Testimonies put in question Lori Vallow Daybell’s self-defense claim
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The first two days of testimony focused on the crime scene, highlighting two significant flaws in the stories of ‘Doomsday Mom’ Lori Vallow Daybell and her brother Alex Cox regarding the events of July 11, 2019.
Day two of the trial centered on the shooting and its immediate aftermath, with testimony focusing on CPR and the crime scene.
Two Chandler firefighters testified that there was no indication that CPR had been given to Charles Vallow before they arrived, despite Alex Cox being given instructions by dispatchers on how to do so and later telling authorities he had done so.
“Ultimately, was it your opinion that it was unlikely that CPR was given to this patient before fire arrived,” one of the firefighters was asked. “Yes,” he responded.
Vallow Daybell argued that her brother had never done CPR before and did perform it on Charles Vallow, just not well.
The final witness to take the stand was a former Chandler police detective and shooting reconstruction expert.
Former Det. Dan Coons took the stand and said they looked at the trajectory of the bullets and could tell where the shooter, in this case, Alex Cox, was standing by where they struck the floor and wall.
The importance of a self-defense claim is where Cox stood in relation to Charles Vallow during the second shot. Coons says Charles Vallow was on the ground when he was shot the second and final time.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Lori Vallow Daybell murder conspiracy trial underway in Phoenix
“Were you able to draw any conclusions as to whether or not the evidence was consistent with Charles Vallow being on the ground when he was shot,” Coons was asked.
“Very much so; the second shot that entered the abdomen would have been where he was lying,” he responded.
The relevance is a shot fired while Charles is already on the ground is not a self-defense shot.
The second day of the trial provided reminders that Vallow Daybell, who chose to represent herself for a speedy trial, lacks legal background.
The day wrapped up with Lori Vallow Daybell’s cross-examination of Coons. The trial continues Wednesday morning.
RELATED: Who’s who in Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial in Arizona?
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
