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BOISE, Idaho - The prosecution and defense completed their closing arguments Thursday for the trial of Lori Vallow, the so-called "Doomsday mom" accused of killing her two children.
The jury has left the courtroom, and deliberations are underway.
Closing arguments underway in 'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow's murder trial: Live updates
The trial is being held four hours away from Fremont County, where the bodies of her kids, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, 7 and 16, were found.
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Lori Vallow trial: Verdict watch begins
Lawyers for both the prosecution and the defense in the murder trial of the so-called 'Doomsday Mom' presented their closing arguments on May 11, after weeks of testimonies. Now, the wait for a verdict has begun as jury members begin deliberating. FOX 10's Justin Lum reports from Boise, Idaho, where the trial is taking place.
On Wednesday, the judge met with defense attorneys and prosecutors to work on jury instructions. Both sides rested their cases on Tuesday in an Idaho courtroom after nearly five weeks of testimony.
Vallow did not testify in her own defense. She is accused of murdering her two kids J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan and conspiring to kill her husband's previous wife, Tammy.
During closing arguments, Vallow's attorney placed the blame on her husband, saying she viewed him as Jesus and lied about J.J.'s whereabouts to protect him. The defense didn’t call one witness during the trial.
"Lori so wants to testify of Jesus. You heard her on her podcasts. She wants to tell the world how much she loves Jesus. She wants to tell you that she personally met him on one occasion, but is Lori a leader, or is she a follower of Chad? She so wants to be a leader, but she’s not leading anyone. She’s following Chad," said Vallow's defense attorney, Jim Archibald.
Meanwhile, the prosecution’s closing arguments started similar to what was heard in opening statements: the motives of this case are 'money, power and sex.'
"There is no question that JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan and Tammy Daybell were murdered. Who is the common thread? Lori Vallow," said Lead Prosecutor Rob Wood. "What does justice for these victims requires? It requires a conviction of each and every count."
Wood said Vallow and Chad Daybell’s affair set off events leading to the murders of JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan, and Tammy Daybell. The prosecution said Vallow was the leader in all this with a plan.
Wood also told the jury that Vallow, Daybell and Vallow's late brother, Alex Cox, could not kill the kids in Arizona, where they had family and friends. So, Vallow moved them from Chandler to Rexburg, and continued to collect her children's Social Security benefits after the murders.
In the matter of religion, Wood said this case isn’t all about it, despite what was heard about preparing for the end of the world, seeing dark spirits and zombies. The prosecution says the issue is Vallow used her beliefs to justify murder.
A judge has ruled that the verdict will be broadcast online.
Cameras have been banned from the courtroom since September over worries that too much coverage would make it hard to find a fair and impartial jury.
Vallow was served court order in Hawaii
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Lori Vallow Trial: Closing arguments to start
A little more than three years after the so-called 'Doomsday Mom' was arrested, jurors will hear closing arguments in Lori Vallow's murder trial. The woman is accused of killing two of her kids, and conspiring with her husband, Chad Daybell, in the murder of Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell. FOX 10's Justin Lum spoke with Vallow's family members, as they wait for a verdict in the case.
As Vallow's trial nears an end, we have obtained exclusive video that shows Vallow and her then-new husband, Chad Daybell, in Hawaii as authorities serve a court order in regards to JJ and Tylee.
Vallow was served with a court order from Madison County, Idaho to physically produce JJ and Tylee to the Department of Health and Welfare in a week. At the time, both JJ and Tylee were considered missing. We now know, however, that both were dead for four months at the time the video was taken.
In the video, Vallow shook her head at the paperwork, and Daybell looked on. Just a day later, the public would learn where the so-called ‘Doomsday Couple’ was spending their time.
For all previous and extensive coverage on this case, visit https://fox10phoenix.com/vallow + watch the in-depth special here.