Prosecutors argued from the start of the trial that Daybell killed his wife Tammy Daybell and stepchildren Joshua "J.J" Vallow. and Tylee Ryan for three reasons. "Money, power and sex. That’s what the defendant cared about.," said prosecutor Lindsey Beck.
The verdict is in for Chad Daybell.
Jurors in Idaho convicted the husband of "Doomsday Mom" Lori Vallow on all charges Thursday after six hours of deliberation: three counts of first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit murder and grand theft,
Daybell stood both motionless and emotionless as the verdict was read. The judge then informed Daybell that the trial would now move on to the sentencing phase to determine if he will get the death penalty for his crimes.
Prosecutors argued from the start of the trial that Daybell killed his wife Tammy Daybell and stepchildren Joshua "J.J" Vallow and Tylee Ryan for three reasons. "Money, power and sex. That’s what the defendant cared about," said prosecutor Lindsey Beck.
The defense argued that it was Alex Cox, the brother of Vallow, who killed the children and then buried them on Daybell's property to frame him. Cox died of natural causes during the investigation.
Vallow was arrested in 2020, months after her children disappeared in Idaho. At the time, she and Daybell were enjoying an extended honeymoon in Hawaii.
It was not until months after her arrest that the bodies of her two children were discovered buried on Daybell's property.
Vallow's trial in ended with a jury convicting her of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft in the deaths of her children Tylee, 16, and J.J., 7, as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy Daybell.
Vallow is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in Idaho following that conviction and is facing additional charges in the state of Arizona.
Vallow and Daybell's alleged beliefs were first described in a 2021 probable cause affidavit filed by the Chandler Police Department in Arizona, which included the allegation that Vallow was involved in her husband Charles' death.
"It was discovered that Lori Vallow believed she was an exalted Goddess and she and Chad were directed to lead 144,000 people in preparing for the end of the world," reads the affidavit.
The affidavit goes on to say: "It was discovered that Lori and Chad believed that they had extraordinary abilities. Some of these abilities included the power to teleport and cause harm to others, the ability to call up natural disasters, the ability to pray away demonic spirits attached to others and also visionary capabilities. Because of these abilities provided to them, they felt that they were qualified to tell whether someone had a 'light' or 'dark' scale associated with them. This scale would indicate whether or not they had demonic spirits attached to them."
Among those Vallow is alleged to have said had a "dark" scale were her ex-husband Charles and children J.J. and Tylee, according to the affidavit.
