When the Moon Turns to Blood

Published September 15, 2022 at 2:43 PM MDT

A night sky with a blood moon and silhouette of people. — When the Moon Turns to Blood

In late 2019, a boy and a girl went missing in southeastern Idaho. The police investigation centered on the children’s mother, Lori Vallow, and her husband, Chad Daybell. It was a complex case piled with bodies, and to the journalist Leah Sottile, it was more than just a true-crime story.

Vallow and Daybell were both devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And while Sotille was interested in the story of the murders they’ve been accused of, the case was also a chance to dig into some fringe beliefs in Mormon culture. As she writes, their story seemed to be an “allegory for the rest of the world, for everything happening right now in this country,” a time which can feel like the sky is falling.

GUEST:

Leah Sotille is a freelance journalist. Her book, “When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times” is available at Amazon | Bookshop and your local book seller.

Airdate: Friday, Sept 16, 2022 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.