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Ashley Banfield
Hi everyone, I'm Ashley Banfield and welcome to Drop Dead Serious. The jury has spoken. Judgment has been rendered and to the surprise of virtually nobody, Lori Valo stinks as a lawyer. She failed big time. She failed to get her client acquitted of charges that she conspired to murder her fourth husband six years ago. That Maricopa county jury in Arizona took less than three hours to find Lori Valo guilty. Two hours, 57 minutes and 58 seconds, to be exact. But who's counting? I was, because I thought it'd be under an hour. But I do have the moment for you where Lori, acting as her own lawyer, found out what a fool she has for a client.
Judge
Do find the defendant, Lori Davout, as to the crime of count one, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, occurring on or about July 11, 2019, guilty. Signed, poor person. Is this your two verdicts, so say you won in all?
Juror 1
Yes.
Ashley Banfield
On the court's own motion, I'll go.
Juror 2
Ahead and ask the clerk to poll the jury.
Judge
Juror number one, is this your true verdict?
Juror 3
Yes.
Judge
Juror number two, is this your true verdict?
Juror 2
Yes.
Judge
Juror number six, is this your true verdict?
Juror 1
Yes.
Judge
Juror number seven, is this your true verdict?
Juror 1
Yes.
Shopify Representative
Do you.
Judge
Juror number eight, is this your true verdict?
Juror 3
Yes.
Judge
Juror number nine, is this your true verdict?
Juror 3
Yes.
Judge
Juror number 10, is this your true verdict?
Juror 2
YES.
Judge
Juror number 11, is this your true verdict?
Juror 2
YEs.
Judge
Juror number 12, is this your true verdict?
Juror 3
YEs.
Judge
Juror number 13, is this your true verdict?Yes. Juror number 15, is this your true verdict?Y. Juror number 16, is this your true verdict?
Juror 2
Yes.
Ashley Banfield
What might be the most unbelievable thing in this trial happened after it was all over, and that's that jurors, as they were leaving the courthouse, some of them actually said they had no idea that the woman they just convicted of murder had already killed three people, including her own two kids, and that she had been on trial for it and convicted of it. I mean, think about it. They sat there for two weeks listening to this woman pitching her own case to them, talking about her husband and her daughter Tyler and how much she loved JJ and took care of him. And all the while, they had no idea she had murdered those kids. Right? It's pretty shocking at this point. I'm guessing, and I'm talking to you just a few hours after the verdict here. I'm guessing that some of these jurors went home and started googling. And then they'll find out who Tammy Dabel is. Then they'll find out that guy that she was stuppen. You know, the guy she was cheating on her husband with. Chad Daybell. That guy had a wife who turned up murdered. And Lori was tried and convicted of being a part of that killing. Being a part of that murder. She's locked up for life, no parole in Idaho because of killing Tammy Dabel, killing Tyler ryan, and killing J.J. valo. Imagine the jurors right now, even as I say this, finding out all this stuff and even like imagining for a moment they had a question of a doubt as to whether she was a killer of her husband Charles as well. Right. Here's what some of the jurors said outside the courthouse when they were absolutely surrounded by all the media and the streamers and the curious who just wanted to know what they knew and what they didn't. Of course, the waiting press was dying to know. What was it like, what happened in this trial that made you vote guilty? What was the evidence you found overwhelming beyond a reasonable doubt? And they actually listed out several things. They listened. They really listened because it was top of mind for all of them as they were questioned. They could tell you exactly which pieces of evidence, which issues with Lori Valo did they find troubling that made them realize she's a murderer. You have been released, but I'm not going to tell you what to say. Of course, walking out now knowing. I mean, I think you're knowing how high profile this case was.
Juror 2
It was very. Yeah.
Ashley Banfield
What. What's going through your head?
Juror 2
Sadness. It's sad.
Ashley Banfield
Oops.
Juror 2
I'm sorry. It's just sad that, you know, this has happened to Charles and she's given up her life as well.
Ashley Banfield
What did you think of her defending herself? Anything that went through the jury's head with that?
Juror 2
Well, for me personally, I thought, what does she have to lose? Guilty of, not guilty. What does she have to lose?
Juror 1
Were any of you folks aware that this woman had already.
Juror 2
I had never been hurt.
Juror 1
I have never homicides. Did not know that.
Juror 2
No, I did. I did not.
Juror 1
And nobody brought.
Ashley Banfield
Would you want to come in and talk to. Just what was your experience?
Juror 1
There's a lot of backstory here. And this woman had already been convicted of three homicides. And they obviously didn't write you post know that. Nobody knew that in your. During your deliberations, is that correct?
Juror 4
Correct.
Juror 1
Wow.
Ashley Banfield
What was this experience like for you?
Juror 4
It was sad, like he. As he said. For me, it was the text messages that did it. As far as evidence. And I feel like we caught. We uncovered some lies.
Ashley Banfield
Knowing now that she was convicted of killing her two children in Idaho.
Juror 4
I haven't had a chance to Google everything. I'm sure as soon as we get on the shuttle, so might have more to say later.
Ashley Banfield
Was that difficult going through this and not being able to be disconnected? Yeah, we just felt like there was.
Juror 4
A lot of information that didn't make sense and it was missing do you.
Juror 1
Think she did herself any favors by defending her?
Juror 4
No.
Juror 1
You were not impressed with her lawyer lawyering skills?
Juror 4
No.
Juror 1
What did you think of her behavior during cross examination? The way that at what moments she was argumentative with some of the witnesses?
Juror 4
I just. I mean, many days she just was like smiling and laughing and didn't seem to take anything very seriously.
Ashley Banfield
How much of that.
Juror 1
How much of that did that play into a factor, a decision?
Juror 4
It did.
Ashley Banfield
Were you hoping to hear her testify? Were you hoping to hear.
Juror 4
I was. I was.
Ashley Banfield
And what about you?
Juror 2
I didn't understand why she didn't call anyone.
Juror 1
Yeah, to be honest with you, I don't.
Juror 4
Or why she didn't have, like. I know she made a statement about the only family that was interviewed was her estranged brother, and why wasn't her parents or her sister, but yet she didn't call them.
Juror 2
I mean, in saying that she is not obligated to prove her exactly recognized.
Juror 1
She didn't have to put right.
Juror 4
Right.
Ashley Banfield
Was the fact that she didn't put up a defense or take the stand in her own defense part of your deliberation at all?
Juror 2
No, it was all evidence. It was all evidence that was produced and presented to us.
Ashley Banfield
Sorry.
Juror 1
If this was asked, what would you.
Ashley Banfield
Say the biggest piece of evidence for.
Juror 2
You guys as a jury was when.
Ashley Banfield
You came the decision?
Juror 2
Well, for me, like her, it was the text.
Juror 4
The text history.
Ashley Banfield
What specifically about the text?
Juror 4
Oh, there were so many.
Juror 2
Yeah, there was.
Ashley Banfield
I mean, we had.
Juror 2
For me, that really stood out.
Ashley Banfield
Can you tell us which ones?
Juror 2
Yeah, that was one of them. Soon you will be need by and so will I. So that was one of them. But I don't know if I should say anything more.
Ashley Banfield
We heard so much about dark spirits and religion and how this all plays into it. I mean, as a jury, what's going through your head when you start hearing that in court?
Juror 2
For me, that didn't really play a big role because you have to have evidence of conspiracy, and that is not evidence of conspiracy. Somebody is.
Juror 1
Was it unusual for you guys to. I mean, you're talking about her brother Alex. The guy who actually did was the trigger man. So many players were referenced in this trial and you never saw them and never heard from them. That had to be confusing when you guys got back in the jury room.
Juror 4
Yeah, yeah, it was very confusing.
Juror 1
What did.
Juror 4
It just felt like there was so much of the story that was missing.
Juror 2
Did she have any valid arguments, like anything that made you think maybe she's not guilty?
Juror 4
Do you want to answer I. I can't think of any.
Juror 2
You know, honestly, up until yesterday, I would have said not guilty, but when the. When the prosecutor. I don't know, what do they call that when they give their. When they.
Juror 4
Closing argument?
Juror 2
Yes, the closing argument. That's really their. There's a few things she said in there. And then when I looked them up today, I was like, oh, yeah, that's bad.
Juror 1
You were still on the fence yesterday.
Juror 2
I was yesterday.
Juror 1
Give us a sense of what it was like to be in that jury room. Was there any point that someone was disagreeing, saying maybe she is not guilty.
Ashley Banfield
Or were you guys.
Juror 4
There was a couple.
Ashley Banfield
And what was that like? Walk us through that.
Juror 2
It's just a matter of, you know, adults working things out, going through all the evidence and figuring out, you know, what we thought, what we were going to come to an agreement with.
Ashley Banfield
To learn now that everyone that was in that house that day, minus Daybell, is all not with us anymore, is dead or has been killed. I mean, what is that like to hear as jurors walking out?
Juror 4
Sad. Like, I kept wanting to hear from Tylee.
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Juror 1
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Juror 2
Did you ever ask the judge, why aren't they here?
Juror 4
No. And the one witness that really got to me was hearing K. I was holding back my emotions.
Juror 2
Well, what was one of the biggest factors in your decision today?
Juror 3
One of the biggest factors was probably when we were sitting there, whenever she would. Whenever they would ask a question about the Mormon stuff and all that, she would just kind of look at us and smile and smirk. So it kind of gave it away for a lot of. It just kind of didn't really care.
Ashley Banfield
What were those conversations like in the jury room? I mean, going back and forth when everyone was delivering it. You kind of put us inside that room with you.
Juror 3
Let's see. It was kind of. So a lot of us already knew. A couple of us just needed the extra. We needed to relook back through the evidence, the text messages and all that. So it was a little bit of back and forth, but all of us were pretty. Pretty sure we already knew what we wanted.
Juror 2
Was there one piece of evidence that really convinced you she was guilty, probably.
Juror 3
When she said that he was Ned before they got rid of him, that was probably the part where we were like, okay, now it's real. Yes.
Juror 2
When did you learn that?
Juror 3
At the end, when we first were walking out, everyone was talking about it, and we got to. To look up her previous stuff so that we were aware.
Juror 1
And in that jury room, this woman's been convicted of three homicides. You guys didn't know that. You were unaw. None of you guys knew that, correct?
Juror 3
Yeah. Y.
Juror 1
And. And then here held. And the missing pieces and the trial people who didn't testify. You had really. There were a lot of. A lot of holes when you went into the jury rooms that were not explained to you. That must have made it far more difficult.
Juror 3
It did, which is why we went back through everything just to make sure we didn't miss anything, to make sure that we were 100% on what we were choosing to do.
Juror 2
Was there anything that made you think she might not be guilty?
Juror 3
No. I think probably 10 out of 12 of us were certain. The other two, we helped them go back to what they needed to learn to kind of make up their mind, and then, yeah, we just kind of went from there. Being back home when everything happened, it's not something that you would normally be calm about. You expect to be sad asking how your brother's doing, since he was the one that got injured during it too. She didn't do any of that. She was just. She already knew it happened, and she just went with it like that.
Juror 2
Did you want her to testify?
Juror 3
I guess. I don't know. Yes. Seeing her. Charles's sister's reaction when they did say she pled guilty was really relieving. It made all of us feel really good that they got justice.
Juror 2
Do you plan to go watch a bunch of stuff about this case now, or are you.
Juror 3
Yes. I believe we're told that there's some. That there's a Netflix documentary, and you can basically just Google it. Everything will pop up. So that's probably what I'm gonna do with when I get home. I told my grandma that I got requested for jury, and she asked if I know anything about it. I told her the name, and her jaw dropped like I was supposed to know who she was. Like she thought it was insane that I didn't know what was happening. But I just moved here two years ago, as of March, so I didn't really know anything to begin with, but my grandma did, and she thought I was just crazy for not knowing where'd you live previously Minnesota Yeah, yeah. And I actually see her tonight too, cuz my mom just flew in from Minnesota so I'm going to go see them after this and we're probably going to watch everything.
Ashley Banfield
One more really idiosyncratic aspect of Arizona law, and I did not know this until the judge actually explained it from the bench, is that it wasn't enough just to have the guilty verdict and then go to sentencing. They actually had another phase, an aggravation phase, where the jury would have to agree to the aggravating factors of this crime. Very much like you see in a death penalty case. Because you, in a death penalty case you'll get a, you'll get a guilty verdict, then you'll have a second mini trial. Right. And they weigh all the aggravators and mitigators in, in that second aggravation trial. The death phase. Right. That same phase thing was going to happen in Lori's case. They were going to have to put some evidence out on the table and have the jurors decide if Lori qualified for the aggravators. The weird thing is, is that the sentence is the same whether she qualifies for the aggravators or not, but they just have to do it on the record. And when it came to this part, Laurie kind of surprised everybody by saying, what's the point? Can I just stipulate to this? Meaning I'm not going to argue any of this stuff. She actually articulated it from defense table. What's the point? Isn't the, isn't the penalty the same anyway? It's the same sentence whether these aggravators approved or not. So I'm just going to stipulate to them, right? Let me just tell you what they were. Did the victim's family members suffer emotional and, or physical and. Or financial harm? And we know they did, right? We know they did. Did she have an accomplice? These are two of the things that they would have had to debate and argue and actually present some evidence in court. And Laurie just wasn't having any of it. She stipulated to it. But the judge said, let's be real clear here because like if you do that, you don't get a mulligan, right? If you want to appeal later on, you don't, you don't get to do that. If you stipulate it's over. And she just said, yeah, nah, fine. By the way, she was quite rude about it. Meanwhile, you've got prosecutors saying, yes, your honor. And you've got Lori saying, huh, you know, baloney like that. But she did. And I was talking to Lindsey Haller. She's the producer of this podcast. She was in the courtroom. And she thinks that maybe, maybe Laurie just didn't want family members of Charles Vallow getting up there and spewing everything, everything they couldn't say during the evidentiary part of this case. Maybe she just wanted to try to get out while the getting was good, put her tail between her legs and get out of there without any more damage. It was possible. Or she was just sick of it. And, you know, what does she have to lose anyway? She's already locked up for life in Idaho, right? So maybe she just had enough. So that was the end. She stipulated. They basically closed the records. Everything is on the record, and they dismissed the jurors. And that's when the jurors walked out of the courtroom and started learning all the awful that is Lori Valo. You know, and I, like I said before, that awful is going to continue as they continue to learn about her history. So it's. I would say it's all over but the crying, but it's not. There is still more crying. It's a weird way of saying there's yet another trial. If you are new to the Lori Valo story, buckle up. Yeah, we have another trial because Lori's accused of conspiring with her brother, Alex Cox, not just to kill Charles Valo, but to take out Lori's niece's husband because her niece was divorcing that husband. His name is Brandon Boudreau. And one day in his driveway, suddenly, he was the subject of a drive by, and shots started to ring out, ping, ping, ping. Hitting his car, but not hitting him, thank God. But that is what you call officially, in legal terms, an attempted murder. And so Laurie has another trial coming, and it's actually in just a few weeks. There is an attempted murder trial for the attempt on Brandon Boudreau's life. Now, is she going to represent herself? My guess is yes. I think she loves this crap. I think she loves to be the center of attention. And actually, a little aside here, one of the things, if you were in the courtroom, the judge, upon hearing the verdict of the jury, asked each and every member of the jury, is that your. Your true verdict? It's called polling the jury. It's a smart thing to do. It should happen in every trial. Sometimes it doesn't. And that's why we're in Karen Reed right now, because they didn't pull the jury, but they pull each and every juror to find out if that's their verdict. And each. Each and every One of these 12 jurors was so emphatic, like hell to the. Yeah, they didn't say that, but it really sounded that way in their voices. They were very emphatic. That, yes, indeed, that is my effing verdict. Right? And as we got like, one after the other after the other, you could see Lori looking over with her little cutesy, like, mm, really look at me. And then eventually she didn't bother. Then she was like, whatever, I don't even need to hear it. I don't need to hear it anymore. She turned off the cutes. Lori Valo turned off the cutes. She realized right then and there, it is over, sista. You are not going to get through to any of these dudes, and certainly not to the girls on the jury. You're not getting through to any of them. They're not having any of your bullshit. And you could see her turn off the cutes. Like, even from the back of her head, you could see it. She's so manipulative. Anyway, so, yeah, we'll be back to check in on the Brandon Boudreau case. But here's my prediction. I'm going to go on the record. She's going to be guilty of that one, too. That's an easy if. It was easy to get her on this one. I think it's going to be easy to get her on the Brandon Boudreau as well. Hey, everybody, thanks so much for listening. Please don't forget, I always love hearing your comments. I like to hear what you like, what you don't like. I also like to hear if you want to hear me doing more coverage on particular stories of your liking. So you put those in the comments and. And we read every single one of them. And then I always like to tell you this. Please don't forget. The truth isn't just serious. It is drop Dead series.
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Juror 1
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Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield - Episode Summary: "Lori Vallow Found Guilty As Sin + JURORS SPEAK!"
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Ashleigh Banfield, a seasoned true crime reporter with 36 years of experience, delves deep into the high-profile case of Lori Vallow in this gripping episode of "Drop Dead Serious." The episode not only covers the courtroom drama that led to Vallow's conviction but also brings listeners into the minds and hearts of the jurors who delivered the verdict. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the discussions, key insights, and emotional weight of the trial.
Ashleigh Banfield opens the episode with the announcement of Lori Vallow’s guilty verdict. The jurors in Maricopa County, Arizona, found Vallow guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in less than three hours—a timeframe Banfield initially thought would be under an hour.
Ashleigh Banfield [02:15]: "The jury has spoken. Judgment has been rendered and to the surprise of virtually nobody, Lori Valo stinks as a lawyer."
The courtroom scene captures the moment the judge reads the verdict, with each juror affirming their decision:
Judge [03:05]: "Do find the defendant, Lori Davout, as to the crime of count one, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, occurring on or about July 11, 2019, guilty."
Jurors repeatedly confirm their verdict, showcasing unanimity in their decision.
Post-verdict, Banfield interviews several jurors to understand their perspectives and emotional responses. A significant revelation is that many jurors were unaware of Vallow’s prior convictions for the murders of her two children and her involvement in other killings until after the trial concluded.
Ashleigh Banfield [06:51]: "I'm guessing, and I'm talking to you just a few hours after the verdict here. I'm guessing that some of these jurors went home and started googling."
Juror 2 expresses profound sadness over the case:
Juror 2 [06:49]: "Sadness. It's sad."
Jurors discuss their surprise at not knowing Vallow’s history, highlighting the challenges they faced during deliberations without complete information.
Juror 1 [07:17]: "Were any of you folks aware that this woman had already..." Juror 2 [07:20]: "I had never been hurt."
The jurors recount the evidence that led them to convict Vallow, emphasizing the impact of text messages and perceived dishonesty.
Juror 2 [09:55]: "Well, for me, like her, it was the text."
Juror 4 underscores the significance of the text history in tipping the scales towards guilt:
Juror 4 [09:58]: "The text history."
The emotional toll of the trial is palpable as jurors discuss their feelings about the victims and the lack of personal connection they had with Vallow prior to the trial.
Juror 2 [12:22]: "Sad. Like, I kept wanting to hear from Tylee."
Banfield elaborates on an unusual aspect of Arizona law encountered in Vallow’s case—the aggravation phase. Unlike typical trials where sentencing follows a guilty verdict, Arizona requires a second phase to assess aggravating and mitigating factors. However, in Vallow’s case, she opted to stipulate to the aggravators, streamlining the sentencing process.
Ashleigh Banfield [17:17]: "They actually had another phase, an aggravation phase, where the jury would have to agree to the aggravating factors of this crime."
Vallow's decision to stipulate is portrayed as a strategic move to avoid further courtroom confrontations and expedite her sentencing, which results in the same sentence regardless of the aggravators.
Ashleigh Banfield [17:17]: "She can just stipulate to this?... What's the point? Isn’t the penalty the same anyway?"
The episode concludes with a look ahead to Vallow’s impending trial for the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreau. Banfield predicts a likely guilty verdict based on Vallow’s history and courtroom behavior.
Ashleigh Banfield [17:17]: "She's already locked up for life in Idaho, right? So maybe she just had enough."
Vallow’s manipulative demeanor during the trial is highlighted, reinforcing Banfield’s expectations for the upcoming trial.
Ashleigh Banfield [17:17]: "Lori Valo turned off the cutes. She realized right then and there, it is over... She's not getting through to any of these dudes."
The episode wraps up with Banfield’s pledge to continue covering the unfolding legal saga, promising listeners more in-depth analysis in future episodes.
Ashleigh Banfield [17:17]: "We'll be back to check in on the Brandon Boudreau case... The truth isn't just serious. It is drop Dead Serious."
Ashleigh Banfield [02:15]: "The jury has spoken. Judgment has been rendered and to the surprise of virtually nobody, Lori Valo stinks as a lawyer."
Juror 2 [06:49]: "Sadness. It's sad."
Juror 4 [09:58]: "The text history."
Ashleigh Banfield [17:17]: "Lori Valo turned off the cutes. She realized right then and there, it is over, sista."
In this episode, Ashleigh Banfield masterfully navigates the complex layers of Lori Vallow's trial, offering listeners an insider’s view into the jury's decision-making process and the legal intricacies of the case. The emotional depth of the jurors' reflections combined with Banfield's incisive analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of why Vallow was found guilty and what lies ahead in this ongoing true crime saga.
For enthusiasts of true crime and legal dramas, this episode serves as a compelling exploration of justice served and the human emotions intertwined within high-stakes courtroom battles.