Chad Daybell made certain nobody ‘would stand in his method,’ prosecutor tells Boise jury

BOISE — “Two lifeless youngsters” and “three lifeless our bodies.”

Prosecutor Rob Wooden advised the ten males and eight ladies assigned to be jurors in Chad Daybell’s homicide trial a narrative, separating his opening statements Wednesday into chapters after telling them Daybell ran a publishing firm. He stated the story is actual and is a couple of “seemingly unusual man.”

“Two lifeless youngsters buried on this defendant’s yard. The subsequent month his spouse lifeless of their mattress. Seventeen days later, the defendant marries Lori Vallow,” he stated.

Opening statements within the trial started Wednesday.

Chad Daybell is charged with first-degree homicide within the deaths of Lori Vallow Daybell’s youngsters — 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan — and the loss of life of Daybell’s former spouse, Tammy Daybell, in late 2019. He’s additionally charged with conspiracy to homicide every of the victims, grand theft and insurance coverage fraud. Lori Daybell has already been convicted of the three deaths.

The our bodies of the 2 youngsters had been present in shallow graves in Chad Daybell’s Idaho yard over six months after officers started looking for them. Tammy Daybell died at dwelling and her loss of life was initially reported to be from pure causes, however investigators later decided her loss of life was a murder after her physique was exhumed from a Utah County cemetery.

The trial is being streamed stay on Idaho seventh District Choose Steven Boyce’s official YouTube channel. KSL.com is streaming the proceedings every day.

Protection legal professional John Prior has repeatedly stated his consumer desires a “public trial” and pushed for cameras to be allowed within the courtroom.

A ‘very unlucky’ relationship

Prior contrasted his consumer’s historical past — a church mission to New Jersey, an extended marriage to Tammy Daybell, 5 youngsters and no prison historical past besides one rushing ticket — with Lori Daybell’s historical past of a number of husbands, some “very short-lived.”

After assembly at a convention, Lori Vallow “pursued” Chad Daybell, “and he or she inspired him,” Prior stated, conceding that it changed into an “inappropriate relationship.”

Prior stated the testimony within the trial will present that Lori Daybell was a “stunning, vivacious girl, very sexual individual and really manipulative, and he or she is aware of how you can get what she desires” and drove Chad Daybell right into a “very unlucky” relationship.

He stated Lori Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, who died in 2019, would have finished something for her — together with assaulting her earlier husband with a Taser, which Cox was put in jail for.

“Every time there was an issue or a risk with Lori Vallow … Alex Cox got here to the rescue,” Prior stated.

He stated Cox was the one who shot Lori Daybell’s husband Charles Vallow, and stated Chad Daybell was not concerned.

Prior additionally stated proof will present DNA and fingerprints from Lori Daybell and Alex Cox had been discovered on the plastic round JJ’s physique, however there was no DNA from Chad Daybell. He additionally contested that the our bodies had been present in Daybell’s “yard,” saying the our bodies had been in “the pasture.” The property was a 4.5-acre farm.

He additionally advised jurors an professional witness will testify there is no such thing as a indication Tammy Daybell’s loss of life was a murder, and three or 4 of Chad Daybell’s youngsters will say she had a number of well being issues however refused to go to the physician.

Prior urged the jury to concentrate to info and proof.

“Do not be distracted by hypothesis, do not be distracted by guesses, or assumptions or hunches,” he stated.

‘No individual, and no regulation, would stand in his method’

Throughout Lori Daybell’s homicide trial final yr, prosecutors stated “cash, energy and intercourse” led her to take part within the killing of her youngsters and husband’s ex-wife.

Wooden repeated the identical factor on Wednesday, saying Chad Daybell known as their spouses and her youngsters “obstacles” throughout conversations with Lori Daybell. He stated his want to pursue “intercourse, cash and energy” led to the three deaths.

“He made certain that no individual, and no regulation, would stand in his method,” Wooden stated.

The prosecutor stated textual content messages between Lori and Chad Daybell present a narrative of lust and a plan for a future. They created names from previous lives and spoke about sexual encounters. Additionally they referred to individuals who opposed them — together with the three victims — as “darkish spirits” or “zombies,” Wooden stated.

“The proof will present that it was a handy narrative that dehumanized individuals who stood of their method,” he stated.

Wooden stated the couple spoke concerning the $1 million in life insurance coverage Lori Daybell thought she would obtain after her husband Charles Vallow’s loss of life, and he stated though Lori Daybell was not the beneficiary on that plan, she would nonetheless get $4,000 a month from Social Safety due to her youngsters. He stated Tammy Daybell’s life insurance coverage elevated to $400,000 shortly earlier than her loss of life.

A slide presentation confirmed jurors images of the three youngsters throughout one chapter, after which images of Chad and Lori Daybell’s marriage ceremony in Hawaii within the subsequent chapter of Wooden’s story — simply 17 days after Chad’s earlier spouse’s loss of life. He stated the marriage was deliberate earlier than Tammy Daybell died.

Sadly for Chad Daybell, Wooden stated, actuality introduced an finish to his plans. After a capturing in Arizona aimed toward Lori Daybell’s nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux, from what seemed like Tylee’s Jeep, regulation enforcement started on the lookout for that automobile in Idaho. JJ Vallow’s grandmother additionally reached out for assist from officers and on Nov. 26, 2019, confirmed up at Lori Daybell’s door on the lookout for the youngsters.

Wooden stated a textual content message from Chad Daybell to Tammy Daybell on Sept. 9, 2018 — the day after Tylee was final seen — is what led police to seek out the youngsters’s our bodies. The textual content was about capturing a “raccoon” and burying it within the pet cemetery in his yard. Tylee’s physique was discovered within the graveyard and JJ’s physique was additionally discovered close by beneath a tree.

Wooden advised the jurors they might have the chance to jot down the ultimate chapter of the story, the one which “delivers justice” for Tammy Daybell, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan.

Wooden stated the trial can be a prolonged and advised jurors they’ll hear from regulation enforcement, be taught of forensic proof and placement knowledge, and find out about texts and recorded cellphone calls between Lori and Chad Daybell.

The trial may final so long as eight weeks, or extra.

‘A small physique wrapped in darkish plastic’

Rexburg police detective Ray Hermosillo was the trial’s first witness Monday. He testified about going to seek out Lori Daybell whereas looking for JJ after reviews from his grandmother, Kay Woodcock, that she had not heard from him in months.

He stated investigators discovered each Alex Cox and Chad Daybell and each claimed they didn’t have Lori Daybell’s cellphone quantity. Chad Daybell, who officers knew was her husband, claimed he “had solely met her a few instances” and “did not know her very effectively.”

Hermosillo spoke about getting a search warrant and going again to look the houses of Lori Daybell, Alex Cox, and Lori Daybell’s niece Melanie Boudreaux, which had been all in the identical townhome complicated. He stated Cox’s dwelling was empty, and Daybell’s dwelling seemed regular besides the closets didn’t have garments, simply empty hangers. He additionally stated they discovered a contract for a storage unit for a “Lori Ryan” the place they discovered youngsters’s bikes, clothes and a blanket with household images of JJ, Tylee and Lori’s older son Colby Ryan.

At this level, Hermosillo stated they weren’t on the lookout for Tylee and had no reviews that she was lacking.

Hermosillo additionally spoke about serving search warrants on Chad Daybell’s dwelling months later in June 2020. He stated his son answered the door and led them to the place Chad Daybell was sleeping. Officers woke him up and allowed him to learn the search warrant and name his legal professional.

He stated whereas standing outdoors, he seen Chad Daybell who was on the cellphone in his truck “intently wanting over his proper shoulder” towards a pond on his property behind his home.

The detective then spoke about excavating a small space close to the pond beneath the course of the FBI’s proof restoration crew. He stated they eliminated the shrub, soil and high layer of grime after which discovered some giant white rocks.

As quickly as they eliminated the rocks, Hermosillo stated, “We may begin to scent the odor that in my coaching expertise is a decomposing physique.” He stated as they eliminated some wooden the scent obtained stronger, they usually may see the grime was discolored — like a moist, moist kind grime.”

Kay Woodcock left the courtroom earlier than Hermosillo talked about uncovering the plastic bag that contained JJ’s physique.

Hermosillo stated at first it seemed like a black spherical object after which it took the form of “the crown of a human head.” He stated officers made a cut up within the black plastic, and within the white plastic they discovered beneath and had been capable of see what seemed like human hair.

It was at this level that the detective stated they discovered Daybell was driving again to the house “at a excessive fee of velocity” and officers pulled him over and arrested him.

After the arrest, he stated they continued excavating the burial web site and located “what seemed to be a small physique wrapped in darkish plastic with duct tape round it.”

Hermosillo is predicted to proceed testifying concerning the excavation on Thursday.

In Lori Daybell’s trial Hermosillo testified that after it was unwrapped he simply recognized the small physique as JJ.

Lori Daybell was convicted final yr of what the decide then known as “heinous crimes,” together with murdering her youngsters and conspiring to homicide Tammy Daybell. She was ordered to serve 5 consecutive life sentences, with out the potential for parole.

In Chad Daybell’s case, the loss of life penalty is a chance. If he’s convicted of first-degree homicide, the identical jury would hear testimony throughout a penalty section of the trial and decide whether or not he would obtain the loss of life penalty or one other sentence.