• Lori Vallow Daybell Owes $700K She'll Never Pay — But Could She Still Profit? Idaho's Son of Sam Loophole Explained
    Jan 30 2026

    Lori Vallow Daybell is serving seven life sentences. Chad Daybell is on death row. Combined, they owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the families of Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow, Tammy Daybell, and Charles Vallow. They will never pay it. But under Idaho's current Son of Sam law, there's a disturbing possibility: they could still profit from media deals.

    This week, Idaho Senator Tammy Nichols introduced legislation to modernize the state's 48-year-old statute — and the Daybell case was explicitly on her mind. The bill unanimously advanced out of committee for a public hearing. It addresses streaming rights, podcasts, and digital monetization that didn't exist when the original law was written in 1978.

    Here's the problem with the current law: payments to convicted criminals go into escrow for five years. If victims' families don't file civil lawsuits in time, the money eventually goes to the criminal. Chad Daybell's self-published doomsday prophecy novels — the books that started this entire nightmare — may still exist for sale somewhere. Whether they're generating income, and where that money goes, remains unclear under current law.

    The new bill requires anyone who pays an offender or "exploits the notoriety of a crime" to send payment to the state treasurer. Escrow periods can be extended by court order. Exceptions exist for news and documentary work where offenders receive only "normal interview fees" — protecting journalism while preventing killers from cashing in.

    Senator Nichols cited the Daybell case specifically when presenting the bill: "Just seeing trials like that... there's usually, eventually, book deals, movie deals... I just didn't feel that it was appropriate for criminals to be able to profit off of those."

    For the families of Tylee, JJ, and Tammy, this is about basic accountability. We break down what the bill does — and what it means for the Daybell case.

    #LoriVallowDaybell #ChadDaybell #DaybellTrial #TyleeRyan #JJVallow #TammyDaybell #SonOfSamLaw #IdahoMurders #DoomsdayCult #TrueCrime

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    This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

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    16 min
  • Inside the Mormon Doomsday Pipeline: The LDS Church's Role in Creating Lori Vallow, Elleshia Seymour, and a Pattern of Child Abuse
    Jan 28 2026

    Three women. Three abductions. Same beliefs. Same geography. Same church.

    Elleshia Seymour is now in Croatian custody after allegedly fleeing Utah with her four children because she believed the apocalypse was coming. She left behind a to-do list instructing herself to shred documents and buy a burner phone. She left a note she described as a "message from God." And she left a secret TikTok account filled with videos warning that Salt Lake City would be destroyed and COVID vaccines were turning people into zombies.

    Her children — ages 11, 8, 7, and 3 — are now trapped in a state-run orphanage in Dubrovnik. Their father is there. He can see them two hours a day. The three-year-old doesn't understand why he can't go home.

    This case would be disturbing enough on its own. But Elleshia Seymour isn't an anomaly. She's a pattern.

    Lori Vallow believed the same things. Her children J.J. and Tylee were murdered — their bodies found in her boyfriend Chad Daybell's backyard. Spring Thibaudeau believed the same things. She fled toward Canada with her teenage son before the FBI caught her.

    All three women came from LDS backgrounds. All three developed apocalyptic beliefs centered on the same theology — the same "end times" doctrine the Church teaches as mainstream. All three left children traumatized or dead.

    The LDS Church is worth an estimated $265 billion. It was fined by the SEC for hiding its wealth. It excommunicated Chad Daybell — but only after the murders. It excommunicated Julie Rowe — but only after years of influence.

    This is the story of a radicalization pipeline that keeps producing victims — and an institution that keeps looking the other way.

    #ElleshiaSeymour #LoriVallow #ChadDaybell #MormonDoomsday #LDSChurch #DoomsdayMom #TrueCrime #CroatiaAbduction #ChildAbduction #ReligiousExtremism

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    42 min
  • Lori Vallow Daybell Appeal Update: Prosecutors File DEVASTATING Response — Will She Get a New Trial?
    Jan 14 2026

    Lori Vallow Daybell wants a new trial. Prosecutors just explained why she'll never get one. The Idaho Attorney General's office filed a 59-page brief this week responding to the "Cult Mom's" appeal, and it's a comprehensive takedown of all five constitutional claims. Her attorney conflict argument? Mark Means represented both Lori and Chad Daybell at the same time — co-conspirators in a capital murder case. Chad paid for the representation. The court had no choice but to disqualify him.

    Her speedy trial claim? She was found incompetent twice, resulting in 353 days of delays. She requested the venue change. You don't get to cause delays and then complain about them. The Arizona evidence showing the "dark spirit" pattern was properly admitted because it proved intent, plan, and modus operandi. Charles Vallow was declared "dark" and killed. Brandon Boudreaux was declared "dark" and shot at. Tammy Daybell was declared "dark" and died. JJ and Tylee were declared "dark" — and their bodies were found buried in Chad's backyard. Seven-year-old JJ was suffocated with a plastic bag taped over his head. Tylee's remains were burned.

    Lori spent those months collecting their Social Security in Hawaii. The Idaho Supreme Court will hear this appeal eventually. But the state's response makes clear: there's no constitutional violation here. Just a convicted murderer looking for an exit.

    #LoriVallowDaybell #Appeal #IdahoSupremeCourt #TrueCrime #ChadDaybell #JJVallow #TyleeRyan #CultMom #DoomsdayMom #CourtUpdate

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    This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

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    15 min
  • Lori Vallow Daybell: The Doomsday Defense Crumbles | 2025 Year in Review Special:
    Dec 1 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit the opening week of one of the most sensational murder trials in America — the Arizona case of Lori Vallow Daybell, the self-proclaimed “Doomsday Mom” now defending herself against charges of conspiracy to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

    In this two-part breakdown, Tony Brueski teams up with former prosecutor and defense attorney Eric Faddis and retired FBI Behavioral Analysis Chief Robin Dreeke to unpack the chaotic courtroom drama, bizarre legal strategy, and psychological meltdown that have turned this trial into both a legal cautionary tale and a study in delusional self-belief.

    In part one, Tony and Eric dissect the prosecution’s sharp, disciplined opening statement — a methodical narrative of motive, manipulation, and murder. Prosecutors allege Lori conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, to eliminate Charles for a $1 million life insurance policy and clear the path to marry apocalyptic author Chad Daybell. With evidence including religious texts misused to justify killing, texts to Alex invoking scripture (“I will be like Nephi”), and forensic proof that Charles was shot twice — one bullet fired after he collapsed, the state paints a chilling picture of faith twisted into fanaticism.

    Then comes the chaos. Lori, representing herself, opens with rambling monologues, misplaced objections, and narcissistic cross-examinations that seem designed more to satisfy curiosity than to construct a defense. Her fixation on her late husband’s private life leaves jurors bewildered and prosecutors almost amused. As Faddis notes, “It’s like watching someone try to build a house without knowing what a hammer does.”

    Part two turns darker, as Robin Dreeke analyzes the devastating testimony of Alex Cox, now deceased but still very much present in the trial through recordings, statements, and evidence. Dreeke explores how narcissism, shared delusion, and familial loyalty intertwine in Lori’s world — and how her brother’s past words now serve as the prosecution’s most powerful witness.

    Was Lori’s courtroom confidence a sign of faith — or pure delusion? And how does a woman who once claimed divine authority handle being her own undoing?

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Trials, The Psychology, and The Crimes That Defined the Year.


    #LoriVallowDaybell #CharlesVallow #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #DoomsdayMom #CultPsychology #CourtroomDrama #SelfRepresentation #ChadDaybell #FamilyConspiracy #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday


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    34 min
  • Lori Vallow Daybell: The Prophet, the Prosecutor, and the 47 Minutes That Changed Everything | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 30 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit one of the most surreal and unsettling trials in modern American true crime — the Arizona murder trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the so-called Doomsday Mom who’s decided to defend herself in court while accused of orchestrating the murder of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

    This episode pulls listeners straight into the Chandler, Arizona home where it all happened: two bullets, one body, and forty-seven silent minutes before anyone called for help. Tony Brueski and Defense Attorney Bob Motta (Defense Diaries) dissect the prosecution’s opening narrative — one of delusion, greed, and cold calculation — and the defense’s bizarre self-representation strategy that’s turning the courtroom into a psychological sideshow.

    Prosecutors allege Lori conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, to kill Charles for a $1 million life insurance payout and to clear the way to marry her apocalyptic “soulmate,” Chad Daybell. The evidence? Texts invoking scripture to justify murder (“I will be like Nephi”), phone records revealing coordination, and chilling forensic details showing Charles was shot twice — the second bullet fired downward after he collapsed. Firefighters testified the scene looked staged: no CPR, no struggle, and an eerily spotless floor. Lori, meanwhile, was running errands — Burger King, Walgreens, dropping off her son — as her husband’s body cooled on the tile.

    But this isn’t just about evidence; it’s about ego and delusion on trial. Motta breaks down Lori’s decision to act as her own lawyer — fumbling through legal jargon, cross-examining witnesses who seem to know more law than she does, and repeatedly trying to exclude “inconvenient” evidence from the record. As he puts it, Lori’s courtroom presence is “less Harvard Law, more hostage to her own hubris.”

    The prosecution, for its part, is playing this round differently — keeping the talk of “zombies” and dark spirits to a minimum while focusing on motive, money, and manipulation. The goal: strip away the spiritual theatrics and reveal the human greed underneath.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Trials, The Delusions, and The Darkness That Defined the Year.

    #LoriVallowDaybell #CharlesVallow #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #TrueCrimePodcast #DoomsdayMom #ChadDaybell #MurderTrial #CourtroomDrama #ReligiousDelusion #ApocalypticBeliefs #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday


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    59 min
  • Lori Vallow Daybell on Trial: The Prophet vs. The Prosecutor | 2025 Year in Review Special
    Nov 29 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit the opening days of one of the most chilling courtroom dramas in modern true crime — the Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the self-declared prophet now serving life sentences in Idaho for the murders of her children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and the conspiracy to kill Tammy Daybell. This time, Lori stands accused of murdering her fourth husband, Charles Vallow — and she’s decided to be her own lawyer.

    In this two-part special, Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole dissect the emotional and strategic fireworks from both sides of the courtroom, starting with the prosecution’s explosive opening statement. Prosecutor Treena Kay laid out a devastating narrative of greed, manipulation, and religious delusion — alleging that Lori orchestrated the deaths of her husband and children to secure life insurance payouts and remove any obstacles to marrying Chad Daybell. Through phone records, witness testimony, and forensic evidence, the prosecution painted Lori as a woman willing to kill for prophecy, power, and profit.

    Tony and Stacy break down the psychological weight of the prosecution’s arguments — from the use of religious ideology as control to the manipulation of her brother Alex Cox, who became her self-proclaimed “angel of death.” They also analyze the jury’s visible reactions and the emotional undercurrent of a courtroom haunted by victims’ families still seeking answers.

    Then, in Part Two, the focus shifts to Lori’s stunning self-representation — and her surreal decision to stand as both defendant and defense counsel. Lori’s opening statement cast herself as misunderstood and unfairly vilified, arguing that her brother acted in self-defense during Charles’s death. But Tony and Stacy reveal how Lori’s calm, confident demeanor may mask deep narcissism and delusion — a belief that she alone can rewrite the narrative of her crimes.

    As Tony and Stacy unpack the legal and psychological implications of Lori’s “sovereign” defense, listeners gain rare insight into a defendant whose blend of charisma and chaos continues to defy legal logic and human empathy.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Trials, The Delusions, and The Crimes That Defined the Year.


    #LoriVallowDaybell #CharlesVallow #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #StacyCole #TrueCrimePodcast #DoomsdayMom #CultCrimes #ChadDaybell #SelfRepresentation #PsychologicalDelusion #CourtroomDrama #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday


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    1 ora e 17 min
  • Lori Vallow Daybell: The Prophet, the Defendant, and the Delusion of Self-Defense | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 28 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we turn our focus to one of the most bizarre and psychologically chilling trials unfolding in America: Lori Vallow Daybell, the self-proclaimed prophet who’s decided she’s the best person to defend herself in court.

    Already convicted in Idaho for the murders of her two youngest children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, and the conspiracy to murder her husband’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, Lori is now facing justice in Arizona for the murder of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. But this time, there’s no defense team to shield her — because Lori fired them. She’s representing herself.

    In this special, Tony Brueski sits down with psychotherapist and author Shavaun Scott to unpack the chilling psychology behind Lori’s decision, exploring how delusion, narcissism, and religious grandiosity collide in a courtroom setting. Lori’s behavior — confident, defiant, and disturbingly serene — may seem erratic, but Scott explains how it fits a pattern of pathological self-belief common among cult leaders and high-control personalities.

    During her recent pretrial hearing, Lori insisted on moving forward with trial despite her own forensics expert not being ready, demanded to exclude incriminating statements from her deceased brother Alex Cox, and even tried to subpoena journalist Nate Eaton — the reporter who’s covered her saga from day one. She also hinted at testifying in her own defense, setting the stage for one of the most surreal spectacles in recent legal history.

    But beneath the theatrics lies a darker psychology. Lori isn’t just defending herself legally — she’s defending her identity as a “divine messenger.” Scott breaks down how shared psychosis (folie à deux) between Lori and her husband Chad Daybell fueled a belief system that justified murder under the guise of prophecy. Together, they turned apocalypse fantasies into fatal decisions.

    As jury selection looms and Arizona prosecutors prepare to argue their case, Tony and Shavaun explore whether Lori’s self-representation is a strategy, a symptom, or both — and how her religious delusions continue to warp her sense of accountability.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Courtrooms, and The Minds That Shook America.

    #LoriVallowDaybell #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimePodcast #CultPsychology #SelfRepresentation #CharlesVallow #ChadDaybell #CourtroomDrama #FolieADeux #NarcissisticDelusion #MurderTrial #ArizonaTrial #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday

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    57 min
  • Letters from the Dark: Donna Adelson’s Prison Plea & Chad Daybell’s Ghost Confession-WEEK IN REVIEW
    Nov 1 2025
    In this full episode of Hidden Killers Live, Tony Brueski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels take you inside the minds of two of America’s most notorious convicted murderers — Donna Adelson and Chad Daybell — through the words they wrote themselves.

    Segment 1: Donna Adelson’s Prison Letter
    From a Florida jail cell, Donna Adelson wrote a 2024 letter to her husband Harvey describing how her heart “breaks” over missing her grandsons’ first day of school. What could have been a rare glimpse of remorse quickly spirals into denial and bitterness:

    “If I don’t get out, then hopefully I die soon so no one remembers me in prison garb.”

    She paints herself as the victim of “vigilante justice” and a “southern sweetheart prosecutor,” refusing to accept any role in the plot that left her former son-in-law, Dan Markel, dead.
    The Markel family’s official statement, read in court, shredded that illusion — accusing Donna of callous indifference and of cutting off Markel’s parents from their grandsons for six years.
    Tony unpacks the psychology of control, image management, and moral blindness that define the Adelson saga — and why Donna’s letter might be the most revealing confession she never meant to write.

    Segment 2: Chad Daybell’s Ghost Story Letter
    Then, we shift from manipulation to mysticism. In “Letter #7,” Chad Daybell — the self-proclaimed prophet now convicted of multiple murders — recounts his time as a Utah cemetery sexton.
    He writes of being haunted by a thief’s ghost, attacked by unseen forces, and taunted by demonic voices shouting, “We hate your books!” He interprets it all as proof that Heaven had chosen him for a divine mission.
    Tony dissects how this “ghost story” maps the arc of Daybell’s descent — from fantasy and grandiosity to apocalyptic belief — showing how delusion and ego fused into a theology that justified murder.

    Two letters. Two minds. One terrifying common thread: a total inability to see reality — or remorse — through the walls they built around themselves.

    #DonnaAdelson #ChadDaybell #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #DanMarkel #LoriVallow #MurderForHire #CultCrimes #PsychologyOfEvil #TonyBrueski


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    1 ora e 9 min