‘Doomsday Mom’ Faces Mental Competency Gauntlet: Arizona Judge Commands Lori Vallow to Complete Evaluation Amid Grave Charges

According to FOX 10 Phoenix, Lori Vallow, also known as the “Doomsday Mom,” was ordered by an Arizona judge to undergo a mental competency assessment. The ruling comes after Vallow did not attend a prior hearing last Thursday and was advised by her current defense team not to work with the designated experts. Vallow is facing convictions in Arizona for conspiracy related to the deaths of her fourth husband and her niece’s husband, as well as in Idaho for the murders of her children and the widow of a former spouse. These terrible charges are the reason for this battle over her mental capacity.

The case is clouded by Vallow’s history of mental assessments and treatment, even though her lawyer has contested her ability. “She has the sufficient capacity to understand the nature of the dispute,” said Vallow’s lawyer, Pamela Hicks, adding that one physician had previously found her competent. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, judges at the Maricopa County Superior Court are still not convinced by the current defense’s claims, especially in light of Vallow’s prior struggles with mental competency.

According to FOX 10 Phoenix, Vallow addressed her mental state in a rather perplexing manner during the court proceedings, responding to the presiding judge’s question about whether she had been declared incompetent by saying, “Not to my understanding,” before acknowledging that she had been “technically” determined as such.She added that during her ten months in an Idaho state hospital, she attended a “competency class” and met with several examiners.

According to AZ Family, a new competency hearing has been scheduled with a different evaluator as the legal proceedings continue to twist and turn. Last month, Vallow’s original trial date of February 2025 was canceled, and she will instead appear in court on December 5.

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