of her campaign of terror. we do know what actually happened and who is responsible, Lori. Today is the day that she will finally be punished for her manipulation, cruelty, and criminal acts. She has shown no remorse for the murders, the lying, the deceit, or the pain. During the trial, we heard Lori deflect and minimize her sister's grief.

We heard her exclaim that she was trying to go on with life, that she needed to be happy. All while she was dancing on the beach and her children were buried in Chad's backyard. Only someone with no remorse tries to justify the cold-blooded murder of her children with her needs. We wholeheartedly believe she was not only complicit, but was an active participant in both JJ and Tiley's murders, making her crimes even more reprehensible. Your Honor, my family and I pray for nothing. Okay. We trust your wisdom in determining the sentence for the fraud.

Sorry about that too. Strike that. Okay. We believe there should never be a reason for her to be released from prison. She deprived JJ, Tiley, and Tammy of that right, and should never be given what she so easily took from them. I'll leave with two final numbers. Three, for the three people who were murdered,

who we will never forget. And finally, the number one for the defendant, the person that will never matter again once we walk out the door. All right, Ms. Woodcock, thank you for the victim impact statement. Mr. Wood, are there any other statements to be offered into the record? Yes, Your Honor. I will, we have been asked to read, Ryan's statement of the record, and so I'll do that now.

Very well. As the older brother to Tiley Ryan, J.J. Valo, and the son of Charles Valo, I want to say the generations have been affected by these murders. My children will never know their uncle, their aunt or grandfather, or even their own grandmother. Tiley and JJ brought so much light into this world. With their lives being stolen, I would like to share this. I believe that nothing could or will ever be the same. Tiley will never have an opportunity to become a mother, wife, or have the career she was destined to have.

She'll never be able to have the life she deserved. JJ will never be able to grow and spread his light with this world the way he did. He will never have a chance to grow up. My girls will never have a chance to know them in this life. my siblings and father deserve so much more than this. I want them to be remembered for who they were and not to be just a spectacle or a headline to the world. Tiley was sweet and kind, funny and bold,

and she deserves to be seen as such. JJ was the most fun, sweet and silly kid I'd ever known, loving and so smart. He deserves to be seen as such. Charles was a loving, kind, and generous father, and he did everything he could to help and provide for everyone around him. He deserves to be seen as that. This has affected me personally more than I could ever possibly put into words. I've lost my entire family in life. I lost the opportunity to share life with the people I love the most. I've watched everything crumble and be shredded to pieces. I have lost my sister, brother, father and my mother. I've lost cousins and family, friends, and everything in between. These murders have changed everyone's life who loved these beautiful people,

but I still know that God is above holding them in his arms and will provide a life after this to reunite. I pray for healing for everyone involved, including those who took the lives of all the ones we love. Thank you. All right. The court's considered that statement as well at this point then. Mr. Wood, are there any other victim impact statements to read into the record? No. Very well. This time then, as I mentioned, I'll move forward and have the state make its sentencing recommendations. After that, then the defense may make their recommendations.

So Mr. Wood, you can commence with the state's sentencing recommendation at this time. Thank you. Your Honor, I want to start with the question. What is the value of a human life? What is the value of the life of a 16-year-old girl with her life ahead of her? What is the value of a life of a seven-year-old boy with special needs? What is the value of the life of a mother and a grandmother? No matter how we look at what we are doing here today,

we are calculating and assigning a value for the lives of Tiley Ryan, J.J. Valo and Tammy Daybell. The defendant, now a convicted murderer, by her heinous and egregious acts, has assigned a value of zero to each of these lives. The sentence imposed by the court today will represent the value that our community through our court places on the lives of these three victims. To the people of Idaho, this day should be more about the victims than the defendant. This court has multiple factors it must consider today, including the sentencing factors found in Idaho Code 19-2521. Justice requires the court to view all of the factors it will consider through the lives or through the lens of the value of the lives of Tyree, JJ, and Tammy. We echo the sentiments made by the victims or in the victim impact statements, and we just briefly speak. about these immediate victims.

Tyler Ryan was born on September 24th of 2002. She was murdered between September 8th and 9th of 2019. People who knew her called her witty, charming, intelligent. She'd received her GED in order to graduate early. We know she often cared for her brother. In evidence, we had videos of her with him, and she would call him my JJ. She loved Hawaii.

She loved the beach. She had friends and family who loved her very much on both her father and her mother's side. Her father was Joseph Ryan, who pre-deceased her in 2018. Her older brother is Colby Ryan with whom she shared a special bond. After Joseph Ryan died, Tyree, as his court knows, was the recipient of Social Security benefits. And she actually shared a lot of those with her brother Colby, because that's the type of person she was. In serving search warrants, we accessed her Instagram account

where we learned that she was intensely loyal to her own mother. From her finances, we know she was a typical teenager. She liked to have fun. She was also independent and responsible. J.J. Valo was born May 25th of 2012, and he was murdered between September 22nd and 23rd of 2019. As we heard earlier, he was initially born as Kane and Todd Trahan in less than ideal circumstances and was initially raised by his grandparents. He was then adopted by the defendant and her husband, Charles Valo.

He was loved by his family and friends. He loved to travel. Tammy Daybell was born May 4th, 1970, and she was murdered on October 19, 2019. She was a mother of five children, and she was not. now a grandmother. She was a school librarian and educator. We know from her phone and from witnesses, she loved her children intensely.

She was physically active, and she was kind. This court laid out the procedural history of the case. I'm just going to briefly touch on some dates that are important to the state and we think are important in terms of sentencing. The defendant met Chad Daybell in October of 2018, and within a year, her husband Charles Valor was dead, her children were dead, and her boyfriend's wife was dead. In late August, early September of 2019,

the defendant moved to Rexburg with Tiley and J.J. and her co-conspirator and brother Alex Cox. Tiley was last seen on September 8th, 2019, and JJ was last seen September 22nd, 2019. Tammy DeBell was last seen on October 19th. On November 5th, barely more than two weeks after Tammy was murdered, this defendant married her co-conspirator Chad Daybell. November of 2019, Rexburg police were contacted regarding a Jeep that was involved in a shooting in Maricopa County, Arizona. Later that month, JJ Valo was reported missing, and then investigation was furthered into Tammy's death. And law enforcement became aware that Tyler was missing.

On December 12th, Tammy Daybell was exhumed. The next day, Alex Cox, one of the defendants' co-conspirators, died in Arizona. At the end of that December, the search for the children became public, and there was no response from the defendant or her co-conspirator. In January of 2020, the defendant was served with an order to produce children, and there was no response. Charges were filed for abandonment of minor children. And I want to be clear, the defendant had a right to silence.

She did not have a right to disobey the order of the court to produce the bodies of her children. The Rexburg Police, the Fremont County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, the Idaho Attorney General's Office, devoted thousands of hours of work into looking for Tiley and JJ into investigating the death of Tammy Daybell. on June 9th, 2020, Tiley and JJ were found in the defendant's husband's backyard. On May 24th of 2021, the defendant was indicted by a grand jury for the crimes of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder

of Tiley Ryan and grand theft by deception, the murder of Tiley Ryan, the conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder of J.J. Vallow and grand theft by deception, the murder of J.J. Valo, the conspiracy to commit murder of Tammy DeVellon, and grand theft. And the defendant was convicted by a jury of her peers in Ada County on all counts on May 12th of this year.

This court is required to consider the factors in Idaho Code 19-2521 subparren A in sentencing. And that particular statute reads, the goals of sentencing include the primary consideration of the protection of society, followed by the possibility of risk reduction through rehabilitation, deterrence of the individual and the public generally, and punishment or retribution for wrongdoing, and the impact on the victim. I want to talk about protection of society. This defendant has proven by her actions that she is dangerous to society.

In Idaho alone, she was involved with three murders in a space of six weeks. While she's not convicted yet, I think the court can acknowledge that she faces two charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Maricopa County. Two of the murders in Idaho were her own children. This defendant violated the most sacred trust that exists in society, that between a mother and her children. And she did it for gain. She did it for money. A defendant who is willing to murder her own children.

is willing to murder anyone. Society can only be protected from this defendant by a life sentence without the chance of parole. There is no indication that upon murdering for financial gain, that she fills any remorse. The amount of murders in her ledger show us that she will seek to obtain money to murder again if released. And again, only a sentence of life without parole

will satisfy the court's mandate to protect society. courts required to consider risk reduction through rehabilitation. And it's tempting to just say there's no rehabilitation possible. What is rehabilitation? It's the process of restoring a person to normal and a constructive place in society. Some but some crimes render a criminal unable to fully be rehabilitated as a functioning member of society. some crimes are so heinous that you simply lose your place among the rest of us. Killing your own children and your boyfriend's wife are these types of crimes.

Rehabilitation requires remorse and acceptance of responsibility, and there is literally zero evidence that this defendant feels remorse or responsibility for her crimes. The court heard victims talk about her behavior at trial, and I think that was an indicator that she lacks remorse, that she lacks accountability. The only way to rehabilitate this defendant at any level is to make her face the consequences of her heinous crimes that she is committed, and that is only possible through a sentence of life in prison without any chance of release.

This court is required to consider deterrence of the individual and the public. Again, deterrence requires accountability. She has none. One thing that has been so shocking about these crimes, is where it happened. Vermont and Madison County, Idaho. These are fairly rural areas. These are low crime areas.

And I would note that this defendant, despite being labeled oftentimes by the media as a Rexberg, Idaho mother, is not a Rexford, Idaho mother. She's not from Rexford. She actually spent very little time here before she was arrested. And our community was left reeling by these crimes.

The sentence that the court imposes today will be a message. And these, the citizens of these two counties have a right to the message, don't come here and commit these crimes. The citizens of these counties don't live these type of lives and we don't want people to come here and commit these crimes. And this court has a responsibility to send that message to give a sentence that gives that deterrence. It's the state's position that only a sentence of life without parole will send the proper message of deterrence, both to this defendant and the public. And in the, in line with deterrence, if these crimes don't merit that type of sentence, the state's unaware of what kind of

crimes would. Finally, the court is required to consider punishment and retribution and the impact on the victim. The obvious impact of the defendant's crimes against Tiley Ryan, J.J. Vallow and Tammy Daybill was death. And we can't ask Tiley, J.J. and Tammy about that experience because they're gone. They don't have a voice. We can't ask them what it felt like to be murdered. We can't ask them about the impact of their last moments. We have to instead look at the evidence and glean what we can regarding the impact of the murder of Tiley, JJ, and Tammy.

This court sat through a trial. This court saw the same evidence that the state saw, that the defendant saw, the jury saw. This court was the custodian of that. And so this court has seen how horrific these crimes were. And I want to talk individually about the impact of these crimes on these victims. So what was the impact on Tyley? We don't even know how she died. And why is that?

because her body was mutilated. It was dismembered, and it was burnt beyond recognition. We only know for assurity that it was her because of DNA testing. Her body was utterly destroyed, and she was buried in a pet cemetery next to animals. Her skull was literally separated from her body, and it was destroyed in such a manner. We couldn't even tell 100% from dental records if it was her. The defendants put her body in a green bucket that melted from the heat of her burning flesh

and put it on top of her skull in a pet cemetery. The impact of this crime on this victim was horrendous. We know she had puncture wounds in her pelvis, and we know from the testimony of Dr. Christensen at trial, that those puncture wounds were received at or near the time of death, And they were consistent with stabbing, but not consistent with dismemberment. Again, the impact of the murder of Tiley was horrendous. And this impact will continue.

Tiley will never get to become a mother, as we heard earlier. She will never have the opportunity to go to college. She won't get to choose a career to satisfy her curiosity or make any of the other decisions that young adults get to make for themselves. She won't get to travel the world. She won't get to marry. She won't get to be there for her brother Colby or her brother JJ. She won't get to spend time with her other family members.

The impact of murder never ends. So the defendant's sentence must last equally as long. I want to talk about the impact on JJ Valo. Again, we can't speak to him, but we've seen the evidence. We know that he died from asphyxiation, from duct tape and a plastic bag wrapped around his head. The evidence showed there was a struggle. And what was the impact on that little boy's mind

as he fought for his life? His last moments must have been filled with fear and betrayal. And what is the impact of being buried like a piece of trash rather than receiving a proper burial? This defendant and her co-conspirators showed a callous disregard for human life by the demeaning way they treated his and his sister's bodies. Similar to Tiley, JJ will never get to grow up.

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percent off. Plus, if you subscribe, you'll get an additional 20 percent off. Discover your true age today. And convicted of such charge. I would know conspiracy is not a lesser included of murder. It is an equal charge. We know that because the sentencing by statute is equal. It is equally as bad to conspire to murder as it is to murder. It's bad enough to still someone else's spouse. This crime rose to a whole other level of egregiousness because this defendant planned with her boyfriend the death of his wife. And when her brother and boyfriend committed that actual murder, she was vacationing on a beach in Hawaii.

We don't know exactly what Tammy's last moments were like. We can't ask her. We know she had bruising on her body that appeared to be at or near the time of death. Like Tiley, like JJ, the impact on this victim continues. She won't get to spend time with her children. She can't give them advice. She can't be there for her grandchildren, her brothers, and her sister. She missed her mother's funeral.

The impact doesn't end with the individual and immediate victims. It spreads. It's the proverbial rock thrown in the lake that ripples and ripples and ripples. Murder tears at the fabric of society more than any other crime. Infanticide defies the law of nature. Mothers are meant to care for their children. When we consider the impact of the victim, it's appropriate for this court to consider the impact on the living victims as well.

So when we talk about punishment, it has to match the crime. Not only do we need to protect society, do what we can to rehabilitate and deter, the punishment has to match the crime. Punishment must be, because this was the ultimate crime, killing your own children, killing your boyfriend's wife, the punishment must be the ultimate allowed by the law.

And at this time, that is life sentences without parole. And we aren't asking that to be harsh. We're asking that because it's the right thing to do, because it's the only punishment that matches what this defendant did. I want to just briefly address some of the material found in the PSI. There are two mental health reports, one by Dr. Watson and one by Dr. Cunningham. Excuse me.

And so what's in them? They say that this defendant suffers from a delusional disorder. She has grandiose and persecutory features, which I would note is something that many serious criminal. have. It says she has hyper religiosity with bizarre beliefs. More important, though, than what's in those reports. I want to talk about what's not in them. These are bare bones reports with barely anything more than alleged diagnosis. There's no analysis of her behavior, and that's important to know, because psychologically, we can tell more from what a person does than what they say. There's zero evidence provided or in those reports the defendant's alleged mental illness contributed to her crimes.

There's zero evidence in those reports that the defendant's alleged mental illness hindered her ability to know right from wrong. And in fact, the evidence is overwhelming that she did know right from wrong. She lied to the police. She lied to family members and she lied to friends regarding the children of Tammy, even their close friends who they shared some of these religious beliefs with. They lied to about the death of the children. And what does that tell us? Well, it tells us that Tiley and JJ didn't die because their mom thought they were possessed. If she truly believed that, she would have preached it because she preached all the time. She didn't tell anyone that because she knew why she killed them. She killed them for money. Her actions show afterwards, not a pattern of grieving.

She goes on vacation to Hawaii. She gets married. In those reports, there's zero evidence provided of the defendant's mental state at the time of the crime. And again, all evidence shows that she was highly functioning at the time these crimes were committed. There's no evidence that she wasn't able to provide for her food, clothing, shelter, transportation. Again, she arranged a marriage. She arranged living in Hawaii. And further in these reports, there's no prognosis other than there is one prognosis that states the defendant will make a positive adjustment to prison. Well, that's good because that's where she belongs. And that's where she needs to go. Other than that, there's no treatment suggestions or discussion of possible treatment.

Again, we'd ask this court to look at the defendant's behavior more than anything she says. At trial, the defense made it clear that they see Chad Daybell as the primary antagonist and that he should be blamed for these crimes and not the defendant. That was in the closing. I want to be very clear. This court is precluded today from even engaging in any analysis. of that. Chad Daybell's guilt has not been determined yet. And this court cannot engage in some type of balancing analysis of guilt when he must be presumed innocent by this court until proven

guilty. Upon being proven guilty, we can have that conversation, but not now. And further, even if he had been determined guilty, this defendant was charged with conspiracy. This is not a comparative fault case. On a conspiracy, if you're in for a penny, you're in for a dollar. And there's an important societal reason. There's an important reason that society has done that. It's bad enough when a person decides to commit a crime, especially one that includes victims. When a person teams up with another person and they agree to commit crimes, they become infinitely more dangerous. And so there is no comparative guilt. There is no comparative guilt. There is no comparison. liability. This defendant has been found guilty by a jury, and that's all the court can consider in that regards.

I would note this case is a perfect example of why we punish conspiracy the way we do because of the damage that arose from these agreements to murder. So, Your Honor, for the sentence that the state recommends, before I state that, I ask this court to remember the victims. and what does justice for Tiley, JJ, and Tammy require? Note that the PSI made a recommendation. And it states, on January 3rd, 2023, the defendant's attorney filed a motion indicating they did not intend to raise a mental health defense. However, if she was convicted, they plan to submit information in support of mitigation during sentencing.

It seems important to note that while she has been diagnosed with the mental illness, she had the mental capacity to fabricate a story regarding the whereabouts of her children, change Tiley social security payments to her own account, plan a wedding to Mr. Daybell in Hawaii, attend a family vacation with Mr. Daybell's family, lie to them about not having minor children, and relocate to Hawaii. She did all this with the knowledge. Her children's bodies were buried on Mr. Daybell's property. Those closest to the defendant describe her as a loving and devoted mother.

They indicate both children loved her very much. A mother is meant to protect her children. However, the defendant has been found guilty of the brutal murder of her children. The focus should be that three innocent people, Tiley, JJ, and Mrs. Debel were murdered. The sheer devastation of all the lives impacted by her abhorrent actions warrants punishment. Therefore, it is recommended she was sentenced to a period of incarceration under the custody of the Idaho State Board of Correction. This court is aware PSI writers don't give specific recommendations for what time an individual should spend in prison, but the state does have that. This court is aware that the state's position has always been that justice requires this defendant face the highest level of punishment for her crimes, which at this point is a life without parole sentence.

The heinous nature of her crimes and the aftermath of those crimes show an utter and callous disregard for human life. She committed these crimes for remuneration and financial gain, and she has shown no remorse or accountability, and she sees herself as being above the law. She has shown contempt for these proceedings and the process of justice for her children and for Tammy Daybill. At this time, again, the ultimate punishment is fixed life sentences without the chance of parole. And so specifically, for count one, for the conspiracy to murder Ty Lee Ryan and commit grant theft, the state act. asked and request a sentence of fixed life without the chance of parole. For count two, the murder of Tiley Ryan.

The state requests a sentence of fixed life without the chance of parole to run concurrent with the fixed life sentence for count one. For count three, the conspiracy to murder J.J. Valo and to commit grand theft by deception, the state requests a sentence of fixed life without the chance of parole to run consecutive to the fixed life sentences for count what's one and two.

consecutive sentences are justified here by the severity of the crimes, the fact that it involves different victims, and there was an appreciable amount of time between the murders of Tiley and JJ. For count four, the murder of J.J. Valo. The state asked for a sentence of fixed life without the chance of parole to run concurrent with the fixed life sentence for count three, but consecutive to the fixed life sentences for counts one and two. For count five, the conspiracy,

to murder Tammy Daybell. The state requests a sentence of fixed life without the chance of parole to run consecutive to the fixed life sentences previously requested. And for Count seven grand theft, the state requests the full sentence of 20 years. Pursuant to Idaho Code 195307, we request a fine of $5,000 to be paid to the next of kin of Tiley and JJ.

I would note that Idaho Code 19-53 7 includes a list of crimes, violent crimes for which that payment to a victim may be granted. And it includes murder, but does not include conspiracy to commit murder. However, we'd also note that under Idaho code, the punishment for murder is the same as the punishment, or I'm sorry, the punishment for conspiracy is the same for the punishment to commit murder. And so we'd ask for a $5,000 fine to be paid to the next again of Tammy Daybell. we'd ask for an order of restitution to the United States of America Treasury in the amount of $22,000, $545,000, which amount was proven at trial to be the amount that was stolen from the Department of Treasury. I would note, Your Honor, compared to these other crimes, a grant theft does not seem like a big deal, but I would note that in context of these crimes, this grand theft is a big deal.

It shows her contempt, not only for her children, shows her contempt for everybody else, because that money belongs to everyone. Finally, pursuant to Idaho Code 18-112, we would ask for fines of $50,000 for each count of conspiracy and murder for a total of $250,000 in fines. The state is essentially asked for the maximum sentence allowed under the law. The sentence is not only justified, it is necessary to satisfy the four goals. of sentencing in Idaho. A sentence less than what the state has requested will not satisfy those goals. And I want to end your honor where I began. What is the value of a life? What is the value of Tiley Ryan's life? What is the value of J.J. Valo's life? And what is the

value of Tammy Davils' life? Our communities and the people we represent, the value is great. it is immense and it is immeasurable. No sentence given today will bring those victims back to their loved ones. There is no true justice for murder, so we have to do the best we can. And any sentence that would allow this defendant to even hope for release from prison would send a message that these communities don't value the victim's lives appropriately. Again, in regarding the goals of sentencing, we request this court, make its decision pursuant to those goals and through the lens of what justice requires for Tiley,

JJ, and Tammy. These crimes were heinous. They were egregious. Again, she murdered her own children. They had a right to depend on her. Tiley and JJ had a right to be protected by her. She betrayed their trust in the most awful and horrific way imaginable. She profited from those murders.

The defendant conspired to murder. a boyfriend's wife. It wasn't enough to steal or to break the marriage. She wanted Tammy dead. And why? Well, there were $430,000 that they profited from from that. And so what does justice for Tiley, JJ, and Tammy require? It requires this defendant never have a chance for freedom

because her victims no longer have that. This defendant forfeit the remainder of her life to prison, because her victims were forced to forfeit their lives. What is the value of a life? Thank you. One of your sentence on that, and I just wanted to clarify, I believe the maximum possible under Idaho's grand theft statute is 14 years. That's correct, Your Honor. I apologize. It is 14 years. We would ask for the maximum 14 years.

All right. Thank you, Mr. Wood. This is the sentencing hearing. We took a mid-morning break. the state concluded its sentencing recommendations and the defense may now present there's the court would also thank everyone for complying with the conduct order in effect and not having any disturbances throughout the morning I appreciate everyone continuing to comply with that order with that in mind then Mr. Thomas is the defense ready to present their recommendations we are your honor all right mr. Thomas you can proceed honor some some 20 years ago I was sworn into the bar and took a sacred oath to uphold the Constitution.

And part of upholding that Constitution is making sure that the state meets their burden on criminal cases. They're required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt every aspect of the case. And I used to be a prosecutor back in the day, 20 years ago. I understand the burden and I understand the weight that they carry.

I enjoyed the job, but it was a bit of a commute. And after a couple of years, I found a job that was closer to home, gave me a little more opportunity to be with my family. And so I took the job, but I was going to be a job as a public defender. And it was hard. I was torn because people would come to me and they would say, you know, how can you do that? How can you represent people that are charged with such horrible and terrible things? And so I went to my wife, one of my best and greatest counselors, and I said, what do you think of all this?

And she told me, John, I don't think Jesus Christ was a prosecutor. He is our greatest advocate. And I sit beside Lori Valo, and I hope and pray for words that he would have me say. And so I've reflected upon this day and this hour for a long time, several weeks. And the message that I think I need to tell the court and the recommendation that I need to give to the court regarding Ms. Valo, is a message of peace and love and joy and hope. First of all, peace. There are so many victims in this case. So many lives have been touched in the negative way.

There is devastation and destruction surrounding this case, three deaths. And my heart aches. It truly does. as does the rest of my team, Jim and Brandon and all of our experts. We ache with the victims in this case. There's a lot of hurt surrounding this case, and not just the direct victims. As the court is well aware,

there are cousins and uncles and aunts and people just in the general public who have been touched by this case. And that hurt can sometimes be manifest as hate. And I think that Lori Debeau is probably the most hated woman in America right now, and maybe in the world. But that hate will never bring closure to the victims.

That hate will never bring about the healing to those who are hurt by this case. And hate will never bring about peace. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. So how do we stop the hurt and the pain and the loss?

And I've heard from a number of people today who've talked about JJ, never being able to reach his milestones or his 21st birthday or we wouldn't know what Tiley was going to be when she grew up. We'll never see her playing in the front yard with her children. We'll never know. We'll never know what Tammy's students make of themselves as they grow up. But we need peace to replace the hurt. and that peace and that healing will only come about by love and compassion. And I hope that each person that's touched by this case,

whether they're a family member or a friend or just someone who has followed this case from the beginning, I hope they can heal and find some semblance of peace again because this world needs peace, which brings me to love. And I think that's how we're going to get back to peace. and Lori, if she could speak to each one of those people who have been hurt by this case or been affected by this case in an active way, her message would be one of love. Her motto is love is the key.

And Lori is a very misunderstood person. People that know her, and I mean really know her, get the chance to know her, the way that I did, the way that her family, knows her. They would know that she is about love. Now, Lori and I didn't always get along. We, our team has had tension and frustration and a lot of misunderstanding. But overwhelmingly, an overarching concept behind Lori and everything that she says to us and everything that she does is love. So if you get to know Lori, you'd find that she's a very different person than she

plays on TV. She's kind. She's loving. She's caring. She's very witty. She's insightful. She's smart. And if you talk to people that knew her prior to 2018, prior to this whole crazy event, series of events, you'll hear about a wonderful person who is active in her church, who was active in our community, who loved her children, very active in their lives. You'll hear people who talk about how great she was with their children in her church, in her church callings,

in her neighborhood. She was a great mother to her kids. Her son Colby, in fact, testified at trial that she was a great mother when he was growing up. She has redeeming values. Kay Woodcock saying her praises today, that Lori was a great mom and that Kay allowed JJ Canaan to be adopted by

Lori and Charles. And there's a lot of confusion and there's a lot of misunderstanding about how this ultimately came to pass. And that's probably not going to change anytime soon. there will be a lot of misunderstanding and a lot of confusion for a while. This brings me to my last topic of healing, and that is of hope. So what is hope? Well, hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

So what do we want to happen in this case? I think the court is well aware of the four goals of sentencing pursuant to Idaho Code 192521. The first and foremost is the protection of society. The second most important is rehabilitation and then deterrence of the individual and the public generally. And finally, the least important, according to statute, is that a punishment. Now, first-degree murder is first-degree murder, and conspiracy carries the same punishment. Under Title 18, 4-004, and I quote, the court shall impose a life sentence with a minimum period of confinement of not less than 10 years, during which the period of confinement of the offenders shall not be eligible for parole or discharge or credit or reduction of sentence for good conduct.

except for meritorious service. So those are the two guiding principles that we have to look at. And I know the court's well aware of this. This isn't necessarily for the court's edification. But I think we have to think about how are we going to heal the hurt and the pain and the devastation of this case with hope? How do we reconcile the four goals of sentencing in Idaho Code 192521 and the requirements of punishment in 18400?

for with hope. Well, we and collectively, I'm talking about the court, the prosecution, and the defense collectively, have saved the life of the defendant. I don't think the court nor the prosecution or the defense team should take credit or blame for the death penalty being taken off the table as a possible punishment.

In my opinion, it was a collective effort. An effort that led to the court's decision, it was a necessary outcome to a series of events that no one person can be credited or blamed. We saved her life. And that is a win. That's a win for all humanity. So now what do we do? Court can, as the state requests, find a sentence appropriate of fixed life without parole.

That certainly meets the protection of society and punishment. the first and last goals of sentencing. However, if the court so chooses, the court can also give the defendant a fixed term of years to serve in prison, followed by an indeterminate term of life. And after great deliberation and thought, we would ask the court to sentence Ms. Velo, Daybell, to a 20-year fixed term with an indeterminate term of life.

We believe that that meets all the goals of sentencing with an added bonus of hope. So why would we give the defendant any hope at all? Are we rewarding her? I don't think so. It's not about her. Giving her hope, it's for us. It's for everyone in this courtroom.

It's for everyone watching on the internet. It's for everyone who's going to watch this on television. It's for everyone who lives and breathes outside the walls of prison. Her hope will benefit society. In our opinion, if you give her fixed life, you will have essentially thrown her away. She has no incentive to rehabilitate. There is no deterrent to her or anyone else. the punishment portion is final and all-encompassing.

However, if we give her hope, we protect society by keeping her behind bars well into her 70s, but she has the incentive to be a model prisoner. She has the incentive to help those women that she interacts with in prison, and over time, she changes her behavior, her routines become habits, and she helps other inmates.

She becomes a better person. And as these inmates interact with her, this better version of Lori DeBell, they become better people as they reenter society. Without hope, the likelihood of success in reaching any of the goals of sentencing other than punishment is very low, if not non-existent. Governor, we live in the greatest country in the world. We can do this. We can't bring JJ back.

You will never reach those milestones. We can't bring Tiley back. She'll never have children of her own. And we can't bring Tammy back. she'll never visit with her grandkids or or teach a young student in the library or in her computer class. But we can try to bring others up who go to prison to a higher level than they are when they went in.

And I think that's important. And I think that's a testament to JJ and to Tiley and to Tammy. I think that gives them something to carry on in the future. Forgetting about Lori Daybell is not the way that we're going to heal. Remembering JJ, remembering Tiley, remembering Tammy, and allowing Lori to be the best person that she can be in a prison setting to help other people in that prison setting. that's how we're going to get the benefit out of Lori.

The benefit to society of giving Lori Daybill hope far outweighs any detriment. And what do we have to lose by giving a woman in her 70s an opportunity to go before parole board and to ask for release? There's not even any guarantee that she will be released in her 70s. But that hope is what's going to be. to drive progress in this case. So in summation, we need to heal in order to have peace. Peace comes through love.

Love is manifested in this case through hope. We ask the court to show mercy and look to the future. We ask the court for a 20-year fixed term plus life indeterminate. concurrent for all five counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. We would ask the court to give Lori Daybill a 14-year concurrent sentence for the grand theft to run concurrent with each one of the other charges. We can do this, Judge. We can move forward towards peace again and heal, which is what we really need to do.

Thank you, Your Honor. All right, thank you for the recommendations, Mr. Thomas. All right, Ms. Vallow, before I impose sentence, if you choose, you may address the court. This is known as the right of allocution, which permits you to make a statement on your own behalf or present any information and mitigation of the punishment for the crimes you've committed. And let me inquire at this time. Do you wish to address this court? All right, very well, you may make your statement. I would like to start by quoting John from the New Testament. in the Bible. In John

8, verse 7, Jesus says, He that is without sin among you, let him cast first cast a stone at her. Then in verse 15, Jesus says, ye judge after the flesh, I judge no man.

And yet if I judge, my judgment is true. Jesus knows me. And Jesus understands me. I mourn. with all of you who mourn my children and Tammy. Jesus Christ knows the truth of what happened here. Jesus Christ knows that no one was murdered in this case. Accidental deaths happen. Suicides happen.

Fatal side effects from medications happen. I have a different perspective in life. because in 2002, when I was pregnant with Tiley, I died in the hospital while in labor with her. They tried to stop my labor. They put me on the table and they put something in my IV, and I felt my spirit falling to the floor. I was standing near my pregnant body watching the doctors try to revive me, which took them a few minutes. In that time, my sister Stacy was standing to my left. I turned to hug her and was surprised that her spirit was as tangible as a physical body because I knew I was in spirit and she was in spirit.

She said she needed to show me some things and we went to heaven. I later returned to my body. Because of this experience, I have access to heaven and the spirit world. Since then, I have had many communications from people. now living in heaven, including my children, Tiley Ashland and Joshua Jackson, my sisters, Stacey and Lolly, my aunts and my uncles and my grandparents. I have had many communications with Jesus Christ, the Savior of this world, and our heavenly parents. I've had many angelic visitors have come and communicated with me and even manifested

themselves to me. Because of these communications, I know for a fact that my children are happy and busy in the spirit world. Because of my communications with my friend Tammy Daybell, I know that she is also very happy and extremely busy. I have always mourned the loss of my loved ones, and I have lost many in this mortal world. However, I know more than most people. I know where they are now and what they're doing. I know how wonderful heaven is, and I'm homesick for it every single day.

I know we all lived in heaven before we were born on Earth, and we were all adult spirits in the heavenly realm. We chose to come to Earth as mortals. heaven is more wonderful than you can possibly imagine. I do not fear death, but I look forward to it. I did not want to return to my body when I was out of it. Even though my son Colby, who I adored more than anything, was only six years old at the time,

and I was about to give birth to this new baby girl that I wanted so badly. I was a young mother, and you would think I wouldn't want to leave my children, but as I stood in heaven, I did not want to go back. I thought they would be fine without me because I was peaceful and I was happy and I was home. But then I was told by Jesus that I needed to go back and complete things that I had covenanted or promised to do before I was born. This caused me a lot of distress because I knew heaven was my real home. And I only wanted to be there. I was free from pain, emotional and physical.

But then I was shown how I would help my children and others in the future. So ultimately, I did agree to go back to my body. Tiley has visited me. She is happy and very busy. Tiley is free now from all the pains of her life. Tiley suffered horrible physical pain her whole life. I sat with Tiley in the hospital year after year after year while she screamed in pain when the morphine wasn't even enough to take away the pain of her pancreatitis.

I sat there while she cried and I held back her hair while she threw up. And I am the only person on this earth who knows how much Tiley suffered in her life. She had pain every single day. She never felt good. Her body did not work right. And I don't know if that was from complications, from me dying while she was being born or something else, but she had a very difficult life.

She was sexually abused by her own biological father since she was three years old, and she was forced by family court to go visit him for 10 years against her will. I fought for her. In court, I protected her. I tried to protect her with her. my whole life, I tried to protect her. I worried about her every single day.

Tiley had to get her GED because she couldn't go to school every day because she never felt good. She felt sick. Nobody knows this because Tiley, like myself, tries to put on a good front, tries to be a happy person, tries to have hope in life, tries to know that she's here for a purpose

and that she has an eternal purpose to be on this earth. But I never stop. stopped worrying about her. One of the times that Tyler came to me as a spirit after she died, she said, she commanded me, and she said to me, stop worrying, Mom, we are fine. She knows how I worry and how I miss her. The first time JJ visited me after he passed away,

he put his arm around me, and he said to me, You didn't do anything wrong, Mom. I love you. And I know you loved me every minute of my life. JJ, Joshua Jackson, was an adult spirit. And he was very, very tall when he put his arm around me. He is busy. He is engaged.

He has jobs that he does there. And he is happy where he is, where he is. His life was short, but JJ's life was meaningful. J.J. was a wonderful person and touched the lives of everyone, and I adored him every minute of his life. My eternal friend Tammy Daybell has visited me on several occasions. She came to bring me peace and comfort, and I know that she is extremely busy helping her family, especially her children and grandchildren. And I have a great love for Tammy. My beautiful children, Tiley Ashlyn and Joshua Jackson, rest safely this day in the arms of Jesus. My wonderful friend Tammy Daybell rest safely this day in the arms of Jesus.

And I look forward to the day when we are all reunited and I too will rest with them in the arms of my Jesus. All right, Ms. Fellow. Thank you for your comments to the court. Let me ask at this time, Ms. Vallow, are you fully satisfied with the representation you've received from your attorneys throughout this case? Yes. Thank you. Ms. Vallow, based on the jury's verdict of guilty in this case, it is the judgment of this court that you're guilty of the following counts of the amended indictment. Count one, conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Tiley Ryan and grant theft by deception. Count two, first degree murder of Tiley Ryan.

Count three, conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Joshua Jackson, Valo, and grand theft by deception. Count four, first degree murder of Joshua Jackson Valo. Count five, conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Tamara, Tammy, Daybell, and count seven, grand theft. Carefully reviewed the record of this case, beginning with your prior criminal history. very notably you're 50 years old these are the first criminal convictions ever had i will know however in addition to these convictions have two additional conspiracy to commit first-degree murder cases pending in arizona and it's somewhat incredible in this case that saying you've gone from no criminal history in your life

having been convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and you continue to face more additional counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in another state. I've looked at the recommendations in the pre-sentence investigation report. It ultimately recommends a prison sentence, stating, quote, incarceration under the custody of the Idaho Board of Correction. Normally, the court would have some additional information

to rely on in fashioning its sentence. including the benefit of recommendations based on a gain evaluation, substance abuse report, health review, other reports. However, who elected not to cooperate with the pre-sentence investigation. As I would note on page 23 of the pre-sentence investigation report, it states, quote,

Lori Valo-Dabell intends to remain silent during the pre-sentence investigation process. She has the packet, but does not intend to answer any, questions of evaluators or investigators. No attempts were made to complete the court-ordered screenings due to her refusal. I'm advising you that that was your choice to not cooperate in the pre-sentence investigation, but it left me without some additional information that potentially could have been mitigating in your case. And as I proceed with the sentencing, I'll note those deficiencies in the information I normally would have in a pre-sentence investigation report. As has been mentioned by both sides here, the court has to consider certain sentencing objectives when I sentence somebody and these are set out in cases including state versus two Hill, which is a court of appeals case, 103 Idaho's 565 and it's been adopted by our Supreme Court as well.

And I have to consider for main objectives, number one, the protection of society, which is the primary objective. of two deterrence of the individual and public generally, three, possibility of rehabilitation and for punishment or retribution for wrongdoing. That states or case states, moreover, it's clear as a matter of policy in Idaho. The primary consideration is the good order and protection of society.

All other factors must be subservient to that end. I've also reviewed and considered the criteria set forth in an Idaho statute, 1925-21 on the question of whether or not you should be confined to prison and to what extent. That statute sets out a variety of factors I have to consider in weighing whether a long prison term here would be appropriate. Some of the attorneys cited already to some of the provisions of that statute. And again, it talks about the primary consideration of the protection of society and also talks about the impact on the victim, the possibility of risk reduction through rehabilitation and deterrence are also to be considered.

There are some factors laid out in that statute that are not necessarily controlling, but weigh in favor against either imprisonment or in this case where imprisonment's required and extensive imprisonment term. Some of those factors under part two of this statute is the defendant's criminal conduct, neither cause nor threatened harm, which is clearly not the case here. That the defendant did not contemplate the conduct would cause or threatened harm. Again, that would not apply here. The defendant's criminogenic needs indicate the defendant will benefit from supervision and treatment in the community.

That's unavailable as community treatment can't occur with a minimum prison sentence required here. Another factor were there substantial grounds, tending to excuse or justify the defendant's criminal conduct, though failing to establish a defense. I don't find those apply given the facts of this case. Other factors, the victim of the defendant's criminal conduct induce or facilitated the commission of the crime. That did not occur here.

Another part talks about compensation, which I don't find would be appropriate here other than on the grand theft charge. Part G, the defendant has no history of, prior delinquency or criminal activity or has led a law-abiding life for a substantial period of time before the commission of the present crime. That is the single most mitigating factor I see in this case. Again, it's unbelievable that at your age, you have no prior criminal history and now you sit here convicted of the most serious charges. I also have to consider whether the criminal conduct

was the result of circumstances unlikely to recur. Based on the evidence in this case, and in particular, considering the statement you just made to the court, I find it weighs against me finding in renegation for that factor. And then finally, the character and attitudes of the defendant indicate the commission of another crime is unlikely, or the defendant demonstrates a mean ability to treatment. So those are the mitigating factors.

Then in aggravation, we have more factors, to consider, is there an undue risk that during the period of a suspended sentence or probation, the defendant would commit another crime harmful to another person? Would a lesser sentence depreciate the seriousness of the defendant's crime? Will imprisonment provide appropriate punishment and deterrent to the defendant? Will imprisonment provide an appropriate deterrent for other persons in the community and a factor that would not apply here is the defendant a multiple offender or professional criminal.

I don't have an LSI score, which is one value I can look at to help determine whether or not you'd be likely to reoffend. I don't have that because you wouldn't cooperate with the report. So considering here that you've lived a law-abiding life and for a long time, you were obviously a good mother, sister, daughter,

and friend to many people. I have to take that into account. You've served a very long time of local jail over 1,200 days, and the report is you've been a great inmate, never caused a problem for anyone in the jail. And you should be commended for that. And that also shows that you are capable of that. I believe your counsel, when they tell me you're an intelligent person,

up until all these events began to transpire. You've achieved goals in your life. You've done important things in your life. And I'd note that despite some of the comments here today, I have found that during my interactions with you throughout this long case, including your trial, you've been respectful of the court. Do we know what this beeping is that keeps going off?

Sorry. All right. The court will next consider and I think it must be considered in mitigation that you do have mental health issues. I've dealt with those throughout the context of this case where there were commitment proceedings. I've reviewed those reports

and have that personal information from having gone through the determinations of whether or not you were competent or fit to stand trial. The most current diagnosis the court has is from Dr. Watson from February of this year, states you suffer from, and I'll quote, delusional disorder, mixed type with bizarre content and

hyper-religiosity, continuous and unspecified personality disorder with histrionic and narcissistic features. So obviously a very complex diagnosis that's been made here, whether or not that can or how it would be treated. I think by all accounts is unknown at this time. I've reviewed your personal history, including statements from your own immediate family. members and it's clear something radically changed in you that led you to where you are today. In a statement made in the pre-sentence investigation report, your mother stated it perhaps best and said that you are not now, quote, the person she knew. The record in this case, including all the evidence I observed during the jury trial,

indicates that if it wasn't already occurring, that this relationship with the co-defendant seem to be a catalyst for the change. At this point, I'll note that I will not be making comments on any other co-defendants in this case, as your co-defendant is currently presumed innocent in awaiting trial. And some, there are significant mitigating factors the court has to consider here when I consider you and your life as a whole, and that does make the case difficult. Typically, when I see somebody to be sentenced and they don't have a, prior criminal history, they're given opportunities to first prove themselves on probation or avoid a lengthy term of incarceration.

However, of course, some crimes are so serious that even with mitigation, there is no other reasonable option except for a prison term and a long prison term. And sadly, you've been convicted of and have committed the most serious crimes possible. and those crimes also require an equally serious punishment. So this is the part where I will consider what I think are the factors in aggravation. I went through those factors in the statute that I look at, and as I'll explain, I find that five of those factors weigh against you and in favor of a lengthy period of imprisonment. First, the case itself, I'll discuss that.

was a lot of pretrial litigation in the case. You decided to take your case to a jury trial. I will state and emphasize that I firmly believe it's the right of every person in our country to exercise their right to a jury trial and they're afforded the full due process of the law. It's been somewhat disheartening to me to realize that there are many people who think

that they can predetermine a case and somebody shouldn't be afforded their full rights of due process for They are convicted of a crime. Well, I didn't make all of the rules that govern criminal cases, but I took an oath to uphold the rules that are there, and I make every effort to ensure that people's due process is protected because that's an important duty of mine.

Everyone has a right to be presumed innocent, and everyone in a criminal case does have a right to a jury trial. Sometimes I feel like maybe too many cases settle, And there should be more trials because it's a right. People are entitled to exercise. You exercise that right and I in no way hold it against you that you decided to have your case determined by a jury. That's your right and it does not impact or influence my decision in sentencing. Before trial, I did not delve into all of the evidence or facts of this case and only address those when necessary to make rulings on motions because I wanted to keep objective through the preceding. and remain impartial.

You were afforded all of your due process in this case and ultimately after presentation of the evidence, a jury did find you guilty on all counts. I bring that up now because when there is a trial, I learn and see all of the facts along with the jurors. And that's a different scenario than when someone enters a plea and I'm only allowing argument in a sentencing and not sitting through the evidence as I did here.

Having considered all of the evidence that I saw at trial along with the jurors, it's been a difficult task for me to narrow down and articulate all of the aggravating factors because really there are so many here. Murder is the most serious offense. And the most unimaginable type of murder is to have a mother murdering her own children and that's exactly what you did. you were involved in and guilty of conspiring to murder another group of children's mother, Tammy Daybell, who had children of her own. And despite the jury convicting you with overwhelming evidence, you still sit here before the court today and said, you didn't do it. You came here to East Idaho, where I've spent my life and moved here from another place already with plans in progress. to make your children disappear. The evidence bore that out at trial.

You removed your children from their home in Arizona, alienated them from friends and family, got rid of JJ's service dog. You moved to Rexburg, a community where you could find a thousand random families to take your children, and you brought them here to murder them. You had so many other options. You could have gotten divorced.

You could have found someone to take care of those kids. But as the state was able to prove at trial, you chose the most evil and destructive path possible. You killed those children, according to the state's theory, and I believe it, to remove them as obstacles and to profit financially. You justified all of this by going down a bizarre religious rabbit hole, and clearly you are still, down there. While you were enjoying your new life in Hawaii, countless law enforcement officers, family members, and volunteers were searching for your children. And I don't think to this day you have any remorse for the effort and heartache you caused for others who looked for your children when you knew where they were and knew they were

dead. They were found dead, earned, mutilated, and dismembered, and buried like animals. After you knew they were dead, you collected public-funded assistance payments meant for them, and that was blood money you kept for yourself. And that's the grand theft charge you've been convicted of. your sister, your son talked to you, begged with you while you were in the jail during phone calls I heard at trial. And those were very sad and difficult calls to hear. And you didn't provide any assistance or comfort to them. During the trial, when the evidence came out about how these children were found in the state they were in, you wanted to be excused and not have to watch the evidence and were fine to let all the other people in the courtroom, including the jurors, have to bear through that.

However, I ruled that you did have to sit and watch and see the result of your heinous crimes. The jurors in your case fulfilled their duty admirably, all 18 jurors we had because we had. had alternates, went through the entire trial, and faithfully fulfilled all their obligations and all the instructions. So we were able to get impartial jurors who weren't already tainted by pretrial publicity to decide your case.

And I do thank the jurors publicly for the service they rendered. Those jurors I noted during the trial were very good at keeping their motions in check and keeping stone faced as their. supposed to do and be objective until the case is done and submitted. However, I did note at certain times during the trial, such as when there were videos and pictures shown of you in Hawaii at this time frame when JJ and Tiley were lying in shallow graves,

the disgust on the faces of those jurors was evident and shocking revelations about what happened here just kept coming through the trial. The crime scene was a horrific thing to have to review. And there's images that I will never get out of my mind. And I'm just looking at the pictures. Law enforcement officers who had to deal with the aftermath of what you did, I'm sure were traumatized. And I know it was traumatic as well for the jurors who had to sit through

and see the photographs of these dead and mutilated and buried children. for those people who loved and cared about JJ and Tiley and Tammy Daybell to have to see those photographs of them through trial of their dead and desecrated bodies must have been devastating. Tammy Daybell was murdered as a result of your conspiracy. She was by all accounts, a healthy, happy mother and wife through a lot of her life and you were out shopping for wedding rings to marry her husband while she was still alive. You were planning a wedding to her husband while she was still alive.

You haven't shown any remorse for any of those actions. And she ended up being murdered, buried, had to be disinterred later, so an autopsy could be performed in order to prove the evidence of what you had done. She didn't deserve any of that. You took her life away. You destroyed that family, fractured it to the point where in the information I've had through the PSI, there are relationships that will probably never be mended that have rippled as a result of what's happened. JJ and Tiley, of course, seven years old, 16 years old were separate people whose lives were cut way too short because of you,

never got to grow up and be adults. the family and friends who have provided their impact statements, of course, have stated it better than I could about who they were, and it is a loss for everyone that you took them away from this world. And it is the most shocking thing, really, I can imagine, is that a mother killed her own children, and you simply have no remorse for it. Even sitting here today, there's no remorse for what you did. After all of this evidence through trial, you haven't shown any remorse. You haven't said, you're sorry. You haven't done anything to seek leniency from this court. There's been a lot of people during trial and here who explain the devastation you're responsible for, and you've

forever altered the lives not in a good way for many, many people, destroying family relationships. taking people away that were loved, cared for, and needed. You may not believe to this day that you've done anything wrong and you still may think you're justified by your religious beliefs for what happened here. I'm not here to judge that, but I don't believe that any God in any religion would want to have this happened, what happened here. and your crimes are heinous and egregious, and that alone can constitute a major aggravating factor that requires me to impose a serious length of incarceration.

So after weighing all those factors, I need to an aggravation. I find that the sentences I'm about to impose will serve the interest of justice by, number one, preventing you from ever doing this again, that they will not depreciate the seriousness of your crimes, will punish you appropriately, and will serve to deter both you and others. So that concludes the aggravating factors the court considered. At this time then, I am prepared to pronounce sentence.

Mr. Thomas, Mr. Archibald and the defendant, would you please rise for the pronouncement of sentence? Based on all the relevant circumstances, including the evidence and recommendations presented in court today, it's the judgment of this court. Ms. Vallow, you'll be sentenced as follows. Well, first note, I'm going to take up the counts out of order as I want to address the substantive murder sentences first.

So on count two, the charge you were convicted of, the first degree murder of Tiley Ryan, you are sentenced to the custody of the State Board of Corrections to serve the maximum allowed sentence of fixed determinant term of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. On count four, the charge of the first degree murder of Joshua Jackson-Vallow. You are sentenced to the custody of the State Board of Corrections to serve the maximum allowed sentenced a fixed,

determinant life imprisonment sentence with no possibility of parole. I'll next address the three conspiracy counts you've been convicted of. Note under Idaho Code 181701, the punishment for those crimes is the same as the underlying offense as you combine to commit. The offenses you combine to commit with first degree murder, so those may be punishable also by imprisonment for life. I look at what the appropriate sentences should be for the conspiracy charges. At first, I wondered if they should be as long of a term or serious as the substantive murder charges. However, what I've concluded is that these conspiracy convictions merit the same grave punishment for several reasons. First, the conspiracies in which you engaged in have had far-reaching impacts on many people besides the deceased victims.

And with what the courts heard, I am convinced that the conspiracy charges also merit the same serious sentence. So on count one, the conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of Tiley Ryan and grand theft by deception, sentenced to the custody of the State Board of Corrections to serve the maximum allowed sentence to fixed determinant. term of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. Count three, the conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Joshua Jackson, Vallow, and grand theft by deception. Sentence to the custody of the State Board of Corrections to serve the maximum allowed sentenced a fixed determinant,

term of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. And on count five, the conspiracy to commit the first degree murder of Tamara Tammy Daybell, your sentence to the custody of the State Board of Corrections to serve the maximum allowed sentence, a fixed determinant term of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. Finally, the court will address count seven, which is the charge of grand theft. On that charge, court is going to sentence you to a fixed determinant term of five years of prison, followed by an indeterminate term of five years of prison for a total 10-year term of imprisonment

on the grand theft. Court will next consider whether sentences should be imposed consecutively or concurrently. I generally don't, I'm a pragmatic person, and I've struggled with the point of a consecutive sentence when in Idaho life sentence is just that, a life sentence without parole. and I've thought it through. However, when I looked at this case and the more I thought about it, I've determined that because there are three separate murders with three separate victims that occurred at three separate times,

then running counts concurrently would not serve the interests of justice because those crimes all need to be taken into account separately and distinctly and individually. And you need to be held accountable. countable separately for each of the three murders. So on those counts, the court will run consecutively the count two murder of Tiley Ryan,

consecutive to count four, the murder of Joshua Jackson, Valo, and count five will run consecutive to count two and four, the conspiracy to commit first degree murder of Tamara Tammy Daybell. So three consecutive life terms, terms of prison. The remaining counts will be concurrent

to the counts that are consecutive. The court will impose fines as requested by the state in the amount of $25,000 for all counts, except the grand theft on the grand theft. The fine will be in the amount of $1,000. The court will assess the civil penalty that was requested and I find it's appropriate under Idaho Code 19503 of $5,000 per victim on each of the three victims as a civil penalty.

And then finally, the restitution, which was requested by the state. Mr. Wood, if you could reiterate that number 22,000 of what the restitution term is. And I want to inquire if there's any other restitution being sought by the state. That's your honor. I believe I said 22,545. And the state would ask for an additional 30 days to submit any further restitution for the victims, living victims who have been deemed as such by this court.

Court will assess that restitution on the grand theft charge of $22,545 as shown through the evidence of trial. And the court will allow 30 days for additional restitution requests, but that will be waived if it's not submitted timely. That will conclude the court sentencing on the charges. Mr. Thomas, do you have any questions on the sentence? No, Your Honor, thank you. All right, Mr. Wood, do you have any questions?

No, thank you. All right, counsel, before we conclude and Ms. Fallow, importantly, I need to advise you of the rights you have now. You do have the right to appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court from this judgment of conviction, and you have a right to be represented by an attorney if you appeal. You're also advised if you can't afford an attorney,

and an attorney will be appointed for you at public expense, and you only have 42 days to file an appeal. You also have the right to seek relief from my judgment under Idaho Criminal Rule 35. You have 120 days to file that motion. If you believe a correction or reduction of this sentence is appropriate because it was either illegal or too harsh. And finally, you may also have rights to seek relief

under the Idaho Uniform Post-Conviction Relief Act. Those actions have to be filed within one year from the day your right to appeal expires. Do you understand those appellate rights? All right, she acknowledged yes. The defendant will be required to submit DNA samples upon remand to the Idaho Department of Corrections. I'll ask the attorneys to please turn in

any copies of the pre-sentence investigation reports or addenda so those can be kept in confidence and additional copies will be destroyed. And this fellow dable, you are hereby remanded to the custody of the sheriff of Fremont County to be delivered to the proper authorities of the Idaho Department of Corrections for execution of this sentence. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. That I'll conclude our sentencing hearing. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day.

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