Did fear of apocalypse drive ‘doomsday mom’ Lori Vallow to murder her children?

Published

2 years ago

July 31, 2023

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“I’m basically a ticking time bomb,” Lori Vallow says with a wide smile and a laugh. She’s speaking at the Mrs Texas beauty pageant in 2004 where she is competing.

At the time it must have seemed an innocuous comment about balancing home and work life, but nearly 20 years later the words take on a more chilling aspect after she was found guilty of murdering her two children and conspiracy to murder her husband’s ex-wife.

Prosecutors say the mother-of-three became obsessed with a coming religious doomsday and believed her children were zombies whose bodies had to be destroyed so they could go to heaven.

Vallow and her fifth husband Chad Daybell went from being followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) to something altogether darker and cult-like, it was claimed.

Religious beliefs in doomsday have been used to harrowing effect by cult leaders again and again to exert control over their followers, sometimes with deadly consequences.

Was it fear of the apocalypse or a belief in the coming of a leader known as “One Mighty and Strong” that resulted in the deaths of seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and his big sister Tylee Ryan?

Jurors in Idaho returned guilty verdicts against Vallow in May.

A huge search, mysterious deaths and rumours of doomsday beliefs

Sometimes referred to as the “reddest place in America” for its conservative voting habits, the city of Rexburg in Idaho is home to around 40,000 people.

For many years it was perhaps best known for its large Mormon population – some 95% of people living there are Latter-day Saints (LDS) members – but in September 2019 it was thrust into the spotlight when two children vanished.

Vallow and Daybell told police that JJ was in Arizona with a family friend and that Tylee had died a year before and had been attending a university.

Their disappearance sparked a search which lasted months and grabbed huge media attention. Strangers from around the world became transfixed by the search for the children, rumours of doomsday beliefs… and the mysterious deaths of Vallow’s fourth husband Charles Vallow and Daybell’s ex-wife Tammy.

Charles Vallow had been shot and killed by Lori Vallow’s brother in July 2019, a few months after he filed for divorce. He claimed his wife threatened to kill him and that she believed she was a god.

Tammy was found dead in October 2019 of what doctors at the time thought was natural causes. Vallow and Daybell were married just two weeks after Tammy’s funeral.

It wasn’t until June 2020 that police found the mutilated remains of JJ and Tylee at a property in rural Idaho that belonged to Daybell.

JJ’s body was wrapped in rubbish bags, his arms bound in front of him with duct tape. Tylee’s remains were charred.

Vallow has now been found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder after a lengthy trial. Daybell is set to face court in a separate trial at a later date.

‘Church of the Firstborn’

Vallow’s defence team say her religious beliefs began to change after she met Daybell, a fiction author whose books focus on the apocalypse and are loosely based on Mormon teachings.

But prosecutors say those beliefs veered toward the extreme, with the couple saying people were “dark” or “light”, telling friends and acquaintances that “dark” people had been taken over by evil spirits.

They eventually began teaching friends that once those evil spirits were strong enough, the person became a “zombie” and the only way to free that person’s soul was by killing them.

The pair met at a conference in Utah in 2018 and felt an “instant connection”, claiming they had been married to each other in a past life, according to police records.

Vallow’s longtime best friend, Melanie Gibb, told investigators that Vallow and Daybell believed they were part of the “Church of the Firstborn” and that their mission in that church was to lead the “144,000” mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

‘One Mighty and Strong’ to emerge after the apocalypse?

Apocalypticism – the religious belief that the end of the world is imminent – in Western culture goes back thousands of years, professor Stephen Kent, an expert on cults at the University of Alberta, tells Sky News.

While much of the Christian apocalyptic beliefs are rooted in Judaism, he says, the case of Lori Vallow highlights the connection with Mormonism.

“Mormonism has a belief that there will be a terrible apocalyptic period at the end of time.

“Mainstream Mormons are encouraged to stack up food and provisions that will allow them to survive a government collapse for a year – and in those last days before Jesus comes back governments will fall apart.”

Within that there is a belief among fundamentalist movements that a Mormon leader will reveal himself, known as “One Mighty and Strong”.

It is believed he will restore ideal Mormonism after the apocalypse, Professor Kent says, and the surviving Mormons will be the chosen ones.

Since the prophecy was made in 1832 a string of extremist individuals have claimed to be “One Mighty and Strong” and some have extracted dangerous behaviours from their followers, including murder.

Fringe Mormon groups involving apocalyptic beliefs have popped up over the years, often led by men who see themselves as “One Mighty and Strong”, Prof Kent said.

He described Chad Daybell as a “fringe Mormon character” and remarked on his authorship of fiction books about the end of the world.

“I’ve not seen specifically that he saw himself as being ‘One Mighty and Strong’, but he certainly fitted in that position and it seems to me that his followers saw him in that context.”

Escape from a fundamentalist Mormon cult

“Every time I would try to escape, the punishments would get heightened.”

It took Briell Decker four years and multiple attempts to break out of the Mormon cult she was born into, unscrewing a window in the compound where she was being held in solitary confinement and running for her freedom in 2013.

At age 18 she had become the 65th wife of Warren Jeffs, the now-disgraced prophet who led the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS).

It is one of a number of fundamentalist Mormon communities and emerged after its founding members were excommunicated from the mainstream Mormon church for their refusal to abandon polygamy.

Jeffs was convicted of sexually assaulting two underage girls he took as brides and sentenced to life in prison in 2011.

“I didn’t dare say no to him because of his authority,” Briell tells Sky News about agreeing to marry Jeffs. He had been her school principal before becoming leader just before her 18th birthday. They were married soon after.

“I figured I’d be really punished if I said no to him, so I just went along with it.”

Sermons in the group featured warnings about doomsday, Briell said, comparing them to a “horror movie”.

“It’s used for control for sure, to scare people into being more faithful, praying harder, more loyalty.”

‘The newer compounds have a guard tower’

Unlike so many others Briell was able to escape the FLDS – but it was no sure thing and involved a lot of failed attempts.

She spoke of being moved around for around three years, eventually managing to work her way to an older compound where security wasn’t as tight.

“The newer compounds have a guard tower, they have a gate around them. They’re really hard to escape from.”

She added: “They had four-wheelers that would drive around the perimeter of the property with the men that were assigned to keep the security.”

Briell was able to escape from the older compound and made it into the outside world, where she was adopted by a woman from an organisation that helps people escaping FLDS.

In the years since she gained her freedom Briell was able to obtain ownership of the 44-room mansion where Jeffs and his wives lived. It’s now a refuge for other women fleeing the church.

Her father was kicked out of the FLDS soon after she escaped, but Briell says she hasn’t spoken to her mother in 11 years.

Lori Vallow guilty of murder

Lori Vallow’s trial began in April 2023 – more than three years after her children’s deaths.

Before she was charged with the murders in May 2021 she was ordered to undergo a mental competency evaluation and was declared unfit to stand trial on two counts of concealment in the deaths of her kids.

A judge ordered Vallow to be committed to a mental health facility for treatment. Less than a year later, she was declared mentally fit to stand trial.

The state of Idaho doesn’t allow for an “insanity” defence and requires that defendants have the competence to understand the charges against them.

In May, jurors found her guilty of the murders of Tylee and JJ, and of conspiracy to murder Tammy. She has now been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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Texas floods: The victims and people missing that have been named so far

Published

9 hours ago

July 6, 2025

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Texas floods: The victims and people missing that have been named so far

Details of those who have died and those who are missing after US flash floods are slowly emerging – with several young girls among those unaccounted for.

At least 69 people have died from the flooding in Texas, with an unknown number of people – including 11 girls and a counsellor from Camp Mystic in Kerr County – still missing.

As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County on Friday, causing the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst at around 4am local time.

Tributes to those who died, and appeals for those who are still missing, are now being shared.

Who are the victims?

Renee Smajstrla, eight

Renee’s uncle Shawn Salta confirmed the eight-year-old had died, and said she was one of 700 children staying at Camp Mystic.

“Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,” he said.

“We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday.

“She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.”

Sarah Marsh, eight

Mountain Brook mayor Stewart Welch confirmed the death of eight-year-old Sarah, from Alabama, who was a pupil at Cherokee Bend Elementary.

“This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community,” he said. “Sarah’s passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her.

“As we grieve alongside the Marsh family, we also remember the many others affected by this tragedy.”

Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine

Eloise’s mother Missy Peck told local broadcaster FOX4 that her daughter and Lila were best friends and cabinmates at Camp Mystic.

Writing about her daughter on Instagram, Ms Peck said: “She lost her life in the tragic flooding… our family is grieving and processing this unimaginable loss together.”

Lila’s family told NBC Dallas Fort Worth, a local affiliate network of Sky’s US partner network, that they were in “unimaginable grief”, and said: “We ache with all who loved her.”

Janie Hunt, nine

Janie’s family confirmed her death to a reporter from NBC Dallas Fort Worth, who said “her mother tells me she’s devastated”.

Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, owner of Camp Mystic

Kerr County judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post that Mr Eastland, who owned the camp died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital.

Local outlet The Kerrville Daily Times reported he was killed while trying to save the girls from the flash floods.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,” guest columnist Paige Sumner said in the Daily Times’ tribute to Mr Eastland.

Blair and Brooke Harber, 13 and 11

RJ Harber told CNN his daughters died during flooding in Kerr County, saying Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart”.

He added that Brooke “was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment”.

He also said both his parents were still missing.

Jane Ragsdale, owner of Heart O’ the Hills camp

On Heart O’ the Hills’s website, the camp confirmed it was “right in the path of the flood” along the Guadalupe River.

While there were no campers in residence, Jane Ragsdale died. The camp said: “We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane’s death.

“She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.”

Julian Ryan, 27

Relatives of Mr Ryan told local news broadcaster KHOU 11 that he died saving his family from floodwaters in Texas Hill County.

They described how he tried to smash a window to help them escape the rising water, but it cut his arm and he bled out before help could arrive.

Who is still missing?

Penny, Emlyn, and Madelyn ‘Emmy’ Jeffrey, 11

Christin Jeffrey Jones posted on Facebook that her parents Penny and Emlyn Jeffrey are missing, as well her niece Madelyn ‘Emmy’ Jeffrey.

She said her family were in Hunt, Texas, and “were spending the night at their cabin on the river at Casa Bonita which is now completely gone”.

“We ask for continued prayers and miracles,” she said. “Please share the word.”

Charlene and Mike Harber, 74 and 76

RJ Harber also told CNN that his parents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are still missing.

He believes the couple have died.

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Deadly Texas floods: What were the warnings?

Published

12 hours ago

July 6, 2025

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Deadly Texas floods: What were the warnings?

Questions have been raised over extreme weather warnings in Texas, after heavy rain caused fatal flash floods along the Guadalupe River.

At least 51 people have died from the flooding in Texas, with an unknown number of people – including 27 girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County – still missing.

As rescue teams continue to search for the missing, local and federal officials have come under fire over their flood preparations and about why those along the river weren’t warned of the risks sooner.

What happened?

As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County on Friday, causing the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst at around 4am local time.

Homes and vehicles were swept away by the downpour – equivalent to months’ worth of rain – while 27 girls staying at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, went missing when the fast-rising floodwaters hit.

The death toll stands at:
• At least 43 people, including 15 children and 28 adults, in Kerr County,
• One person in Kendall County,
• At least four people in Travis County,
• At least two in Burnet County,
• And one person in the city of San Angelo.

What flood warnings were there?

Private forecasting company AccuWeather said it and the National Weather Service (NWS) sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before it began, urging people to move to higher ground and evacuate flood-prone areas.

The NWS also issued flash flood emergencies – a rare alert notifying of imminent danger – at 4.23am local time.

In a statement, AccuWeather said that “these warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety”.

It also called Texas Hill County one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings.

However, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management Nim Kidd said that one NWS forecast earlier in the week had called for up to six inches of rain.

“It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

Were they enough?

Locals have told various news agencies that while there had been phone alerts late into the night, forecasts headed into Friday evening did not predict the extreme conditions.

Christopher Flowers, who was staying at a friend’s house along the river when the flooding started, told the Reuters news agency: “What they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now.”

Kerrville resident Darryl Huffman told Sky’s US partner network NBC News that he did not believe the storm would pose such danger before its arrival.

“I looked out the window and it was barely sprinkling outside,” he said, “so I had no indication that the river was going to be right outside my driveway”.

Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, said it appeared evacuations and other proactive measures could have been undertaken to reduce the risk of fatalities.

He said in a statement: “People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast.”

Separately, the NWS’s union told NBC News the agency’s offices in central Texas were well-staffed and had issued timely warnings, “giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met”.

What have officials said?

Local and federal officials have said they had not expected such an intense downpour of rain and insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official, said: “We know we get rain. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming.”

“We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States,” he said, adding: “We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”

Mr Kelly separately noted that while the county considered a flood warning system along the river that would have functioned like a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, “the public reeled at the cost”.

At a news conference with the Texas governor, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said on Saturday that “everybody knows that the weather is extremely difficult to predict” before saying “we have all wanted more time and more warning and more alerts and more notification” from the NWS.

She said a “moderate” flood watch issued on Thursday by the NWS had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade their technology.

Will forecasting get better?

While Ms Noem said technology for the NWS would be upgraded, the White House has previously been criticised after Donald Trump‘s administration ordered 800 job cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – the parent organisation of the NWS.

A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress.

Professor Costa Samaras, who worked on energy policy at the White House under President Joe Biden, said NOAA had been in the middle of developing new flood maps for neighbourhoods and that cuts to NOAA were “devastating”.

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At least 51 people killed in Texas flooding as authorities face scrutiny over response

Published

21 hours ago

July 6, 2025

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At least 51 people killed in Texas flooding as authorities face scrutiny over response

At least 51 people have died after heavy rain caused flash flooding, with water bursting from the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas.

The overflowing water began sweeping into Kerr County and other areas around 4am local time on Friday, killing at least 43 people in the county.

This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference.

In nearby Kendall County, one person has died. At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County. Another person has died in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County.

An unknown number of people remain missing, including 27 girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River.

Rescuers have already saved hundreds of people and would work around the clock to find those still unaccounted for, Texas governor Greg Abbott said.

But as rescue teams are searching for the missing, Texas officials are facing scrutiny over their preparations and why residents and summer camps for children that are dotted along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate.

AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service (NWS) sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation, urging people to move to higher ground and evacuate flood-prone areas.

The NWS later issued flash flood emergencies – a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.

“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” AccuWeather said in a statement that called Texas Hill County one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings.

But one NWS forecast earlier in the week had called for up to six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.”It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

Officials said they had not expected such an intense downpour of rain, equivalent to months’ worth in a few short hours, insisting that no one saw the flood potential coming.

One river near Camp Mystic rose 22ft in two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the NWS’s Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29.5ft.

“People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast,” Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, said in a statement.

“We know we get rain. We know the river rises,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official. “But nobody saw this coming.”

Judge Kelly said the county considered a flood warning system along the Guadalupe River that would have functioned like a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, before he was elected, but that the idea never got off the ground because “the public reeled at the cost”.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked during a news conference on Saturday whether the flash flood warnings came through quickly enough: “We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that is why we are working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long.”

Presidential cuts to climate and weather organisations have also been criticised in the wake of the floods after Donald Trump‘s administration ordered 800 job cuts at the science and climate organisation NOAA, the parent organisation of the NWS, which predicts and warns about extreme weather like the Texas floods.

A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress.

“Accurate weather forecasts matter. FEMA and NOAA matter. Because little girls’ lives matter,” said Frank Figliuzzi, a national security and intelligence analyst at Sky’s US partner organisation NBC News.