Lori Vallow Daybell, the "doomsday mom" who is on trial in connection with the death of her fourth husband, had a tense exchange with the woman who went on a date with him the night before he was murdered.
Vallow Daybell, who is representing herself in the trial, cross-examined the woman, Nancy Jo Hancock, on Wednesday, making occasional snide remarks as Hancock discussed her brief relationship with Charles Vallow. The prosecution objected several times and accused Vallow Daybell of being argumentative and asking irrelevant questions.
At one point, the judge called for a break and asked Vallow Daybell whether she wanted to continue questioning Hancock about the nature of her text messages with Charles Vallow.
Hancock, 61, testified that she met Charles Vallow in early July 2019 on a dating site for members of their church. The pair texted and talked on the phone for several days before they met in person for dinner on July 10, 2019, the day before he died.
Hancock told prosecutor Treena Kay that they exchanged "hundreds" of text messages and would talk on the phone for hours. Charles Vallow told Hancock that he was in the process of a divorce, she testified, and talked "a lot" about Vallow Daybell and the issues he alleged they were having.
She said that Charles Vallow had expressed "concerns for his safety" and that he had changed the beneficiary on his $1 million life insurance policy to his sister.
Hancock said that she was under the impression that Charles Vallow's marriage had been having issues for "several months" but that it intensified at the beginning of 2019.
Hancock said that Charles Vallow had "a lot of craziness going on around him" but that she kept talking to him because he was "very charming and kind and funny and very clever."
"He seemed pretty awesome," she told Kay, the prosecutor.
Hancock said that at dinner, Charles Vallow was excited about seeing his son, Joshua "JJ" Vallow, the next morning to take him to school. Hancock testified that she and Charles Vallow were supposed to meet up on the day he was killed but that she never heard from him.
It wasn't until months later, when she was watching the news, that she saw a story about his death, she told the court.
Vallow Daybell began her line of questioning by asking Hancock whether she ever verified Charles Vallow's claims that he was going through a divorce.
"No, I didn't try and verify that," Hancock responded.
"Would you have gone on a date with him if he would have said he was married?" Vallow Daybell asked, telling Hancock that they weren't in the process of divorcing.
"Um, if I would have realized how married he still was, maybe not," Hancock said. "But I just met for dinner. I wasn't sleeping with him or anything."
"Do you go on dates with married men?" Vallow Daybell shot back.
The prosecution objected and said Vallow Daybell was being argumentative. The judge sustained the objection.
"Your honor, do I not have a right to cross-examine this witness for what she has already testified to?" Vallow Daybell asked.
The judge told her she was allowed to cross-examine Hancock.
"So you did go on a date with a married man?" Vallow Daybell said, turning her attention back to Hancock.
"I did go on a date with Charles," Hancock said. "I knew his divorce was not final."
"His divorce was not started," Vallow Daybell said.
"OK," Hancock responded.
The prosecution objected again after Vallow Daybell asked whether Charles Vallow responded to a text message from Hancock asking whether he was a good kisser. Kay said Vallow Daybell's question was irrelevant. The judge sustained the objection.
At one point, Vallow Daybell asked Hancock whether she and Charles Vallow spent their dinner date talking about her.
"So you spent your whole date getting to know each other, talking about me?" she asked.
"Don't flatter yourself. No, we did not spend the whole time talking about you," Hancock shot back.
Vallow Daybell also questioned Hancock about whether Charles Vallow had ever opened up about his contentious relationship with Vallow Daybell's daughter, Tylee Ryan. Vallow Daybell received multiple life sentences in 2023 for the murders of Tylee, Joshua and her romantic rival.
Hancock said she didn't recall their having that conversation.
"I'm sure you don't," Vallow Daybell mumbled.
The prosecution objected to Vallow Daybell's making side remarks. The judge sustained the objection.
Vallow Daybell then turned her questioning back to Hancock's dinner date with Charles Vallow. She asked Hancock whether it was common for men to talk about their "supposed ex-wives" on dates.
"It's actually very common," Hancock said.
"Really?" Vallow Daybell said. "Interesting."
Kay again objected to Vallow Daybell's making comments after her questioning.
"I'm sorry, your honor. I won't do that again," Vallow Daybell said.
"Please stop," the judge said.