Lori Vallow Daybell, a woman associated with a “Doomsday” cult, callously murdered her two children under the delusion that they were ‘zombies’. This shocking incident led to her conviction for the killings of Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow, seven. Additionally, she was found guilty of conspiring to murder her husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, and grand theft.
During the trial, Vallow Daybell’s bizarre beliefs, influenced by her partner Chad Daybell, stirred public outrage. Chad claimed to have lived multiple lives on different planets and asserted that he and Vallow Daybell shared past lives together. His teachings categorized people as “light” or “dark”, associating the former with followers of Jesus Christ and the latter with followers of Satan.
Allegedly, Vallow Daybell and Chad believed that Tylee and JJ had been overtaken by evil spirits, turning them into ‘zombies’. They thought that killing their physical bodies would release their souls. In a disturbing revelation, Vallow Daybell declared that her deceased children were content in the spirit world, as she claimed to have a special connection with Jesus Christ.
Despite not residing with his mother at the time of the murders, Vallow Daybell’s third child, Colby Ryan, participated in a panel discussion in 2025. During the event, he was informed that his mother had sent a message expressing love for him and referencing a Bible verse. Colby interpreted her message as an attempt to depict herself as virtuous, which he perceived as a manipulation tactic.
Following separate trials, Vallow Daybell was sentenced to life without parole in July 2023, while Chad Daybell received a death penalty in 2024. Vallow Daybell faced additional convictions for plotting to kill her ex-husband and her niece’s ex-husband in Arizona. Colby Ryan, when asked if he wished to communicate with his mother again, promptly declined.
The extensive legal proceedings and convictions surrounding the horrific crimes committed by Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell have drawn significant public attention and condemnation.