Day 18 of the Chad Daybell trial took place on May 7, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. Chad Daybell is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in relation to the deaths of his wife Tammy Daybell, and Lori Vallow's children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. He is also charged with grand theft and insurance fraud and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial included disturbing testimony and key evidence related to the deaths of the victims.
Zulema Pastenes' Testimony
A former follower of Chad Daybell, Zulema Pastenes, took the stand. She is the widow of Alex Cox, Lori Vallow's late brother, who investigators say is a co-conspirator in this triple murder case. Zulema Pastenes told the jury that Chad claimed to be the head of the "Church of the Firstborn" with a mission to lead the 144,000 for the return of Christ. Pastenes said Daybell believed he could decipher between light and dark spirits, teaching his then-girlfriend, Lori, and their small group of friends what happened to spirits deemed dark. She was part of a religious inner circle, allegedly led by Chad Daybell. Pastenes married Lori's brother a couple of weeks before he passed away in December 2019.
Pastenes recalls the romantic affair between Lori and Chad while Tammy Daybell was still alive. Chad told Zulema not to worry about him still being married because Tammy would die early. Chad also said there was a portal in his house where he would communicate with the spirit world. Chad and Lori explained to Zulema that Alex Cox had a lower light rating because he hadn't lived any past lives, but later they "discovered" that he had actually lived many past lives and they were wrong. Alex was designated as a warrior by Chad.
In late March of 2019, a meeting was held at Zulema's house with a group of women present, including Gibb and Lori. The group was performing a casting on Charles Vallow. Lori called Chad and Alex after the casting to perform another casting to try to expel a demon in Charles. Zulema says that Alex 100% believed what Chad was telling him about Charles being a zombie. Zulema says that Alex depended on Lori and Chad "for everything." Chad told Alex that he was sent to Earth to be a protector for Lori. Alex and Chad became very close after the move to Rexburg.
Zulema learned from Gibb that Tylee and JJ were missing. The last information Zulema got from Lori was that JJ was with Kay Woodcock, who would later send the missing person report for JJ. The night before Alex died, he was called by Chad and Lori who warned him that Tammy's body was being exhumed.
PART 1: Zulema Pastenes takes the stand in Lori Vallow Daybell case, reveals inner circle secrets
Read also: Vallow-Daybell Trial: Key Evidence
Key Points from Zulema's Testimony:
- Chad claimed to be the head of the "Church of the Firstborn."
- Chad believed he could decipher between light and dark spirits.
- Alex Cox was designated as a warrior by Chad.
- Chad predicted Tammy's early death and communicated with the spirit world through a portal.
Prior asks about the castings, and asks if an unsuccessful casting would result in the death of the person. Zulema says the demon would remain in the body if the casting failed. She also says that a successful casting would result in the demon leaving, and the body dying. Zulema says she believed the death of the body from a successful casting to be different from actually killing someone. Prior argues that Zulema's testimony about the body dying was inconsistent with her interview with police. With the police, Zulema said there was no mention of the body being killed, but in court, she said the body would die from having dark spirits expelled.
Zulema says she was not aware of the attempted shooting of Brandon Boudreaux by Alex Cox and was not involved in that. She says she was aware of the shooting of Charles Vallow and that it was deemed self-defense. Prior asks about a message Zulema received while praying where she felt that she was being called to protect Lori Vallow. Zulema says she got a divine message through prayer meditation.
Blake asks if Tammy, Charles, JJ, and Tylee were deemed dark and are now dead, Zeluma says yes. This concludes the testimony from Zeluma, she is released from the stand but remains under subpoena.
Autopsy Details and Forensic Testimony
Dr. Garth Warren, a forensic pathologist with the Ada County Coroner's Office, testified about the autopsies of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were both found buried in Daybell’s backyard in June 2020.
Warren explains his training and says his job is to determine the cause of death during an autopsy. He's performed over 1,500 autopsies in his career. He is also a published author in the field of neuropathology. Warren determined that JJ's body was in a state of decomposition. Warren explains the state of JJ's body when they opened the black plastic bag he was buried in. Warren says there was a plastic bag over JJ's head. Wood asks Warren about the cause of death for JJ Vallow, which the doctor determined to be asphyxia via the covering of the head with a plastic bag and duct tape covering the mouth. Warren notes that there was bruising present on JJ's arms, which they determined to be from trauma, not decomposition, in their analysis at the Coroner's office.
Read also: Key Testimony in the Daybell Case
Dr. Warren moves to describe the autopsy of Tylee Ryan. He explains that this autopsy took much longer, about a week. Warren explains that this was because they did not recover an intact body. Warren says Tylee was dismembered and set on fire which fits the criteria of homicide by unspecified means.
Summary of Autopsy Findings:
| Victim | Cause of Death | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|
| JJ Vallow | Asphyxia | Plastic bag over the head with duct tape covering the mouth; body in a state of decomposition. |
| Tylee Ryan | Homicide by unspecified means | Body dismembered and set on fire; autopsy took a week due to the condition of the remains. |
Additional Trial Information
The trial is expected to last eight to ten weeks. Chad Daybell could face the death penalty if convicted of murdering his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and the two Arizona kids - JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Lori Vallow was found guilty last year and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Read also: Inside the Daybell Trial
Popular articles:
tags: #Chad
