"Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025 Day One Recap.

Lori Vallow Daybell's trial began on April 7, 2025, with prosecutor Treena Kay presenting evidence that Lori conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, to murder her husband, Charles Vallow, in July 2019, using extreme religious beliefs to justify the crime. Treena argued the murder was staged as self-defense so Lori could marry Chad Daybell and claim Charles' life insurance money, which she later discovered was not hers, urging the jury to convict her based on text messages, witness testimonies, and crime scene evidence. Darkmatter: Day One in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025 Prosecution Opening Statements.

In her opening statement, Lori Vallow Daybell, representing herself, emphasized her long marriage to Charles, their shared life raising five children, and her claims that the events leading to Charles' death stemmed from his threatening behavior, strained relationships within the family, and a physical altercation involving her brother, Alex. Lori recounted the events of July 11, 2019, asserting she acted to protect her children and fled with them during the commotion, while maintaining her innocence and framing the situation as self-defense rather than conspiracy or murder. Darkmatter: Day One in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025 Defense Opening Statements.

The state’s first witness, Sgt. Irwin Wierzbicki of the Chandler Police Department, testified about responding to the scene of Charles Vallow’s death, describing Alex Cox as calm and compliant and finding Charles motionless with two gunshot wounds. During cross-examination, Lori questioned his observations, qualifications, and recollections, while on re-direct, Wierzbicki clarified his actions to preserve the crime scene and detailed the timeline from the CAD report showing the call and his dispatch. Darkmatter: Day One in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: States First Witness Sgt. Irwin Wierzbicki

Robert Krautheim, a retired Chandler Police officer, testified about his involvement in the July 11, 2019, shooting scene, including interactions with Lori, Tylee, and Alex Cox, who declined medical attention for a minor head injury. Lori’s cross-examination focused on procedural details and Alex’s calm demeanor, while Treena’s re-direct clarified Krautheim’s observations and timeline, concluding his testimony. Darkmatter: Day One in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: States Next Witness Robert Krautheim.

Scott Cowden, a firefighter and former CPR instructor, testified about the certification process, CPR's critical role, its physical demands, and preparing trainees for injuries, while describing performing CPR on gunshot victims, including Charles, who showed no signs of life and minimal chest impact from previous compressions. Cowden emphasized that Charles exhibited signs of internal injuries and lividity with no prior CPR attempts and declared him deceased shortly after arriving at the scene. Darkmatter: Day One in "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025: States Next Witness Fire Fighter Scott Cowden.

Darkmatter: "Doomsday Mom" Lori Daybell's Trial 2025 Day Two Recap.