Hidden True Crime - Sheriff STRIKES BACK! Lori Vallow Daybell's Stun Belt Request DENIED (again)!

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

In this episode of Lori Vallow vs. The Stun Belt, we hear the sheriff's offices response to Lori's claim that they recommended she NOT wear the stun belt in court. Buckle up — no electricity required. Patreon bonus episode: https://tinyurl.com/36ynp56u Brandon Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnLc7I2gyWtQ2L4_aCtEOlvmFBxegNf56&si=C7anD6LESd2EqUDB “Don’t Flatter Yourself” and “Nonchalant” merch : https://www.bonfire.com/store/hidden-true-crime-limited-merch/ About Hidden True Crime: What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at ⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We have a quick update on Lori Valadeva. If you all remember her Wednesday pretrial hearing on May 14th, it's in preparation for the Doomsday Mother's third criminal trial. Yes, her third criminal trial. Before she faces charges of conspiring to murder her ex-Mobile. nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreau. And how could you forget this most recent hearing after Judge Boreski channeled his inner

Nancy Joe by responding to Lori's demand that he recuse himself from her case and asking if she was done yet? Are you done? Are you done? Are you just going to keep? Are you done? The term, are you done, has quickly joined. Don't flatter yourself as some of the best phrases coming out of Lori's multiple murder trials and hearings.

And so to remind you of one of the main motions that Lori argued that day, minus her failed attempt at removing Judge Voreski, was a motion she filed declaring that she shouldn't have to wear a rack belt. Now, a rack belt, an RACC belt, also known as a stun belt, is something Lori has been ordered to wear by the judge as she represents herself in this third upcoming trial. Now, since Lori, a convicted murderer, doesn't have to wear shackles or cuffs as she represents herself. Wearing a rack belt seems like a decent compromise to me. She also gets to wear street clothes and the belt goes under the clothing and is not visible to the jury or those watching the trial from home on our hidden true crime live stream. We cannot see this rack belt. We just know it's there. So while Lori's motion requesting or a.k.a. demanding that she should not have to wear this rack belt,

While this motion was new, this day for this recent pretrial hearing, this was far from the first time that we have seen Lori argue this issue about Barack Belt. We first saw it come up at her previous trial during jury selection just before her murder trial where that jury of her peers found her guilty of conspiring to murder her then husband Charles Valo. Take a listen. One more thing, Your Honor. I wanted a clarification in your minute entry dated. the 25th regarding the defendant's motion to remove restraints. So my understanding when I read what was from MCSO, and then you put in here, however, at the sheriff's discretion,

one or more armed sheriff deputies may be positioned near the exits. So what their recommendation was, was the minimal amount of restraints, meaning if there was going to be an armed guard, then they would not have to do the belt. So I was confused by and wanted a clarification on what you were actually ordering because the DO has had a question about it with me this morning. I ordered that you don't have to wear the leg restraint, but that you do have to wear the rack belt because that is not going to be visible to the jury. The leg restraints a little more cumbersome and visible, and since you're representing yourself and you're going to need to approach the podium. and those sorts of things I ordered the removal of the leg restraint.

You will, though, wear the rack belt. And then I said it's up to the sheriff's office if they want to. They can position a couple deputies in the back if they want additional deputies. Well, their recommendation was that you wouldn't have to use the belt at all if they had the armed guard. I read their response and their recommendation, and that's my order. So what is it exactly? that you have to wear the rack belt, but not the leg restraint. Well, that same judge, Judge Boreski, let her know then that she indeed needed to wear a rack belt

if she wasn't going to be shackled. And indeed, she wore a rack belt during that entire trial. No one seemed to notice. I couldn't even really tell. Even though I knew she was wearing one and I was sitting in the courtroom not far from her, I never saw the rack belt. And even though we learned at this most recent hearing that at one point a belt strap had slipped down behind her jacket and they discreetly excused her to fix it. I still did not see it. Take a listen. There was one incident during the trial where you asked to take a break because a strap was hanging down behind your jacket. We did that. We rectified the situation. There's been no indication whatsoever that the jury notice the rack belt or anything like that. So I think those conditions are appropriate and will

remain for the second trial. Your Honor, the jury was not told to see if they noticed anything either. Is that correct? Right. There was no request for that. The jurors during that last Arizona trial also did not seem to notice the rack belt as well. According to those I interviewed and asked if they knew she was wearing this stun belt. Yeah, could you guys tell she was wearing a rack belt or a shock belt? Did you know that? No. Did you know that until her woman?

I noticed she was wearing the same things, like rotating her shirts, but wearing the same. Yeah, you noticed that. Same suit, different day, right? Right. But so, yeah, and none of you could see that she was wearing this rack. belt underneath. No. She wasn't cuffed and she didn't have shackles on.

So the judge ordered. She was not happy about that, by the way. The judge ordered. Yeah, that she wear this rack belt under her clothes. It's a shock belt. And she argued that very much. She was not happy. And the judge said, well, it's what we're going to do.

Right. So you can never tell. I can never tell. Well, in Lori-like fashion, she doesn't give up. She clearly thinks. she is always right. She knows better than the judge. She knows better than law enforcement, and she doesn't take no for an answer. And somehow, the idea that she should not need any restraints, despite having so many murder convictions, she's now hit serial killer status at this point,

she thinks that she is just fine to only need to have a guard at the doorway, security. And at this point, she is going to keep fighting. Take a listen to Wednesday's hearing as she She argued once again this new motion one more time. All right. Then we have the defendant's motion for no restraints in trial dated May 6th. I don't know in your motion, I don't know where you get the idea that the sheriff's office recommendation ever was that you have no restraints at all. their minimum recommendation was that you wear a rack belt. Well, I have it right here and I copied it verbatim.

Yeah, you said what it said was my recommended minimum requirements as listed above and those were to wear a rackville. It said or the recommendation of MCSO was that they could have a unarmed detention officer and an armed deputy sheriff if I was to not. have any restraints. Right, but that wasn't their recommendation. I've received the defendant's motion. I've received non-party Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan's response. On the MCSO security justifications I was my understanding as that is was his recommendation. Your Honor, Joseph Vee Hill for the Sheriff's Office if you have no question. Oh okay. Well I'm I'll deny the motion from the defendant the same

conditions will be set that we had in the first trial that being you wear the rack belt, no leg brace. There was one incident during the trial where you asked to take a break because a strap was hanging down behind your jacket. We did that. We rectified the situation. There's been no indication whatsoever that the jury noticed the rack belt or anything like that. So I think those conditions are appropriate and will remain for the second trial. Your Honor, the jury was not pulled to see if they noticed anything either. Was that correct? Right. There was no request for that. This episode sponsored by Forkfull. Most meal delivery services promise healthy food, but look closer, and you'll often find cheap industrial seed oils hiding in the ingredients.

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who stood up and introduced himself for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office? And Judge Boreski basically responds to him as, yes, thank you for being here, but no need to argue. Pretty much saying, look, I've got this, but thank you. Well, what we didn't know at the time of this hearing was that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office had actually responded in writing with their thoughts. thoughts about Lori's motion. And while Lori claimed that their recommendation, the sheriff's recommendation was that she did not need a rack belt, what they came back with and their filing was pretty much the opposite. And this came down after the hearing to clarify exactly what was recommended so that Lori can't just put words in their mouth and claim that they ordered that

she didn't need to wear it because again, that's what she claimed. She claimed there was an order, an actual order from the sheriff's office that the belt was unnecessary. So let's read what the sheriff's office actually really recommends. And I'll read it here. Quote, after reviewing defendant Lori Daybell's motion dated 5-6, 2025, regarding the removal of her rack belt during her trial, I have the following response. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, or MCSO,

requests that the rack belt remain in play during the trial. MCSO disagrees that the rack belt can be seen under the clothing. This device has been used for over two decades by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office when inmates take part in their trials. And there has never been, to my knowledge, any evidence to date that a juror has been able to see or notice the rack belt around the defendant. While the belt is likely uncomfortable, it's not great to hear, while the belt is likely uncomfortable, it does not violate due process or prevent a fair trial. Daybelt is correct that the

rack belts are universal and designed to fit a wide range of defendants. However, the excess slack from a smaller size defendant does not stick out in any noticeable way and is tucked inside the belt line to hide it. Daybell claims there have been many issues with detention officers trying to fit the belt on her. I personally observed the belt being put on her once during her last trial and watched as the female detention officer secured the belt to her waist in under two minutes. It was my observation that the detention officer had no difficulty installing the belt. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has staffing concerns with having an armed deputy posted in the courtroom during her entire trial. And as that would be one less deputy available to respond to other demands, warrants and other

calls for service throughout the court complexes. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office court security division is currently under staff and operates at less than 50% staffing capacity. It's frightening to hear, but while Maricopa County Sheriff's Office staffing is not the defendant's problem, it is nonetheless an issue of concern for Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and overall security with the court complexes. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office therefore requests the defendant to continue to, wear the rack belt in her next trial. Boom. In defendant's daybelt second motion, she requests additional time to meet with her legal team. I have met with court operations command and we have agreed that Daybilt can choose to remain in the courtroom with her legal team

during court proceeding breaks rather than return to wait in her holding cell. For lunch breaks and other times of recess, if she chooses to meet with her legal team, Maricopa County Sheriff's office agrees to transport her to level four of the South Court Tower. There we have a built-in visitation area normally used for EDC courts with secured legal visitation rooms. We will provide her with her sack lunch and she can spend the entire lunch break conferring with her legal team in this room. In addition, because this visitation room is in a secure area, that she can be unrestrained, end quote. So let's read this line one more time directly from the sheriff's office. Quote, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office therefore request the defendant,

continue to wear the rack belt in her next trial, end quote. Now, let's listen to Lori's words one more time, what she claimed on May 14th. Take a listen. It said, or, the recommendation of MCSO was that they could have a unarmed detention officer and an armed deputy sheriff if I was to not have any restraints. Right, but that wasn't their recommendation. Y'all, I will never understand the mental gymnastics that Lori forces us all to go through, ever. But I guess that is why she's behind bars. But as always, luckily psychologist, criminal psychologist, Dr. John Matthias is my co-host. co-host, I'm married to, so I get to pick his brain at every hour of the day. And John does seem to have a better grasp of what is going on in Lori's brain than I do.

And a couple of nights ago, I was able to ask John all about the now infamous retrial hearing with Lori that I attended. And I will say, Dr. John made some solid observations. I'll have you guys listen to this one. I wish, you know what? I wish she had told her when she said that after everyone's getting everyone on the planet. I wish you had said, don't flatter yourself. You wish that he had pulled a real Nancy, Joe.

All right. Well, that was one of my favorite moments from our bonus episode, available now on Apple subscription or patreon.com slash hidden to crime. If you want to see or listen to that full episode, you can head to Apple Podcasts or to Patreon.com slash hidden to crime. A link to that bonus episode with John describing what he thought was going through Lori's mind during this pretrial hearing is also pending comments. or in the description of this episode.

Make sure to check it out and thank you to those who support us by subscribing to our bonus episodes. It's a place we try to give back to those who support us, and it means a lot. I plan to cover Lori's upcoming trial, her third trial in person from the Maricopa County courthouse, and we will have a live stream of the trial here at Hidden 2 crime, as well as live from the courthouse at lunch and nightly live recaps in the evening. Brandon Boudreau, to remind all of you and get you up to date, Brandon Bidreau was shot at after returning home from dropping his children off in 2019.

The bullet threw through the driver's seat window of his car while he pulled into his own driveway and missed his head by inches. Police said that the shot, the gunshot, came from a Jeep Wrangler that was being driven by Alex Cox, Lori Vallow's now deceased brother. After the attempt on Brandon's life, Brandon's own children were deemed dark, just like Tiley and JJ had. been and he had to take his kids into hiding with him. While he was hiding at his parents' home with his children, police body cam footage from Utah actually shows Alex Cox and Brandon's now ex-wife Melanie attempting to trespass and get his kids from Brandon's parents' house. J.G. and Tiley at this time had already been murdered at this point. I still get chills thinking about what

would have happened if Alex Cox had been able to take the children from that house. It has been been nearly six years awaiting justice for Brandon since the shooting that nearly took his life. Brandon, just to update all of you, he finalized his divorce to his ex-wife, Melanie Pulaski, who is Lori Bellow's niece, and he has found love again. He deserves all the happiness in the world. And let's hope that this horrific chapter for him and his entire family can have some closure. If you want to understand this case, the specific case about the shooting of Brandon Boudreux, the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreau, and better detail, before the trial begins next month, we have a full playlist starting with the complete

backstory of Lori Valo, as well as an exclusive interview with Brandon's friend Jess that I really recommend. It explains the horror that she felt. We will also have the pretrial hearing that we just talked about and any additional trial prep. A link to that playlist is also in the description of this episode and in pinned comment. Next month, I have two hopes for next month's trial. May Lori's rack belt be very uncomfortable and may justice be served. Before I switched to Wealthfront, my APY was probably 0.1. Once I switched to Ching, with a Wealthfront cash account, earn up to 4.2% APY on your cash. I can trust. Wellfront is taking care of me. Make your money earn more. Get started at Wealthfront.com. Clients were

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