Lori Vallow: Judge denies defense’s request for new trial
- Lori Vallow was convicted in the murder of her two children last month
- She and husband Chad Daybell reportedly held "doomsday" beliefs
- Judge Steven Boyce said new trial isn't necessary
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(NewsNation) — Lori Vallow’s defense attorneys’ request for a new trial was denied by a judge Thursday, multiple local outlets are reporting.
Last month, an Idaho jury found Vallow guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of her two youngest children, almost 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, who was 7.
Vallow was also found guilty of all other charges she faced, including grand theft and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the case of her husband, Chad Daybell’s previous wife.
Tylee and JJ went missing in September 2019, and their bodies were later found on Daybell’s Idaho property. Daybell’s trial is set for April 1, 2024, KIVI-TV reports.
The case gained national attention, in part due to the reportedly cult-like “doomsday” beliefs that Vallow and Daybell shared.
Vallow’s lawyers argued Thursday her entire trial should be repeated, according to the East Idaho news, as they said the original indictment, as well as the jury instructions, were confusing.
Before the trial began, Boyce allowed a modification to the jury instructions, to include the term “and/or” rather than “and” when it came to the conspiracy charges, the news outlet reported, something Vallow’s lawyers used to bolster their case.
Lawyers for Vallow also cited an interview a juror did with the East Idaho News where he said he was confused by the instructions and language in the indictment that stated Daybell was one of five “co-conspirators” charged as the reason a new trial is needed.
The indictment was later changed to clarify that Vallow and Daybell were the only conspirators, according to the East Idaho News.
However, prosecutors refuted these arguments, stating language in the indictment and jury instructions were clear, and that the juror never communicated that he needed clarification.
Ultimately, District Judge Steven Boyce said a new proceeding wasn’t necessary, as he didn’t receive a copy of the East Idaho News interview as evidence or in an affidavit, and changes in the indictment’s language did not affect the trial’s outcome.
