Money, Power and Sex: The Lori Vallow-Daybell Trial

by Tom Evans

When Tom Evans reported for jury duty, he had no idea he would be assigned to one of the biggest and most notorious cases in Idaho history, if not the nation. The Lori Vallow Daybell trial turned his life upside down. By the time the trial was over he was changed in ways he’s still struggling to understand. He knew two things for He was overcome with the need to find some way to make something positive out of his involvement as a juror, and he needed to tell his story. Money, Power and Sex does both of these things.

Tom’s jury experience started out being dark, heavy, and downright depressing. By the end of the trial, other, more positive emotions overcame the darkness. Despite all the horror he was exposed to and all the victims, living and dead, who he empathized with, by the end of the trial, he was filled with pride in the judicial system and honored to have done his part.

As this book covers the horrible events as they were presented to Tom in the trial and the history that led to those events, he offsets the disturbing nature of the case with his firsthand exposure to the dedication and hard work on the part of the police, the FBI, the prosecution, the defense, the court, and the bravery of the survivors and their family.

After the trial was over, Tom was given exclusive access to some of the key people in the trial. This book follows Tom’s journey through the trial and the unexpected good he found along the way.

Proceeds from this book will go to Hope House, an organization that helps children in need.

Tom Evans is a first-time author, and plans to follow this book up with part two, which will include new information the prosecution has promised to expose in the upcoming Chad Daybell trial.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

252 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2024

Reviews

[Bibliodonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the book to read if new to the case or looking for criminal analysis. It contains quite a few errors, most of which do not matter to a casual reader.

The book is interesting in seeing how a person with little knowledge or interest in the case absorbed a tremendous amount of often tedious information in a relatively short period of time and was forever changed. The book shares some of his personal reflections as well as background information he sought after as a way to reconcile and deal with the emotions and questions left after his jury service.

Plus profits of this first book by this author are benefiting an Idaho charity for children.

[Beth Wade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently DNF’d “Money, Power and Sex: The Lori Vallow-Daybell Trial by Juror Number 18” at the 38% mark because it was all about the case and not the jury. I’ve already followed the hearings, trials, interviews, podcasts, and all of that, and I wanted this book to focus on the jury experience. I thought there would be more commentary on what it’s like to be a juror in a high-profile case, but I was disappointed. The book was well-written, especially for a debut, but the repetition and strange placement of acknowledgments throughout the text were strange.

I felt for the author because I can’t imagine what it was like to serve on that jury. How did he sleep at night knowing what he saw during the trial? (He does mention dreams, but I wish he talked more about how he dealt with them.) What was the impact of being away from his family for so long? What did the jury discuss when they finally got back to deliberate? What was the deliberation room like? Did they use a white board? What questions did they have for the judge, attorneys, or Lori during deliberations? This is the book I thought this would be, but unfortunately, it just seemed like another retelling of this heartbreaking case.

[Debra Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Written and Very Informative

I had seen Tom on various podcasts and pre ordered the book as soon as I could. for anyone who has followed the Daybell trials, this book fills in several missing puzzle pieces. For anyone who is not familiar with the case, the whole puzzle picture is laid out in easy to read concise chapters throughout the entire book. I can't wait for the next book to come out! Thank you Tom!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sums it up

This is a great book to read about the Lori Vallow-Dabell trial and the horrific murders she committed or at the least took part in. I was really hoping to hear how someone from the jury felt and this book has satisfied that curiosity! My heart goes out to all the victims, jurors, law enforcement and anyone else who had to work so hard to present this terrible crime and convict Lori with the maximum penalty they possibly could! I can’t wait to read the sequel.

[Sandra L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed with Tom Evans first time book and thought he did an excellent job. Those of us who have followed both Lori & Chad's trials knew the story well from listening and watching the trials. I look forward to Tom's sequel and wish him well. I know this trial changed his life and the lives of all the jurors. We will never forget these horrors.

[Rebecca Tervo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually didn’t finish this book. I had already done a lot of deep diving into the story and trials myself before the book came out, and thought it could be interesting from a juror’s point of view. I may have wanted to finish it if I didn’t already know the whole story already.