Doomsday Mom Lori Vallow Daybell’s Story Told In ‘Sins Of Our Mother’

PHOENIX, AZ — “Doomsday mom” Lori Vallow Daybell, accused with her husband, Chad Daybell, of murdering two of her children, is the subject of a new Netflix docuseries, “Sins of Our Mother,” airing in September.

The tangled case is told from the perspective of family members and friends close to Vallow, who lived in the Phoenix area with her husband, Charles Vallow, until his shooting death in July 2019, just weeks before she moved to Rexburg, Idaho. She married Daybell, a doomsday prepper who has written more than two dozen books about preparing for Armageddon, two weeks after the death of his wife, Tammy.

Vallow’s minor children — 7-year-old Joshua “J.J.” Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan — were last seen alive in September 2019. Investigators searched for the children in four states, finally discovering their remains in shallow graves on Daybell’s property in June 2020.

Vallow and Daybell are charged with multiple charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, grand theft by deception, grand theft and insurance fraud in the deaths of the children. They also face charges in the deaths of both of their spouses.

Police initially said Alex Cox, who is also now deceased, acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Charles Vallow, his sister’s fourth husband, during an argument. The investigation into Cox’s death was also reopened, but investigators stood by the initial conclusion that he died of natural causes. Vallow was indicted last year by a Maricopa County, Arizona, grand jury on conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Charles Vallow’s death. The grand jury did not indict Daybell.

Both Daybell and Vallow are charged in Tammy Daybell’s death. The investigation into Cox’s death was also reopened, but investigators stood by the conclusion he died of natural causes.

The couple have pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them. Their trial in J.J. and Tylee’s deaths is currently scheduled for January 2023 in Boise, Idaho. If convicted, they could face the death penalty.

The “Sins of Our Mother” three-part docuseries starts on Sept. 14. Directed by Skye Borgman, the series explores Vallow’s downward spiral into religious fanaticism and paranoia through first-hand accounts by people close to both J.J. and Tylee.

Those interviewed include Vallow’s son, Colby Ryan and his wife, Kelsee Ryan; her mother, Janis Cox; her former sister-in-law Annie Cushing; former friend April Raymond; and Justin Lum, an investigative reporter for the Phoenix Fox News affiliate who has covered the story since Charles Vallow’s death.

The former Mrs. Texas beauty pageant contestant was raised a Mormon, but became increasingly consumed with the idea the apocalypse was near and believed her children were possessed by zombies, according to multiple news reports.

The series follows the details of the children’s disappearance, the discovery of their bodies and other developments after they were charged with crimes.

The internationally sensational case was previously profiled in a “20/20” special report on ABC and “Mommy Doomsday,” a podcast by NBC’s “Dateline” news magazine.

Daybell’s five children were featured on the CBS news magazine “48 Hours” special called “The Secrets of Chad Daybell's Backyard,” where they discussed misconceptions about Tammy Daybell’s death. They claimed he was “fooled in the worst, most deadly way possible” by Vallow.

The case was also previously the subject of a Lifetime movie titled “Doomsday Mom.”

Watch the Netflix “Doomsday Mom” trailer.