She may be smiling, but this cheerleader became one of America’s most evil women

She was a former cheerleader, beauty pageant contestant, and mother of three who once seemed like the picture-perfect all-American woman. But Lori Vallow Daybell would later become known as the “Doomsday Mom” — one of the most shocking criminal cases in modern America.

From Normal Life to Darkness

Lori grew up in a religious family in California and Idaho. She had a bubbly personality, was married multiple times, and had children: Tylee Ryan (born 2001) and later adopted Joshua “JJ” Vallow (born 2012, who had autism).

By 2018–2019, everything changed. Lori and her new husband, Chad Daybell (a self-published author of apocalyptic books), became obsessed with extreme religious beliefs. They claimed some people on Earth were “zombies” — bodies possessed by evil spirits that needed to be “eliminated” so the end times could begin.

The Vanishing Children

In September 2019:

• Tylee Ryan, 16, was last seen at Yellowstone National Park with her family.
• JJ Vallow, 7, was last seen alive shortly after.

Lori told people the kids were “safe” or staying with friends. For months she partied in Hawaii with Chad, got married on a beach, and posted smiling photos while police searched desperately for her children.

In June 2020, authorities found the remains of Tylee and JJ buried on Chad Daybell’s property in Salem, Idaho. Tylee had been burned and dismembered. JJ had been suffocated and buried with duct tape over his mouth and a plastic bag around his head.

The Full Body Count

Lori and Chad were also linked to:

• The death of Chad’s previous wife, Tammy Daybell (ruled as murder — she was suffocated).
• The shooting death of Lori’s ex-husband, Charles Vallow.
• An attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband.

Arrest, Trial & Conviction

Lori was arrested in 2020. In 2023, an Idaho jury found her guilty of:

• First-degree murder of Tylee and JJ
• Conspiracy to commit murder

She was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without parole in Idaho. In 2025, Arizona courts gave her two more life sentences for conspiring to kill Charles Vallow and attempting to kill Brandon Boudreaux. She will never be released.

Chad Daybell was convicted separately and sentenced to death.

Why Did She Do It?

Prosecutors said Lori wanted to start a new life with Chad, collect life insurance money, and remove anyone (including her own children) she believed were standing in the way of their “mission.” She showed almost no emotion during the investigation or trial.

Lori Vallow Daybell, once the smiling cheerleader in family photos, is now serving multiple life sentences in prison. Her surviving adult son has publicly distanced himself from her.

A beautiful family destroyed by twisted beliefs and cold selfishness.

This case remains one of the darkest examples of how extreme ideology can turn a mother into a monster.