Daybell children say their mother was tired, suffered ‘fainting spells’ before she died

Collin Leonard, KSL.com

BOISE (KSL.com) — Eager spectators successful nan Chad Daybell execution proceedings packed nan tribunal Monday fuller than it has been successful nan six weeks of proceedings truthful far, spilling into nan hallways wherever they sat playing nan livestream of nan grounds connected their phones and eating boxed lunches, each successful anticipation of what Daybell’s children would say.

The crowds continued to inhabit nan 4th level passim nan day, transforming nan quiet region building into a benignant of dishevelled emergency shelter for execution proceedings spectators.

The defense began presenting its lawsuit pinch its first 2 witnesses, Chad Daybell’s children Emma Murray and Garth Daybell.

Emma Murray worked pinch her mother, Tammy Daybell, astatine nan aforesaid simple schoolhouse and lived adjacent pinch her husband. Garth Daybell, visibly tense and self-described arsenic “pretty shy,” wore a akin haircut, garment and necktie arsenic his father, pinch a sweater complete top. He lived successful nan location pinch his parents erstwhile his mother died.

The grounds covered a wide scope of topics Monday, peppered by objections from authorities prosecutors.

Children opportunity Tammy Daybell’s heath was declining

Murray testified that her mother’s wellness had been declining successful nan past twelvemonth aliases truthful of her life, and that Tammy Daybell was noticeably much tired, going to furniture earlier meal connected immoderate nights. She said of her mother’s anemia and claimed that moreover carrying market bags near bruises connected her mother’s arms.

On cross-examination, Fremont County charismatic Lindsey Blake asked if Murray would beryllium amazed to study location was nary mention of anemia aliases slumber apnea successful Tammy Daybell’s aesculapian records.

Her mother was an highly backstage person, Murray said, and ne'er said of her wellness pinch others.

Defense lawyer John Prior asked Murray astatine magnitude astir her mother’s beingness fitness. She said her mom would shingle her limb to get much steps connected her Fitbit because she competed pinch her family to triumph fittingness challenges. Prosecutors earlier successful nan proceedings utilized information from her Fitbit to show her activity was supra mean until she died.

Garth Daybell testified that he was concerned his mother “was getting tired highly easily.” He told nan assemblage his mother would travel location from activity and collapse, get winded very easy and knowledgeable “fainting spells” aft she had been kneeling for a while.

Previous witnesses person testified that Tammy Daybell, 49, appeared to beryllium patient successful nan weeks earlier her death.

Chad Daybell is connected proceedings for first-degree execution successful nan decease of his wife. He is besides charged pinch sidesplitting his caller woman Lori Vallow Daybell’s children — 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, arsenic good arsenic pinch conspiracy to perpetrate first-degree execution of each of nan 3 victims, expansive theft and 2 counts of security fraud.

Chad Daybell’s belief views

Murray described her father’s belief views arsenic “fundamental,” galore of which are not emblematic of Latter-day Saint beliefs. On 1 occasion, she described her begetter exorcising “a being” wrong of her that was causing her anxiety. “I felt for illustration location was an existent personification trying to power me,” she said.

She besides testified that her mother regularly ascribed “death percentages” to people, arsenic did her father, and besides rated group arsenic “light” aliases “dark,” based connected people’s motivations aliases whether they were acting for illustration Jesus Christ aliases Satan.

Garth Daybell described his father’s religion arsenic “traditional,” aliases nan measurement things were 100 years ago. The mediate schoolhouse subject coach testified that location were differences betwixt his religion and his father’s faith, including concepts specified arsenic improvement versus creationism, and nan property of nan Earth.

Tammy Daybell’s death

On Oct. 18, 2019, nan evening earlier Tammy Daybell’s death, Garth Daybell said he was asked to thrust into Rexburg to McDonald’s, arsenic his mother didn’t consciousness good capable to cook. He dropped nan nutrient off, he said, and astir 7 p.m. he near her sitting connected nan couch. “As acold arsenic I knew it was a normal night,” he testified, adding that he heard snoring from his parents’ room that nighttime erstwhile he returned from activity astir 1 a.m.

They were some successful bed. I saw their forms, their shapes successful nan furniture arsenic I passed by nan room.
–Garth Daybell
“They were some successful bed, I saw their forms, their shapes successful nan furniture arsenic I passed by nan room,” Garth Daybell said.

The adjacent morning, he said he was awakened by his father. “I heard my dada saying, ‘Garth, Garth, get up. I request help,'” he said. “I saw her halfway disconnected nan furniture pinch her legs still entangled successful nan blankets.”

Murray testified that she went to nan location earlier 7 a.m. that time and described her begetter arsenic “more distressed than I’ve ever seen him successful my full life.” She testified that she was nan 1 who didn’t want an autopsy for her mother, saying her begetter ne'er expressed an opinion.

“I don’t deliberation autopsies should beryllium done connected anyone,” she said.

Concerning nan summation successful Tammy Daybell’s life security argumentation earlier her death, Murray testified that nan Ballard Insurance Group encouraged teachers astatine nan women’s schoolhouse to summation their life insurance, and they some did truthful without telling aliases consulting their husbands. But connected cross-examination, charismatic Lindsey Blake showed nan assemblage life security archiving pinch some Tammy and Chad Daybells’ signatures signed connected nan aforesaid date.

Both children said nan family was fixed 2 options for scheduling their mother’s ceremonial during nan week aft she died, either Tuesday aliases Saturday. The ceremonial head claimed earlier that he had offered Wednesday arsenic a choice.

Missing children

The defense asked astir Murray’s expertise to entree nan family’s computers, arsenic searches for “ssw wind” and “what is nan meaning of ssw direction” were made connected Chad Daybell’s relationship nan time Tylee was past seen alive, utilized to propose Chad Daybell was readying to pain nan child’s assemblage nan adjacent day.

Murray said she made nan net hunt for nan upwind guidance connected Sept. 8, 2019, astatine her parents’ home. “I was trying to beryllium an amateur meteorologist. … It was communal conscionable to jump connected nan computer, location wasn’t immoderate login aliases anything,” she said.

Blake asked Murray if she had ever asked her begetter wherever JJ aliases Tylee were while constabulary were looking for nan missing children. She said she did ask, and Chad Daybell told her, “The children are successful a safe place.”

Blake played a video successful tribunal from nan time of Chad Daybell’s arrest. He was wearing a greenish headdress and collared shirt, hunched successful nan cage of a squad car, calmly telling his girl really to salary nan mortgage, family expenses, and car costs earlier saying, “I’m not coming back.” In nan courtroom, Murray dabbed her eyes pinch a insubstantial watching nan scene.