Lori Vallow Daybell appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing on May 14, 2025. During the hearing, she constantly brought up issues with Judge Justin Beresky, whom she accused of being biased and requested that he recuse himself.
Beresky has denied all her motions thus far, including her most recent request to recuse himself. Daybell said, “You’ve denied every single one of my motions. … Denied, denied, denied.” She continued, “Does that not show a bias and a prejudice against one single person?”
Lori Vallow Daybell cited that using her name on the juror questionnaire would lead to biased individuals, insinuating that it would be an unfair trial. After arguing with the judge, he explained that her name is necessary when selecting an unbiased jury. Towards the end of her rambling, Judge Justin Beresky cut her off, saying, “All right, are you done?” He recommended that if she wanted a motion approved, then file one with legal merit.
Lori Vallow Daybell’s Convictions
Lori Vallow Daybell was convicted in Idaho of the murders of her two children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Daybell. In addition, she was convicted of conspiracy to kill her husband’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, and more recently of conspiring to murder her former husband, Charles Vallow, who died at the hands of her brother.
She was sentenced to life in prison in Idaho for the murders, and after her second Arizona trial, she will be sentenced for the murder conspiracy of Charles Vallow. Daybell’s upcoming trial is over an October 2019 shooting where she fired and missed her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux.
Chad Daybell, Lori’s husband, was also convicted of all three murder cases and sentenced to death. According to court records, he believed the apocalypse was imminent and the people around him were “zombies.” Lori Vallow Daybell is now commonly known as the “Doomsday Mom.”
Pre-Trial Hearing
During Lori Vallow Daybell’s pre-trial hearing for the second Arizona trial, she argued with the judge about potential jurors receiving a questionnaire with her name on it. She claims that it would taint the jury pool, giving them too much access to the media coverage of her case. According to her, there was juror misconduct in the first trial, and she would prefer not to see that happen again.
Judge Justin Beresky explained that her name helps when screening potential jurors, and weeding out those who are already familiar with the case. “If we don’t include your name, that’s 100 extra jurors we have to go through in person,” he said. “That increases the risk of tainting the rest of the jury pool.” He used her first trial as an example, stating nearly 100 potential jurors were dismissed due to their prior knowledge.
Additionally, Lori Vallow Daybell has requested several witnesses to testify at her trial, and Beresky questioned their relevance to the case. He responded, “It sounds like they don’t have relevant information,” when she did not answer.
Upcoming Trial
Lori Vallow Daybell will represent herself in her new trial, which is set to begin on May 29, 2025. She has continually been caught in arguments with prosecutors and the judge, insisting there is misconduct and bias on all fronts, including evidence suppression. Her more recent motion filed is in the Charles Vallow murder where she requests a new trial due to juror misconduct and bias by Judge Beresky.
