Legal loophole psychiatrist fears 'Doomsday mum' could use to appeal conviction
Lori Vallow Daybell has been found guilty on all counts that she was charged with in relation to her children's gruesome murders, with jurors appearing certain of her fault.
But an expert has suggested that her attorneys could have done a lot more in order to defend her and didn't actually show any intention to carry out their assignment.
Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist who has provided expert witness testimony for several criminal cases, has been following the case as it unravelled in the past few weeks.
She argued that Lori Vallow Daybell's attorneys essentially did not put on a defence and that the so-called 'Doomsday cult' mum may appeal on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel.
Dr Lieberman told the Mirror: "The jury came to the right verdict: guilty on all counts. But, I think Lori Vallow will appeal on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel. Her attorneys put on no defence."
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Lori Vallow Daybell talks with her lawyers before the jury's verdict is read at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho (Kyle Green/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Although the expert praised the jury's verdict, she stressed that there were significant missed opportunities that Lori Vallow Daybell could have made use of, such as blaming her husband for manipulating her.
In contrast, the attorneys, who did not call any witness to testify, were clear from the start of the trial that they were not 'up for the job'.
Dr Lieberman said: "They could have called a cult expert and a forensic psychiatrist to testify on her behalf to explain how Chad was able to manipulate her.
Lori Vallow Daybell stands and listens as the jury's verdict is read at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho on Friday May 12, 2023 (AP)"Also, Lori’s attorney said at the very beginning, 'This case was assigned to me,' making it clear he didn’t want it. So he was never committed to helping her."
During the trial, the prosecution revealed the autopsy results of the two children who went missing in 2019 have been, unveiling a gruesome and disturbing image of their deaths.
JJ and Tylee were found dead on the property of Chad Daybell, in Idaho in June 2020.
Looking back to the trial and analysing the autopsy results, Dr Lieberman said that the deaths were the result of a form of torture.
JJ was asphyxiated with a plastic bag over his head and bound with duct tape, while the autopsy also revealed toxic substances in his blood, likely given to him to sedate him.
Tylee's autopsy results were even more disturbing, as she had been dismembered and burned and had trauma to her pelvis inflicted by a sharp object.
JJ, seven and Tylee, 16, were last seen alive in 2019 (FBI)
JJ, seven and Tylee, 16,The exact cause of her death couldn't be determined, but Lieberman believes that these methods of death indicate that the person who killed them was "sadistic, mentally ill, or on drugs" and "enjoyed tormenting the children".
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The testimony of Colby Ryan, Lori's oldest son, was also very powerful, according to the forensic psychiatrist.
He called his mother a murderer without hesitation and expressed his anger and pain over her having killed his siblings.
Dr Lieberman also analyzed Lori's behaviour during the trial and found that she demonstrates a "wide variety of emotions, some authentic and some a performance for the jury".
"She has some mental problems," the psychiatrist said, adding that Vallow Daybell shares religious delusions with Chad Daybell about zombies, "but they were not too deluded to know that they were using these beliefs as an excuse to murder people."
Dr Lieberman concluded: "Lori didn’t want to use her mental condition as a defence, but now that she sees how dire things look, she might change her mind."
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