No good ending here: Idaho mom dead, other kids missing

[Howl]

12 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

Mark Means disqualified as Lori Vallow's attorney

Wow! Thanks for posting this.  Interesting that Justin Lum (a Phoenix reporter) got the scoop!  He's been reporting on all things Lori/Chad in Phoenix from early on: Charles' murder, the attempted hit on Brandon B,  Alex.

She still has her appointed and excellent "death-penalty-certified" lawyer, James Archibald, so she's in good shape, representation wise, much better than if Means stayed on the case.

From back in August: Lori Vallow Assigned Death Penalty Qualified Attorney; New Motion Filed

 

[church_of_dog]

Thanks, @Howl.  I probably should have mentioned that the link was to a reporter's site, so folks wouldn't worry about clicking a random facebook link.

Early on, this case got too convoluted for me to follow in any real detail, but over on Websleuths the news about Means being disqualified was made a banner at the top of the page, so I knew it must be a big deal.

[TuringMachine]

I'm sure all other lawyers involved (prosecution and defense) are relieved by this. Means is not a criminal defense attorney, and according the all the lawyer people I've seen talk about this case that fact was glaringly obvious.

[Howl]

Means made it obvious he didn't like or have any intention of cooperating with James Archibald and also made some glaring strategic errors.   That must have made a terrible impression on the judge.  

If Lori expresses a desire for an additional new attorney, she's obviously able to participate in her own defense.  Then she's out of the mental health facility and back to jail.  According to some random reports on the internet, the mental health facility is a relatively plush deal.  Jail? Not so much. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Howl

[Howl]

Whoo boy.  

Prosecutors want to keep Lori Daybell’s former attorney from publicly talking about case

I'm inferring there is major concern that Means could be a loose cannon who could jeopardize the case, out of malice, through being terrible at lawyering or possibly oblivious to the implications of discussing the case. 

Spoiler

In the motion to clarify a protective order filed Dec. 29, Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood and Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake asked District Judge Steven Boyce to prohibit public commentary and dissemination of discovery information by both Daybell and Means. The request came after Boyce disqualified Means from representing Daybell on the case.

“There is an ongoing concern that privileged information and documents could be disclosed to third parties and or the public,” prosecutors wrote in their motion. “… Former Counsel Mark Means, without discussion with co-counsel Jim Archibald, filed motions publicly discussing confidential information related to Lori Vallow.”

...Prosecutors argue information included in the discovery are confidential and sensitive documents that would be an invasion of people’s privacy if released. Prosecutors noted confidential witness information could lead to safety concerns if details were made public.

“The public discussion of discovery, the defense theory of the matter or the statements of the defendant can cause irreparable harm to both parties when done outside the Rules of Professional Conduct,” prosecutors wrote.

and this  Court clarifies sealed court order still applies to former Daybell attorney Mark Means 

Lots of lawyer-y stuff in there, but again, concern that Means' loose lips could sink ships so the judge has tightened up the language on the original court order.    Apparently, Lori had not yet heard all the murder charges against her.  I do have to wonder if she has totally lost touch with reality and isn't coming back. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Howl

[Bobology]

This is probably too late to do anyone any good, but I just noticed that 20/20 on ABC this evening has a program that features Lori's brother discussing the tragic events that happened after Lori met Chad. (Mostly the TV guide's words.)

[Chickenbutt]

@BobologyJust came here to post that. There must be nothing on TV tonight cuz Mr. Butt mentioned it to me...lol

[Howl]

Our DVR recorded it and I just watched. 

Excellent recap and Adam Cox seems to be a very grounded man.  He warned other family members about what was going on with Lori and was shut out (shunned) by the rest of the Cox family for his troubles. 

He did, however, stay very close to Charles Vallow as things deteriorated with Lori.  When Charles texted Adam the morning of his death that Alex' car was at Lori's house, Adam knew immediately that something was very wrong,  and Charles was murdered by Alex not long after. 

Although the Cox family demanded that Adam shun Brandon Boudreaux when his wife Melanie divorced him, Adam continued to stay in contact. 

When Alex attempted to assassinate Brandon, Adam immediately packed up his family and got the hell out of Phoenix and went into hiding for several months, because he thought Alex might come for him next. 

Remember that Brandon and his children also went into hiding for a period of time and then stayed with Brandon's parents in Utah. 

How Melanie (now Powlowski) has evaded culpability is a mystery to me. 

[Howl]

Moving right along, Chad's attorney wants more time to file a motion to dismiss, and the judge is like, "Why not?"  Call me cynical, but I don't think this much of a chance of success. 

Chad Daybell’s attorney asks to have more time to file motion to dismiss the case

Quote

Prior says he needs additional time to file a motion to dismiss the case because of an additional grand jury proceeding being held in the case. He explained in his December motion that he had recently finished reviewing the grand jury transcript from May when he learned of the additional proceeding.

It is unclear when or if this additional proceeding was held since grand juries are held in confidence and no additional charges have been filed against Daybell.

I read somewhere that Chad has requested that he be tried separately from Lori, but I can't find a link at East Idaho News.  Currently, they are scheduled to be tried together in early 2023, pending Lori's return to sanity. 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Howl

[Howl]

 A hearing to discuss Lori Vallow Daybell’s mental competency commitment took place late last week.  It was a closed hearing, and no updates yet on the outcome of the hearing. 

[EmmieJ]

I'm going to place a small bet on the outcome of that hearing, which is :  Lori is still not considered restored to competency.  

I watched a recent episode of Hidden True Crime, which was an interview with author John Glatt, who has written quite a few true crime books and his latest is about Lori Vallow, called Doomsday Mother.  He spoke with a lot of people in his research.  One thing that I always find puzzling is that apparently, Chad was a charismatic speaker, at least to the preppers who attended Preparing a People conferences.  

[Howl]

23 minutes ago, EmmieJ said:

One thing that I always find puzzling is that apparently, Chad was a charismatic speaker, at least to the preppers who attended Preparing a People conferences.  

All young devout Mormon men do a 2-year mission.  One of the men who was on his mission with Chad was interviewed and spoke of him admiringly, implying that the was confident, dynamic and a generally good guy.  He was shocked and couldn't square the Chad he knew then with what Chad was accused of doing decades later.  

30 minutes ago, EmmieJ said:

and his latest is about Lori Vallow, called Doomsday Mother. 

Thanks! It's on order at my libary; just put a hold on it. 

[Howl]

Prosecutors will not charge Chad Daybell for attempted murder of Arizona man

Quote

GILBERT, Arizona — Prosecutors in Arizona will not file conspiracy to commit murder charges against Chad Daybell in the attempted shooting case of Brandon Boudreaux, Lori Vallow Daybell’s former nephew-in-law...

...“After a lengthy and careful review of the charge of conspiracy to commit murder on Chad Daybell, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has decided to turn down the case citing no reasonable likelihood of conviction,” the statement said.

The Gilbert Police Department forwarded the case to the county attorney in November. Prosecutors have not yet announced if Lori will face charges in connection to the October 2019 shooting.

Not sure how Melani is skating in all of this, but so far she is. 

Quote

Melani Pawlowski, Lori’s niece, was in a contentious divorce with Boudreaux at the time of the shooting, according to court records.

Based on evidence obtained during the investigation, police believe Alex Cox, Lori’s brother and Pawlowski’s uncle, drove a green Jeep Wrangler from Rexburg, fired a single shot at Boudreaux and missed. Cox then drove back to Idaho.

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Howl

[AmazonGrace]

Thanks for following up on this.

[Howl]

50 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

Thanks for following up on this.

You're welcome! I check in periodically at eastidahonews.com/news/daybell/

[Howl]

EastIdahoNews.com has an update on the processes around Lori's mental health assessment and a lot of other information as well, such as a list of all the things that Lori is charged with, including "...conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy Daybell".  For privacy reasons, no details of the results of Lori's competency hearings will be made available. 

As competency questions loom, what’s next for Lori Vallow Daybell?

snip:  "In order for Daybell to be competent for trial, Idaho law says she must understand the proceedings against her and be able to assist in her own defense. There is no insanity defense in Idaho and it is rare for a case to be paused and never resume because of competency."

Nothing about being forcibly medicated, but that would be shielded by her right to privacy on mental health issues. 

Chad's lawyer wants to sever the joint murder trial but prosecutors object.  There will be a hearing in Mid March. 

 

 

 

[Howl]

As noted above, Chad's lawyer wants Chad to be tried separately from Lori and legal wrangling ensued at a hearing yesterday via Zoom. Prosecutors think it's more efficient and cheaper to try them together.  Plus many other issues! 

Hearing held over whether to separate Daybell murder cases

A reminder that Lori has been in a mental health facility since June. 

 

[zee_four]

I can't and won't speak to Lori's mental health. If she is -truly- incapable of assisting in her own defense, then yes, horrific crime or not she deserves to be treated. But I guarantee if she weren't a white blonde formerly/still claiming to be LDS woman she would not be protected in this way. The injustice system has no problem violating the rights of truly mentally ill individuals , especially if they're BIPOC. Doubly so in places like Idaho and Utah. She didn't seem to show any sign of this supposed incapacity while she was living the dream with lover boy here in Hawai'i though, so its pretty convenient this all popped up once she was arrested. Almost all my dad's massive ohana is in Kaua'i and it's a small place.  They even went to LDS services, some of my family attend that ward and say she seemed normal. She was functioning well enough that if she'd never be considered ill enough to get a bed in a state facility let alone put off legal proceedings for murdering her children as long as she has. I know that's not an indicator of good mental health but the type of incompetency required to not be considered legally capable of standing trial doesn't include the vast majority of mental illnesses. I have a strong feeling she's benefiting from privileges unavailable to most, even with the horrific charges against her. The fact that it took so long after the disappearance of her children to even be able to charge her with anything is proof of that. 

[Howl]

I recall that Idaho does not have a "guilty be reason of insanity" defense.  I just don't see how Lori could fake being mentally ill for 9 months to mental health professionals, although the motivation to do so is incredibly high.  At some point there was a discussion about forcible medication and I don't know where that went. 

Addressing one of your points, @zee_four, the AZ police who responded to Charles Vallow's murder?  Lori's laughing, chatting and at ease?  Their attitude seemed to be "OK, your brother just murdered your husband in cold blood in a house with no furniture in a semi-upscale neighborhood, you seem like a fit, attractive blond MILF and are happy with that, we won't really bother to investigate further. And have a nice day!"

Watching the video of that incident, it's really quite shocking how easily the police accepted Lori and Alex's explanations.  

 

[zee_four]

On 3/20/2022 at 3:24 AM, Howl said:

I recall that Idaho does not have a "guilty be reason of insanity" defense.  I just don't see how Lori could fake being mentally ill for 9 months to mental health professionals, although the motivation to do so is incredibly high.  At some point there was a discussion about forcible medication and I don't know where that went. 

Addressing one of your points, @zee_four, the AZ police who responded to Charles Vallow's murder?  Lori's laughing, chatting and at ease?  Their attitude seemed to be "OK, your brother just murdered your husband in cold blood in a house with no furniture in a semi-upscale neighborhood, you seem like a fit, attractive blond MILF and are happy with that, we won't really bother to investigate further. And have a nice day!"

Watching the video of that incident, it's really quite shocking how easily the police accepted Lori and Alex's explanations.  

 

Such a good point!! I hadn't seen the video only read about it but I went and found it and... wow. That only makes me more angry.

She's just putting off the inevitable and trying to garner any sympathy possible. I'm sure she's not in a good mental place but that's what happens when you murder your children and exs lover and when you run off to honeymoon in Hawai'i together but the cops finally show up and bring you to jail.

'Not guilt by reason of insanity' even in states that have it is sooo rare but that doesn't mean there aren't other potential benefits for playing up any sort of mental distress. 

I just think if someone could get away with playing up mental distress to at least put off court proceedings (knowing how her love toys kegal proceedings go before having to start hers could be helpful) and the other benefits of diminished culpability it would be a middle aged LDS white blonde mother, especially when it's a place like Idaho or Utah, the example you shared is a perfect example of professionals who succumb to that bias. 

Maybe she is but having heard lots of first hand experiences and interactions people I know, mostly ohana, had with her in Kaua'i, is what really makes me question her conveniently timed mental distress. Combined with how she's already used the privileges of her gender, race, appearance, faith, etc. in situations where a woman of color would be laughed at while they were immediately arrested and charged and if given bail, it would be a ridiculous amount that is no different than remand. 

But of course I'm not her doctor so I don't know for sure but the way she's already played the system and her perfectly functioning, if typical disrespectful prejudiced tourist style, behavior and interactions over an extended period of time after the crime.... well it makes me skeptical. If nothing else the way she so easily played the system should be really disconcerting.

I truly believe rhe justice system shouldn't be punitive, even when the crimes are horrific and its really difficult not to want revenge, but she should have the same treatment as if she were a black or Latina or Native woman. And she won't and that's really upsetting to me.

[Howl]

I doubt her mental distress is caused by guilt over all of the deaths; it's more that her grandiose dreams of the gilded, post-apocalyptic life are obviously not coming to fruition.

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Howl

[Howl]

Things are grinding along.  Grandmother ‘relieved’ after judge denies request to separate Daybell cases

The presiding judge has declined to separate the cases and Kay Woodcock, JJ’s grandmother, says she is happy with the decision: 

Quote

“I am so relieved! Having the cases joined will save us from more emotional torture...We have already been through enough anguish from this evil duo. They’ll be staring at each other in court feeling miserable they can’t touch.”

Judge doesn’t rule on motion to dismiss Chad Daybell case

This seems simple, but it's not.  The article details arguments advanced by Prior [Chad's lawyer] in his request for dismissal and the prosecution's counter arguments.  There is a link to the video of the hearing on Zoom. 

And this.  Prior wants the names of grand jurors and how each one voted: 

Spoiler

There was also some discussion about the secret nature of grand jury proceedings and whether or not the names of the jurors can be released.

In response, Prior said the state does not get to decide what information he has access to and that he is entitled to know who the jurors are and how they voted.

[District Judge Stephen] Boyce concluded the hearing by authorizing voting rules to be revealed and that jurors will be identified by name and number. He will issue a written ruling on the motion to dismiss once written briefs have been provided by both parties.

The prosecution has until April 6 at 5 p.m. to submit a response to Prior’s brief and the defense will issue a rebuttal by April 20. Due to the secret nature of grand jury proceedings, the written briefs will be sealed to the public.

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Howl

[Smee]

On 3/23/2022 at 3:44 AM, Howl said:

I doubt her mental distress is caused by guilt over all of the deaths; it's more that her grandiose dreams of the gilded, post-apocalyptic life are obviously not coming to fruition.

 

 

 

Yes, this. Having just this week started reading this thread start to finish and the Annielytics timeline etc, it’s striking how long it has all been. They were in Hawaii and arrested before the pandemic began, and at that time their whole thing was being some immortal holy beings who would lead the chosen ones when the world ended in July 2020. I mean that in itself is deluded and suggests she’s not mentally normal, but it also seems her whole murder spree was based on this belief and when it transpired that they are NOT untouchable and the world did NOT end, she mentally shut down. So it makes sense that she wasn’t exhibiting any signs of being mentally incompetent back when she was in Hawaii, because back then she was happily living her delusion.

[TuringMachine]

Big news, Lori has been restored to competency. Her arraignment is scheduled for April 19

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/04/lori-vallow-daybell-restored-to-competency-murder-trial-to-proceed/

[EmmieJ]

I can hardly wait to watch her arraignment.   I wonder if either defendant will try for a plea deal.