Court returns life sentence for 'cult mom' Lori Vallow

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August 01, 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. 2/ Tennessee police shoot armed man who attacked Jewish school in Memphis Suspect is in critical condition 3/ Twitter takes down huge 'X' sign on roof after San Francisco probe and neighbour complaints City allege company put up sign without permit 4/ Multiple police K9 dogs die from heat in Indiana after air condition unit fails Police have not confirmed exactly how many dogs died 5/ Nima Momeni: New details in Bob Lee killing revealed in court Court hearing will determine whether Mr Momeni will face murder trial THE BIG QUESTION Did a doomsday cult really drive Lori Vallow to murder her children? Power. Money. Sex. These are the three things that prosecutors say drove Lori Vallow to kill. And they're also the three things that experts say make up the playbook of a destructive cult.   "All cult leaders are driven by those three things in that particular order," Steve Hassan, a world-renowned cult expert and former member of the Moonies cult, tells The Independent. "Power is number one, then two it's money which is also used for control, and three is sex. It's the playbook of a cult leader."   Vallow soon earned the nickname the "cult mom" not long after her two youngest children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, disappeared in September 2019. As the children's other family members desperately searched for them – and begged Vallow to come clean about where they were – details about her doomsday cult beliefs began to emerge... 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