‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow sentenced to life in prison for murders of two children and Chad Daybell’s wife

Welcome to The Independent's US evening newsletter

July 31, 2023 View online 1/ 'Cult mom' Lori Vallow sentenced to life in prison for murders of two children and Chad Daybell's wife "Cult mom" Lori Vallow will now spend the rest of her life behind bars for the murders of her two youngest children and conspiracy to kill her new husband Chad Daybell's first wife, bringing some sort of conclusion to the disturbing case that shook America to its core.   The 50-year-old convicted killer – who was once seen to be a loving mother – was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in Fremont County Courthouse in Idaho on Monday after her victims' devastated family members gave heartwrenching victim impact statements to the court and Vallow herself gave a bizarre statement claiming that her victims were "happy" in heaven.   Vallow was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, back in May.   She was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Mr Daybell's first wife Tammy, 49.   Judge Steven Boyce handed down five sentences of life without the possibility of parole for each of the five murder charges. 2/ Trump says charges from Jan 6 probe coming 'any day now' Mr Trump could also soon be indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia 3/ Pee-wee Herman star Paul Reubens dies aged 70 Actor and comedian's cause of death was cancer, according to statement 4/Alicia Navarro's mother pleads to 'move on' after teen's mysterious reappearance 'This is not a movie, this is our life, this is my daughter,' Jessica Nuñez as she begged the public to leave her family in peace 5/ Suspect at large after 'intentionally' ploughing SUV into migrant workers outside North Carolina Walmart Six workers were struck by the SUV and taken to hospital for treatment THE BIG QUESTION How did actor Ben McKenzie find himself in a crypto rabbit hole? Ben McKenzie had just embarked on his Gonzo-style investigation into the murky world of cryptocurrency when he sat down to watch his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves in the World Series in late 2021. Perched in a Brooklyn bar drinking cold beers and eating bad nachos with his collaborator and fellow Dodgers fan Jacob Silverman, McKenzie – best known for playing heartthrob Ryan Atwood on The O.C. – could scarcely believe his eyes when one of his acting heroes suddenly appeared on the television promoting the Crypto.com exchange.   "F***ing Matt Damon comes on the screen," the 44-year-old actor-turned-investigative journalist tells The Independent. "I didn't know what to make of it, it was very confusing. The pitch was 'fortune favours the brave'. It was pretty depressing. My reaction was to order another beer."   Damon was far from alone. Celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow to LeBron James went all-in on encouraging investors to stump up their cash in what struck McKenzie as nothing more than an unregulated online casino. For McKenzie, the sight of his fellow celebrities rushing to cash in on the craze was confirmation that the crypto bubble had veered into dangerous territory. Read the full story Enjoy a year of unlimited digital access for just £99 £20 ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more SUBSCRIBE NOW Watch / Moment Lori Vallow sentenced to life in prison with no parole for murders of her children NUMBER OF THE DAY $40m – The amount of money Donald Trump's Save America PAC has reportedly spent on legal fees as he awaits indictment on a host of charges related to the January 6 attack and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Read more QUOTE OF THE DAY "We've got to stop electing people because we like them and they've been there a long time. That's actually the problem. You need to have term limits, because we need new ideas, new solutions. We've got to have a new generation." – Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley calls on veteran senators Mitch McConnell and Diane Feinstein to resign following recent incidents prompting concerns about their health.  Read more We noticed that you might not be registered By registering, you will enjoy limited access to Independent Premium articles, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists REGISTER FOR FREE OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE Daredevil known for skyscraper climbs falls to death from 68th floor Rex Heuermann's wife pleads to be left alone after his arrest Delta accused of serving man 11 drinks before sexual assault Articles available exclusively to subscribers Laura Barton - Rapper Doja Cat is right to call out 'creepy' fans who get too close OTHER NEWSLETTERS YOU MIGHT LIKE Climate News Every Friday, 12pm (UK time) Written by Louise Boyle Join now Inside Washington Every weekday, 11pm (UK time) Written by the US team Join now The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. Join the conversation or follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Evening Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders.   If you do not want to receive The Independent's Evening Headlines newsletter, please unsubscribe.   If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe here. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our privacy notice and cookie policy.