He’s accused of killing their mother but Chad Daybell’s children will take the stand in their father’s defence
Chad Daybell faces the death penalty if convicted in the disturbing murders the prosecution say were fuelled by his desire for ‘sex, money and power’
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Chad Daybell told police his wife had died suddenly in her sleep after battling an illness, but an autopsy later revealed she died of asphyxiation and he was charged with her murder.
It was just part of the deeply disturbing tale of murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs.
Now, five years later, Mr Daybell’s adult children will take the stand at his triple murder trial in his defence to testify about their mother’s ongoing health issues, the home remedies she would try, and her refusal to see a doctor, defence attorney John Prior said during opening statements on Wednesday morning in Boise, Idaho.
The “doomsday cult” author who is charged in the death of his first wife Tammy Daybell, is also charged with the 2019 murders of Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, the children of Lori Vallow – the woman he married just weeks after Tammy died in October 2019.
Last year, the so-called “cult mom” who was “obsessed” with Mr Daybell, as the prosecution claimed, and referred to her two youngest kids as zombies, was convicted of their murders and conspiring to kill Tammy, receiving three life sentences
Nine months after the children were seen alive, their remains were found in shallow graves on Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho in June 2020.
The children’s disappearance and deaths brought to light a series of other mysterious deaths and other incidents connected to the doomsday couple, revealing a pattern of people close to the pair dying suddenly.
As part of their cult beliefs, the couple allegedly believed in a “rating system of light and dark” for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them. This evolved into the belief that some people were “zombies” and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed and thus rid their lives of “obstacles,” as their text messages later revealed.
Mr Daybell now faces a jury in the same Ada County courtroom a year later. Prosecutor Rob Wood told jurors that Mr Daybell created an “alternate reality” so that he could fulfil “his desire for sex, money and power,” as he sought to eliminate "obstacles" in pursuit of a life with Vallow.
“Two dead children buried in this defendant’s backyard. The next month, his wife is found dead in their marital bed. Seventeen days later, this defendant marries Lori Vallow,” he said, recounting the twisted tale.
“More than anything else Chad’s obsession with Lori was rooted in her adoration for him,” Mr Wood continued, claiming, “He called her an exalted goddess.”
Prosecutors say the couple justified the killings by creating a detailed and apocalyptic belief system, part of an elaborate scheme to eliminate any obstacles to their relationship and to obtain money from survivor benefits and life insurance.
“The evidence will show that this was a convenient narrative,” Mr Wood told jurors. “This narrative gave them the pretext to remove people from this world for their own good.”
Mr Wood also described the basics of the case against Mr Daybell, structuring his presentation for jurors like chapters in a book — an apparent reference to the defendant’s previous work as an author.
Mr Daybell was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and self-published fiction loosely based on its teachings.
“Your verdict will be the link that writes the final chapter of this tragic saga,” he said.
Mr Daybell’s defence attorney John Prior, however, attempted to paint a different picture of his client, describing him as a religious person and that his belief in things like premonitions was fairly mainstream.
He said Mr Daybell lived a normal, faith-focused life before he met Vallow, who he described as a “beautiful, vivacious person” who drew Mr Daybell into an extramarital relationship.
Mr Prior said Vallow pursued Mr Daybell and showered him with attention.
In stark contrast to Vallow’s trial in which no experts were called and no witnesses testified on her behalf, the defence will call four experts and three or four of Mr Daybell’s five adult children.
Mr Prior said he would present several experts in DNA, forensics and medicine who would testify that it’s impossible to determine what caused Tammy Daybell’s death and that none of Mr Daybell’s DNA was found with the children’s bodies.
“What’s important are facts and evidence,” Mr Prior told the jury. “Don’t be distracted by speculation, don’t be distracted by guesses or suspicions or hunches. It all comes down to facts and evidence.”
Mr Prior also explained to jurors that Vallow’s late brother, Alex Cox, had a violent history. He had previously been convicted of attacking Vallow’s third husband, and he shot and killed her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
Mr Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.