Jury selection in the trial of “cult mom” Lori Vallow is entering its third day as the court struggles to find jurors who are not familiar with the case.
Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019. The children’s remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.
Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy. Investigators believe the couple committed the murders based on their apocalyptic cult beliefs.
The trial began Monday at the Ada County Court, with an initial pool of 1,800 prospective jurors. So far, 39 potential jurors have been chosen out of a total 42 needed to move to the next stage of selection. In the end, 18 jurors will serve on the panel - 12 to deliberate and six alternates.
Dozens of jurors have thus far been excused for either prior knowledge of the high-profile case or expressing concern about balancing personal and work responsibilities with the trial, which could last up to eight weeks.
