Parents' Guide to

Sins of Our Mother

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Harrowing crime docu about belief, obsession, and murder.

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Sins of Our Mother TV Show: poster.

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What's the Story?

SINS OF OUR MOTHER is a limited documentary series about how a devout Mormon woman went from being a loving mother to the alleged murderer of her children. In September 2019, Lori Vallow abruptly moved with her two children, 7-year-old J.J. and 16-year-old Tylee, from Arizona to Idaho to join grave digger and doomsday zealot Chad Daybell. In December 2019 Kay and Larry Woodcock reported their grandchildren missing after months of being unable to communicate with them and their mother repeatedly refusing to tell them where they were. What followed was an investigation that garnered national attention, and which ultimately led to murder charges filed against the now-married Vallow and Daybell for the deaths of Vallow's two children, along with additional charges for the murder of her ex-husband and his late wife. Conversations with Lori Vallow's surviving adult son, Colby Ryan, and some of her extended family and friends describe how she became obsessed with the end of days, and how she believed that people on Earth became zombies after being taken over by evil spirits. Folks like investigative reporter Justin Lum and forensic psychologist John Matthias offer insights into the case, while extensive archive audio recordings, video footage, and news reports reveal Lori Vallow's disturbing behavior before, during, and after her children were reported missing.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The harrowing and emotional true crime series offers disturbing details about how Lori Vallow's descent into religious zealotry allegedly led her to conspire to murder. While Sins of Our Mother offers a clear overview of the publicly known facts about the case, it's the chilling texts and recorded conversations between Vallow and her son Colby, friends, and Chad Daybell that highlight the more disturbing (and sometimes bizarre) details surrounding what happened. This, in addition to footage of Vallow and Daybell happily together as others searched for their children, supports the idea that they are both guilty of murder, despite the fact that series was released prior to their trials. But the intention of Sins of Our Mother isn't to be objective; instead, it's designed to highlight how a woman whose religious beliefs became so dark and obsessive it destroyed a family, and how people overlooked it while it was happening.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk what causes people's belief systems to evolve into extremism. Under what conditions does someone go from being a believer in something to becoming fanatical about it? How can be stopped before it goes too far?

  • Most people interviewed on Sins of Our Mother believe that Lori Vallow and her husband are guilty of the crimes they are accused of committing, yet these conversations are had before they go to trial. Should the documentary be more balanced or introduce more objective opinions?

TV Details

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