BOISE, ID – Closing arguments in the murder trial of 55-year-old Chad Daybell took place today at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise. He is charged with three counts of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Insurance Fraud, and Grand Theft in connection with the deaths of his ex-wife, Tammy Daybell, and Lori Vallow’s children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. The jury is now in deliberations.
Vallow, 50, was convicted last year of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, and Grand Theft and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During the State’s closing arguments, prosecutor Lindsey Blake reminded jurors of the various topics that were presented during the nearly two-month trial, including Daybell’s often unusual and apocalyptic religious beliefs, which the State says played a role in justifying the murders of the children and his ex-wife to fuel Daybell’s desire for power, money, and sex.
Vallow’s children were found buried in a shallow grave on Daybell’s Rexburg, Idaho, property on June 9th, 2020, following a months-long investigation into their disappearance the previous September. Daybell initially told police that his ex-wife had an illness and died in her sleep, but Blake reiterated previous testimony that an autopsy later determined that Tammy Daybell died of asphyxiation.
Daybell’s defense attorney, John Prior, told jurors that his client’s religious beliefs do not constitute a crime.
If convicted, Daybell could face the death penalty. The proceedings have been live-streamed on Judge Steven Boyce’s YouTube page.
After closing arguments and jury instructions, the jury will begin its deliberations. Ada County will update its webpage for the trial if jurors go home for the day and will update it once the jury reaches a verdict.
