Jury deliberating whether Chad Daybell orchestrated killings or was set up by new wife and her brother

Emily Ashcraft, KSL.com

BOISE — Jurors are now deliberating whether Chad Daybell is blameworthy of 3 killings aft listening to a afloat time of closing arguments Wednesday and 30 days of testimony.

The lawsuit was handed to nan assemblage astatine 4:31 p.m. aft 5 jurors were chosen was alternates.

Chad Daybell cared astir about money, powerfulness and sex, Fremont County charismatic Lindsey Blake told jurors during closing arguments. She began her wrap-up of nan lawsuit by replaying a telephone from Lori Vallow Daybell, who was successful jail, to her hubby Chad Daybell connected nan time nan children’s bodies were recovered successful his Salem, Idaho backyard.

When Lori Daybell asked if he was OK, Chad Daybell responded: “No. They’re searching nan property.”

She besides shared a signaling of an earlier telephone erstwhile nan mates referred to a “project.” Chad Daybell tells Lori Daybell he had “absolute confidence” things will activity out, calling it a “marvelous plan.” Blake said nan Daybells’ scheme was to region their earthly obstacles — her children and his then-wife — and find freedom.

“Three dormant bodies connected nan suspect Chad Daybell’s spot … 2 of them children — his mistress’ kids. Joshua Jackson Vallow and Tylee Ryan were recovered buried successful nan defendant’s backyard. Tammy Daybell was recovered dormant successful their marital bed. Money, powerfulness and sex. That’s what nan suspect cared about,” Blake said.

Blake went done a timeline of nan lawsuit from Oct. 26, 2018, erstwhile then-Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell met. Both had spouses who were live and well, until some of their spouses were dormant and nan remains of Lori Daybell’s children were discovered.

She emphasized really witnesses passim nan proceedings testified astir really Lori Daybell and those group adjacent to her would ever activity their guidance and accusation from Chad Daybell.

“Chad is nan 1 that is simply a self-proclaimed visionary,” Blake told nan assemblage Wednesday, adding that he was nan self-appointed leader aliases “gatherer” of his Church of nan Firstborn.

She said Chad Daybell is nan 1 who declared that Charles Vallow, Lori Daybell’s husband, was “dark” and possessed by a demon. He taught that if location was an evil entity successful a body, that assemblage would request to die. She said Charles Vallow was changeable and killed “because he was dark.” After nan killings, Blake said Lori and Chad Daybell, on pinch Lori Daybell’s relative Alex Cox, showed nary signs of remorse aliases grief.

Tylee and JJ’s deaths

Blake said Lori Daybell moved pinch her 2 children to Idaho aft Chad Daybell had already declared that nan children were “dark.”

“If someone’s acheronian and they’re an earthly obstacle — nan assemblage has to die. Knowing that, Lori still brought her children to Idaho, person to Chad Daybell,” Blake said.

She besides said Lori Daybell asked Chad Daybell to complaint nan “death percentages” for her children connected aggregate occasions. Chad Daybell responded pinch numbers for each of them and, astatine 1 point, he claimed he was turning Tylee’s symptom up and encouraging 7-year-old JJ to travel personification into nan light.

“Tylee is simply a 16-year-old girl. He’s turning nan symptom up to 10,” Blake emphasized.

LIVE UPDATES | Jury originates deliberations successful Chad Daybell case

She said Cox trusted Chad Daybell 100%, according to witnesses astatine nan trial, and she reminded jurors astir his location history nan mornings aft Tylee and JJ were past seen. Both times, location were cellphone information location points adjacent wherever nan children’s bodies were yet found.

“Chad branded her children dark. Their bodies were buried connected his property, hidden from those looking for them. With them gone, he could beryllium pinch Lori. Her clip was wholly free for him,” Blake said.

She besides said that had those bodies not person been found, Lori Daybell would proceed receiving Social Security checks for nan children.

Tammy Daybell’s death

Chad Daybell told Lori Daybell successful a matter that it was “encouraging” his wife’s decease percent “has fallen steadily,” nan charismatic said. Afterward, Chad Daybell said his woman had immoderate benignant of tone successful her, texting: “Not afloat judge of nan timing for removal, but erstwhile her actions verify nan differences, I don’t want to wait.”

Chad Daybell shook his caput “no” aft Blake emphasized that Tammy’s assemblage was dark, that she had to dice and he did not want to wait. He listened attentively for astir of nan presentation, showing small emotion, but shook his caput “no” again later erstwhile Blake said he had taught “dark people, possessed group (that) nan assemblage has to die.”

Blake said Cox’s cellphone was astatine a religion adjacent nan Daybell location for astir half an hr connected nan nighttime Tammy Daybell was killed.

She said Chad Daybell’s communicative of his wife’s decease was inconsistent pinch emergency responders and friends astatine his location nan greeting of his wife’s decease and astatine nan funeral. Although he had said Tammy Daybell had been having fainting spells, connected a life security declare form, he wrote her wellness first became impaired connected nan time earlier her death.

A small complete 24 hours aft his wife’s death, Chad Daybell sent a connection to Lori Daybell that said: “I’m emotion sad, but it isn’t for nan logic everyone thinks!”

Chad and Lori Daybell springiness nary answers

Blake said Chad and Lori Daybell were joined successful Hawaii connected Nov. 5, 2019, but their “bliss didn’t past long” because JJ’s grandma reported nan boy arsenic missing later that month.

When officers arrived astatine Lori Daybell’s location to hunt for him, she said nan female instantly told constabulary lies astir really good nan mates knew each different and wherever JJ was. Blake said Chad and Lori Daybell consistently told others that nan children’s disappearance was each a misunderstanding that would beryllium cleared up, but neither of provided immoderate accusation astir wherever nan kids were earlier their bodies were yet recovered successful June 2020.

While Lori Daybell said JJ was “safe and he’s happy,” nan young boy was really recovered “discarded successful Chad Daybell’s backyard” months later, she said.

“They had money, power, sex, and nary obstacles and, specifically, nary earthy relatives, nary encumbrances. However, they near a aftermath of demolition and tears for those that had trusted them,” Blake said.

She said successful December of 2019, while Tammy Daybell’s autopsy was being conducted, nan children were missing, Cox had conscionable died of earthy causes, Chad and Lori Daybell were surviving together successful Hawaii.

Blake told jurors that Chad Daybell didn’t person to personally and physically origin nan deaths successful bid to beryllium recovered blameworthy of first-degree murder, but he is blameworthy if they reason that he “advised, assisted, encouraged, commanded aliases coerced” nan deaths to occur.

Defense says Chad Daybell was nan ‘next victim’

In his closing arguments, defense lawyer John Prior said Lori Daybell directed her friends really to respond to constabulary and said “the dupe connected Chad Daybell” was that nan kids were fine, and it would each beryllium cleared up.

“Chad didn’t cognize wherever nan kids were until that fateful time connected June 9 erstwhile they’re discovered connected his property,” Prior said.

He said until then, only Lori Daybell knew what had been going on.

“(Chad Daybell) is saying nan kids are safe because Lori told them nan kids are safe. He’s saying there’s a elemental solution because this was a custody fight,” Prior said.

He said Cox had nan motive, and that he had killed Tylee and JJ, who had “become expendable” aft being witnesses to nan execution of Charles Vallow.

“The 1 point that tin origin Alex Cox to walk nan remainder of his life, aliases acold worse, successful Arizona is simply a 16-year-old woman and an autistic 7-year-old small boy,” Prior said. “Alex Cox had a motive.”

He emphasized that Chad Daybell’s cellphone location was not recovered astatine his spot while Cox was there, and said he was not location erstwhile “JJ’s assemblage was dumped successful nan crushed by Alex Cox.” He besides said it would person taken a bonfire to pain Tylee’s body, and nary neighbors reported seeing 1 and not each of her assemblage was found.

“There was nary bonfire, it wasn’t there. … I can’t beryllium to you wherever Alex Cox burned this body, I don’t know,” Prior said.

Prior besides said Chad Daybell — “husband No. 5” — was nan adjacent unfortunate of Lori Daybell’s desire for money. He claimed Chad Daybell was nan target of an attempted shooting by Cox weeks earlier Tammy Daybell’s death.

“Alex Cox is simply a murderer, and he is not awkward astir shooting people. He changeable astatine Brandon Boudreaux, he murdered Charles Vallow. Chad Daybell was next, and to make nan scheme bully and neat, let’s hide nan bodies connected Chad Daybell’s property,” Prior said.

Prior said Blake “insinuated” that nan scheme discussed by Chad and Lori Daybell successful matter messages was to termination nan kids, but really nan scheme was to stitchery nan sick and impoverished to Rexburg.

Prior said aggregate times that Chad Daybell had a correct to judge what he wants to believe. He said Chad Daybell was a “pot stirrer” who talked astir uncomfortable belief things and that made him a target.

He began and ended his arguments by saying that nan load is connected prosecutors to beryllium that Chad Daybell is blameworthy beyond a reasonable doubt, and that location is reasonable doubt.

“If you person uncertainty astir what happened here, nan verdict has to beryllium not guilty. That’s what nan rule says,” Prior said.

Confirmation bias

Prior said jurors person been shown a “handful” of matter messages astir acheronian spirits, astir a scheme and astir references to ray and acheronian ratings, but were not shown thousands of different messages related to nan case.

“You tin ever find a matter connection aliases a connection of immoderate benignant that whitethorn beryllium slanted, aliases turned successful a measurement to use 1 position aliases another,” Prior said.

The defense lawyer claimed investigators were influenced by confirmation bias. He emphasized that nan man who performed nan autopsy connected Tammy Daybell did not scope retired to her children to inquire astir her health. He said nan expert and nan officers who had testified picked a target, and looked only for impervious that he was guilty.

“These officers grounded this investigation. They perfectly grounded successful their investigation looking up nan facts of this case,” Prior said.

Prior said Melanie Gibb, who was staying astatine Lori Daybell’s flat erstwhile investigators judge JJ was killed, was really nan root of nan different belief beliefs. He said she “ironically” near Lori Daybell’s location pinch her fellow David Warwick astir 10 minutes aft Cox near for Chad Daybell’s property, and claimed they really went to thief hide nan 7-year-old’s body.

Prior said nan integrative bags JJ was wrapped successful had a handprint from Cox and a hairsbreadth from Lori Daybell. He besides said location were blond hairs that did not beryllium to Lori Daybell, and Prior claimed that hairsbreadth belongs to Gibb, though it was not tested.

Prior based on that Tammy Daybell’s decease “was not homicide.” He said it would person been intolerable for Chad Daybell to smother aliases asphyxiate her nan measurement nan prosecutors claimed, arsenic it would require “600 pounds” of pressure.

Prosecutors inquire jurors to attraction connected facts

Blake contested aggregate statements made by Chad Daybell during her rebuttal closing argument, encouraging jurors to see nan facts and “go wherever nan grounds leads.”

She said Chad Daybell didn’t judge nan missing children were safe. He was heard speaking successful nan past tense erstwhile personification asked wherever Tylee was, saying she “didn’t for illustration me.” Blake besides said Chad Daybell knew that JJ wasn’t pinch his grandmother, yet told others that he was.

She besides said location was nary grounds to bespeak that Gibb went to nan Daybell home.

The charismatic besides told jurors that while Chad Daybell is not implicated successful Charles Vallow’s death, he was killed 10 days aft he threatened that he was going to face Tammy Daybell astir nan matter Chad and Lori Daybell were having. She besides said Chad Daybell was texting pinch Lori Daybell conscionable earlier Vallow was killed, and passim that day.

To reside nan declare that Cox was nan only killer, Blake replayed a clip from a belief “blessing” Chad Daybell gave to Cox successful November 2019. He called Cox a “defender” for Lori Daybell, saying he had earned nan privilege of being portion of nan Church of nan Firstborn.

“You’ve already assisted america successful ways that tin ne'er beryllium repaid. And you will proceed to do so,” Chad Daybell told Cox successful nan blessing.

Chad Daybell is charged pinch first-degree execution successful nan deaths of JJ, Tylee and Tammy Daybell. He is besides charged pinch conspiracy to perpetrate first-degree execution of each of nan victims, expansive theft and 2 counts of security fraud.

If Chad Daybell is recovered guilty, nan aforesaid assemblage would perceive grounds during a punishment phase, to find whether he should person nan decease penalty. Lori Daybell was recovered blameworthy of her domiciled successful a proceedings past twelvemonth and was fixed 5 sentences of life successful situation without parole.