DENVER (Court TV) — A chilling transformation from a bubbly suburban mother to a convicted killer has captivated the nation for years. The case of Lori Vallow Daybell represents one of the most haunting sagas of faith, manipulation and death in recent memory.
Vinnie Politan hosts a life episode of his show at CrimeCon featuring Ray Hermosillo, Colby Ryan and Nate Eaton on Sept. 5, 2025. (Court TV)
In 2004, Lori appeared on “Wheel of Fortune” as a cheerful hairstylist from Austin, Texas, introducing herself alongside her husband Joseph and their two children: 7-year-old Colby and 1-year-old Tylee. By 2023, she sat in prison, convicted of murdering Tylee and her younger son, J.J. and conspiring in other deaths, claiming divine visions guided her actions.
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“Those are 2 different people,” said Vinnie Politan during a recent Court TV investigative panel examining Lori’s dramatic transformation.
The panel, featuring East Idaho News reporter Nate Eaton, Rexburg Police Lieutenant Ray Hermosillo, and Colby Ryan — Lori’s only surviving child — explored how a seemingly normal mother became entangled in apocalyptic beliefs that led to multiple deaths.
The gradual descent
Eaton, who broke the story and covered it extensively, described Lori’s change as gradual rather than sudden.
“She became obsessed with the end of times, she started reading book after book after book, and gradually she wanted to feel that she was somehow called of God to do these types of things,” Eaton said.
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The transformation involved Lori and Chad Daybell, a self-proclaimed prophet who preached about dark spirits and the coming end of days. Their union spiraled into what investigators called a chilling nightmare.
Lori’s two youngest children, J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan, vanished in 2019, sparking nationwide headlines and desperate searches. Months later, their remains were discovered buried in Chad’s Idaho backyard. Chad’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, had also died suddenly, her death later ruled suspicious.
A son’s perspective
For Colby, watching his mother’s transformation was devastating. He described the moment he fully realized the scale of the situation.
“When I saw her in Hawaii and Nate was interviewing her, I saw her. I knew she had run away … I knew it was it was really bad,” Colby said.
FILE – Lori Vallow Daybell sits between her attorneys for a hearing at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Tony Blakeslee/East Idaho News/Pool, File)
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Colby said his mother became increasingly religious over time, but the full extent of her beliefs didn’t become clear until after her arrest.
“She got more religious over time,” Colby said. “But really, when she was in jail, that’s when I spent the most time talking to her.”
The investigation unfolds
Lieutenant Hermosillo, who led the investigation for Rexburg Police, said the case presented daily surprises in its early stages.
“Originally it was every day early on in the investigation from when we heard about zombies and bugs crawling in your ear to take over the body and just kind of their belief system,” Hermosillo said.
The investigation revealed Lori and Chad’s twisted religious beliefs, which they used to justify removing anyone who stood in their way. The couple believed in concepts of “dark spirits” and classified people as “light” or “dark.”
Current status and ongoing impact
Even from prison, Lori continues to send religious messages. Eaton revealed that just hours before the panel discussion, Lori sent him a message for her son.
“Tell Colby I love him no matter what and have him read Matthew 25,” the message read.
Colby said he has no interest in maintaining contact with his mother and considers her part of his past.
“I’m able to close the book on that part of my life,” Colby said. “I’m at a point where I’m healing from that,” Colby said.
Chad faces execution for his role in the murders. When asked how Lori might react to his execution, panelists suggested she would likely show emotion, as she did when Chad was arrested.
“There were only a few times we saw any change of behavior in Lori,” Hermosillo said. “And one of those dates was when Chad was arrested.”
“I think that she really cares about him for whatever reason, so she’ll definitely have some kind of reaction,” Colby said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
