Cult mom Lori Vallow, aged 50, has initiated an appeal against her murder conviction, asserting that she was unfit to stand trial due to her ten-month stay in a mental hospital.
This appeal comes following her conviction in May for the killings of her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as her involvement in conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous spouse.
Her husband, Chad Daybell, is currently awaiting trial on identical murder charges, with the trial set for April 2024.
Lori Vallow also faces two additional cases in Arizona, one involving allegations of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and the other related to a conspiracy to kill her niece’s ex-husband.
Charles Vallow was fatally shot in 2019, while her niece’s ex survived an attempted attack later the same year.
Grounds for Appeal
Lori Vallow’s attorney, Jim Archibald, has submitted her appeal, highlighting 16 key issues from her trial.
These include concerns about her mental competency, her right to a speedy trial, issues surrounding the evidence presented, amendments to the grand jury indictment, and various other legal matters.
The first issue addressed in the appeal relates to the court’s determination of Vallow’s competency to stand trial, a decision made on April 11, 2022, after she had spent a lengthy ten months in a psychiatric facility.
The appeal also references the court’s refusal to return Vallow to the psychiatric facility on November 15, 2022, instead of proceeding with the trial.
A Complex Legal and Personal Saga
During Lori Vallow’s sentencing in July, she made unconventional claims, stating that she communicates with her deceased children in heaven, where they are described as being “very happy and busy.”
She attributed their deaths to “accidents and suicide” and was subsequently sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Vallow also asserted that she was on friendly terms with Tammy, who is supposedly “extremely busy in heaven,” and claimed that all three, including herself, visit each other regularly.
She even stated that she had died and gone to heaven in 2002.
Earlier in the legal proceedings, the judge had granted Vallow’s request to remove the death penalty as a possible punishment for the prosecutors’ violation of a court rule during the discovery phase of the trial.
Vallow’s legal team had sought a minimum sentence of 20 years, appealing to the judge for leniency and expressing the belief that hope could make the world a better place.
A Complex and Ongoing Legal Battle
The appeal by Lori Vallow represents the latest chapter in a complex and troubling legal saga that has captivated public attention.
Her claims of communication with the deceased and her appeals for hope amidst serious charges have added layers of complexity to an already challenging case.
The grounds for her appeal will be closely scrutinized as the legal process unfolds further.
Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn