"You chose the most evil and destructive path": 'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow sentenced to life for deaths of two children   

On Monday, July 31, 50-year-old Idaho mom Lori Vallow was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon Vallow. Additionally, Vallow has also been convicted of conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, the first wife of her husband, Chad Daybell, as per Independent. Tammy died in 2019.

According to NPR, Vallow attempted to carry out the scheme in order to begin a new life with Daybell.

She has now been sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the multiple killings.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a murder investigation. Reader discretion is advised.

As Judge Steven Boyce handed down the sentence, he condemned Vallow for her selfishness, as she was willing to sacrifice the lives of her own children in order to pursue her romantic interests.

"You chose the most evil and destructive path possible," the judge said.

As per the Associated Press, the question of Lori Vallow's sanity arose during the trial. The 50-year-old mother reportedly believed that her children had become zombies, and that by killing them she was fulfilling a Biblical prophecy. This is why she is also being addressed as "Doomsday mom."

---

The timeline of the allegations against Lori Vallow

According to Lori Vallow's account of the event, the slayings of her two children stemmed from a religious awakening she had in 2002, after having a near-death experience while giving birth to her daughter, Tylee. At the time, she was married to her then husband, Charles Vallow.

"I had access to heaven and the spirit world. Since then, I have had many communications from people now living in heaven, including my children."

In 2018, while Lori Vallow's husband was on a business trip, she reportedly crossed paths with Chad Daybell, who seemed to share similar apocalyptic religious beliefs as her.

In July 2019, Lori's brother, Alex Cox, fatally gunned down Charles Vallow. Cox claimed that Charles Vallow had supposedly abused Lori, adding that he gunned Charles down because he believed his life was at threat. The case was not probed any further at the time. However, after Lori Vallow was indicted for the murders of her children, she also faced additional charges of conspiring to kill Charles Vallow.

In September 2019, Lori's kids, Tylee and Joshua, disappeared. When their bodies were discovered in 2020, they were found to have been "burned, mutilated and dismembered" before being disposed of.

In October 2019, Tammy Daybell was allegedly asphyxiated in her home. While no suspect was named, officials believe that the 50-year-old mother may have had a role in arranging the murder.

In November 2019, Lori Vallow married Chad Daybell in Hawaii.

In February 2020, Hawaiian authorities arrested the 50-year-old in connection to the multiple slayings. While she has been sentenced for the murders of Tylee, JJ, and Tammy Daybell, she has not yet formally been convicted in the slaying of Charles Vallow.