Southwest
'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow's Arizona murder conspiracy trial: Wildest moments in court so far
So-called “Doomsday Mom” Lori Vallow Daybell, who is representing herself in the murder conspiracy trial of her fourth husband, is shaking up the courtroom with fiery exchanges during testimony.
Prosecutors are accusing Vallow Daybell of conspiring with her late brother, Alex Cox, to murder her late husband, Charles Vallow, to benefit from a $1 million life insurance policy and marry another man, Chad Daybell, in 2019.
The Arizona trial comes nearly two years after Vallow Daybell and her current husband, Chad Daybell, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murders of Vallow’s two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as the 2019 murder of Chad Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell.
On Wednesday, the second day of the trial, witness Nancy Jo Hancock — a woman who went on a date with Charles Vallow in July 2019 the night before Vallow was shot and killed — got into a heated exchange with Vallow Daybell during cross-examination.
‘DOOMSDAY MOM’ LORI VALLOW SHARES WHY SHE MADE UNUSUAL LEGAL MOVE FOR 2ND MURDER TRIAL: ‘FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE’
Lori Vallow is on trial in Arizona in connection to her late husband’s death. (Maricopa County)
In court, Vallow Daybell asked Hancock about the date, and whether Hancock knew that she and Vallow were still married at the time.
“Would you have gone out on a date with him if he would have said he was married?” Vallow Daybell asked.
“If I would have realized how married he still was, maybe not,” Hancock replied. “But I just met for dinner. I wasn’t sleeping with him or anything.”
WATCH VALLOW’S CROSS-EXAMINATION OF HANCOCK:
“Do you go on dates with married men, naturally?” Vallow Daybell fired back, before the prosecution objected and called her question “argumentative and harassment.”
Daybell Vallow continued to question Hancock, who fired back after she continued to be pressed on the date.
“So you spent your whole date getting to know each other, talking about me?” Vallow Daybell asked.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Hancock replied. “No, we did not spend the whole time talking about you.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
The heated exchange has taken the internet by storm with several reactions being shared online.
At a different moment during her cross-examination of Hancock, Vallow Daybell again asked the witness if she was aware during her date with Charles Vallow that he was “on dating websites and dating women.”
The prosecution objected on the premise of speculation, which the judge sustained. Vallow Daybell then reframed her question, asking if Charles Vallow informed Hancock about the “situation of” Lori and Charles “being separated.”
Lori Vallow Daybell stands and listens as the jury’s verdict is read at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho on May 12, 2023. (Kyle Green)
“He was under the impression that you were having an affair, so him moving on was a natural progression of that,” Hancock responded.
‘DOOMSDAY CULT MOM’ ASKS COURT TO BAN CAMERAS FROM UPCOMING MURDER TRIAL
Vallow Daybell then asked for more information about Hancock’s communications with Kay Woodcock, Charles Vallow’s sister by adoption. JJ Vallow referred to Kay and her husband, Larry Woodcock, as his grandparents. After asking Hancock to describe her communications with Woodcock, Vallow Daybell suddenly cut the witness off when she began discussing JJ Vallow.
“To express my condolences for her brother passing away and wanted to let her know that I had had dinner with him that last night and how much he loved JJ and how excited he was to see him the next morning and just — ” Hancock started before Vallow Daybell interrupted.
“Thank you. That’s enough,” the defendant said.
WATCH VALLOW CUT OFF HANCOCK:
The next bizarre exchange came between Vallow Daybell and her brother, Adam Cox, who told the jury that he had flown to Phoenix right before Charles’ death, claiming he went to help Charles stage an intervention with his sister.
During the cross-examination, Vallow Daybell did not ask many questions, seemingly to prove that they had not interacted with each other in years.
“Last time I remember our communications was you and I were speaking in the kitchen, when the family was over,” Cox said.
“So you think that was that time in 2018?” Vallow Daybell asked.
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Lori Vallow Daybell’s booking photo taken at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center in Pocatello, Idaho. (Idaho Dept. of Corrections/Local News X /TMX)
“I think so,” Cox responded.
“And were we eating my green chile chicken enchiladas?” she asked.
“And were we eating my green chile chicken enchiladas?”
“I do not remember that,” Cox replied.
KILLER LORI VALLOW, ‘DOOMSDAY MOM,’ SAYS JESUS SPOKE TO HER IN SPIRITUAL VISION, SHOWED HER PRISON RELEASE
Vallow Daybell questioned him again about not remembering that and said “that is what I made every time there was a family get-together, which was like 10 times a year.”
WATCH VALLOW’S CROSS-EXAMINATION OF HER BROTHER:
Vallow Daybell explained to True Crime Arizona that she had been “working on her case for five years” and knows it “better than an attorney can learn it in two years,” after making the decision to represent herself.
“Here’s the thing, when you waive your speedy trial, then they can keep you here as long as you want,” Vallow told True Crime Arizona. “There are intelligent, strong, beautiful women in here that have been here for eight years because of family tragedies. It’s the same, like my case, a family tragedy, not crime. A family tragedy, and they’re waiting, and they’re facing the death penalty for a family tragedy.”
Lori and Chad Daybell were convicted of killing 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old J.J. Vallow in 2019. (Rexberg Police Department)
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At the time of Charles Vallow’s murder, his daughter, Tylee, confronted him with a baseball bat after hearing screaming inside the house. Charles reportedly took the bat from Tylee, who told police she was trying to protect her mother, and allegedly tried to attack Cox. Cox told investigators he fired his gun in self-defense and was never charged in Charles’ death before he died of natural causes months later.
Vallow Daybell could face another life sentence if convicted and is also facing another Arizona trial in May for an alleged plot to kill her niece’s ex-husband after a judge denied her motion to dismiss the case.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.
Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.
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Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
Two men fell into a sinkhole that opened on a sidewalk after a massive water main break in West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
Aerial view of flooded Metro buses in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
A broken water main sent water gushing out of an apartment building and turned streets into rivers in West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
A broken water main sent water gushing into a parking garage in West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Residents stand at the entrance to an apartment parking garage as floodwaters from a water main break rush past in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
A parking garage is seen flooding following a water main break in West Hollywood on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
A broken water main sent water gushing into the streets of West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA)
“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”
The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.
A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.
The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.
“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.
The two men appeared to be uninjured.
As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.
LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.
Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.
On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.
Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.
Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.
“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.
The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.
Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.
Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.
Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.
Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.
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A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A shooting at a Compton Fourth of July block party in the 2100 block of Grandee Avenue in Compton left one man dead and another injured on July 5, 2026. (OnScene.tv) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (Google) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV) -
A man and a women were killed and three others were injured, one critically, at a Fourth of July Party in Compton on July 4, 2026. (OnScene.TV)
Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.
The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.
“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.
“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”
The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.
Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.
The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.
Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.
Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.
Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.
They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.
A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]
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