A mother involved in a ‘Doomsday’ cult brutally murdered her two children, believing they were ‘zombies’. Lori Vallow Daybell was convicted of killing her children, Tylee Ryan and Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow, as well as plotting to murder her husband’s first wife and committing grand theft. During the trial, her bizarre beliefs, influenced by her “doomsday” partner Chad Daybell, sparked outrage.
Chad Daybell, who claimed to have experienced multiple past lives on different planets, described people as either “light” or “dark”, associating the former with followers of Jesus Christ and the latter with followers of Satan. He propagated the existence of “zombies” – individuals possessed by evil spirits after death.
Vallow Daybell and Daybell became convinced that Tylee and JJ were ‘zombies’, leading them to believe that killing their physical bodies would release their souls. In a disturbing statement after her conviction, Vallow Daybell claimed to have had divine communications and expressed certainty that her children were content in the spirit world.
Despite not being present during the murders, Vallow Daybell’s son, Colby Ryan, participated in a panel discussion and received a message from his mother through a journalist, emphasizing her love for him. Colby interpreted the message as an attempt by his mother to portray herself as righteous, referencing a Bible verse to justify her actions.
Colby expressed his understanding of his mother’s message and indicated his disinterest in reestablishing contact with her. Vallow Daybell and Daybell faced separate trials, with Vallow Daybell receiving a life sentence without parole, and Daybell being sentenced to death. Vallow Daybell was later convicted in Arizona for conspiring to murder two other individuals.