Juror 17's Lori Vallow murder trial experience: 'What a monster this woman is'
PHOENIX - Just a week ago in Idaho, the former Arizona mother was found guilty of murder in the deaths of her two children and conspiring to kill the wife of her lover and her husband.
We spoke to Tiffany, juror 17, about the experience she won't forget. And as you can imagine, just seven weeks ago, 18 jurors could not imagine what they would see and hear inside courtroom 400 in Boise, Idaho. They met and watched Lori nearly every day as the state brought massive evidence in the triple murder case.
"There were six numbers that we were going to be picked to the very end, right before deliberations. I was really hoping it wasn't my number," said Tiffany.
After nearly five weeks of hearing testimonies from 60 different witnesses, Tiffany was randomly chosen to be an alternate. Still mentally and emotionally invested in the case of Lori Vallow, who is now a convicted murderer.
Was there a testimony that stood out to you and by whom?
"Probably the more emotional testimonies that stood out to me was her son Colby and her sister. Just listening to them talking to her in jail and how emotional they were, and I can feel the impact this has had on their life. She’s destroyed so much around her and just destroyed her relationships with her family and there’s no hint she realized that on the phone."
For Tiffany, the most difficult part was seeing graphic photos of Lori's children JJ and Tylee after their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard.
"And I started crying when they brought in the tissues and the plastic bags that they were going to show the pictures."
JJ was wrapped in plastic and duct tape. Tylee's remains were burned and unrecognizable.
Tiffany is a mother of a teenage girl.
"She was done such a disservice that the fact that they just didn't have very much evidence for her. You know it, just so. I just can't. I still can't. This is gonna affect me for the rest of my life thinking about that, probably."
And thinking through the religious beliefs, prosecutors say Lori shared with her husband about doomsday and dark spirits to justify murder.
Tiffany recalled seeing wedding photos of Lori and Chad in Hawaii.
And she understands why the defense pinned the blame on Chad in closing arguments after calling not one witness.
"I also think that they sort of pointing the finger, maybe more. Chad, you know that he was manipulating her, and I thought to myself, Jeez, you know that was. I should have come a long time ago, you know that should have been maybe your defense all along."
Do you think you will ever personally experience something like this in society ever again?
MORE: Murder, Money and the End of Days: The Lori Vallow story
"I don't, and I hope not… I think I'm good… I think I did my jury service to the country to our law system."
We also talked about how Tiffany would decide on all counts on the verdict form, specifically the charge of conspiracy to commit the murder of Tammy Daybell.