Where is Lori Vallow now? An update on the 'Sins of Our Mother' subject

Everyone's asking 'Where is Lori Vallow now' since the Netflix docu-series began streaming

lori vallow daybell with her husband charles vallow and son colby, where is Lori Vallow now?
(Image credit: Netflix © 2022)

She's considered "the most notorious mom in America," but where is Lori Vallow now?

We take a deep dive into the Idaho woman's story in Sins of Our Mother, a new Netflix true crime docu-series from Skye Borgman. One the surface, Vallow seems like any other wife and mother, but things changed for the worse once she took on an extreme religious mindset. 

In 2018, she crossed paths with Chad Daybell, a prolific doomsday author who was soon to become her fifth husband. That interaction changed everything, and what transpired next is truly unthinkable. Here's what you need to know about the 49-year-old and what's ahead in her family's tragic story.

*Trigger Warning Ahead*

lori vallow and her son colby, a shot from the lori vallow documentary on netflix sins of our mother

(Image credit: Netflix)

Where is Lori Vallow now?

Four years ago, Lori Vallow, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was introduced to Chad Daybell. According to Newsweek, the two were in attendance at a Preparing a People event. From there, he began to brainwash her with his apocalyptic ideologies, which she believed. 

Around the time of the initial meeting, Lori, a mother of three, was near the end of her fourth marriage with Charles Vallow, who claimed she'd threaten to murder him if he tried to interfere with her "preparations for Christ's second coming." He'd even filed an order of protection against his ex-wife and attempted to bring her in for a mental health evaluation, but to no avail, Newsweek further reports.

Vallow died at 62 years old in 2019 allegedly at the hand of his ex-wife's brother, Alex Cox, who argued self-defense at the time. Authorities later seemed to suspect that Lori possibly could have had some involvement in his death. Then, Cox had died later that year, as well as Daybell's ex-wife, Tammy. 

In September 2019, things grew more suspicious when Lori's 7-year-old son, J.J. Vallow, and his older sister, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, were not accounted for. The missing children case became national news. In February 2020, Lori—who relocated from Idaho to Hawaii—was charged with two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of her dependent children. 

The story took a tragic turn in June 2020 when the bodies of J.J. and Tylee were discovered in shallow graves in Daybell's Idaho backyard. Allegedly, Lori and Chad believed that they needed to kill these innocent children to get rid of their dark spirits. Their cause of death has not been released to the public.

On May 25, 2021, Lori and Chad were charged with the first-degree murder of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow. Additionally, she was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, though her charges of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children—in addition to other counts—were dropped. 

Vallow is currently in jail waiting to stand trial and has been deemed fit to do so in 2022 after a brief stint in a mental health facility. In 2021, she was not considered competent to do so. 

These senseless acts weighed on those Vallow has left behind. In the docu-series trailer, we hear Lori's son Colby ask, "Are you sorry for me? Or are you sorry for my siblings?" while supposedly visiting her in prison.

According to the recordings from the project, Lori replies: "Well, I’m sorry that you don’t really fully understand the situation."

What's next for Lori Vallow?

The Lori Vallow trial is set to begin on January 9, 2023. 

Although it was originally supposed to take place in October 2022, Judge Steven Boyce approved a motion to move her trial alongside Daybell's to prevent an improper severance. Additionally, an 'extraordinary volume' of material had been discovered, and it will be utilized moving forward. 

According to reports from NBC News, since Vallow's story made national headlines, media outlets have joined together to petition for the right to allow cameras inside the courtroom, something that Judge Boyce is considering. A total of 32 brands have filed this request, and attorney Steven Wright is backing their efforts. 

"The public’s confidence in the criminal justice system grows when the courtroom is open to all, including those who cannot physically attend," Wright said in a statement. 

Additionally, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, according to Idaho News 6

Sins of Our Mother is a three-part docu-series streaming on Netflix beginning September 14. 

Danielle Valente
Digital News Writer

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.


Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. 


When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.