The capital murder trial of Chad Daybell is nearing its conclusion, with closing arguments scheduled to begin Wednesday morning. Daybell is charged with the murders of his wife, Tammy Daybell, and Lori Vallow's children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. The case is expected to be handed over to the jury after the closing arguments.
The Prosecution's Case
Prosecutors presented testimony from Lori Vallow Daybell's niece, Melani Pawlowski, who stated that the couple believed people could be possessed by evil spirits, turning them into “zombies” who would eventually die. This testimony echoed that of Melanie Gibb, a friend of the couple, who testified during Lori Vallow Daybell's trial that she heard Vallow Daybell call the two kids “zombies” before they vanished.
Lt. Hermosillo, a Detective with the Rexburg Police Department, testified that the bodies of JJ and Tylee were found buried on Chad Daybell's property.
During closing arguments, Prosecutor Lindsey Blake stated, "Money, power, and sex. That's what the defendant cared about." The state focused on the killings of Charles Vallow, Tammy Daybell, and the murders of J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
The Defense's Argument
Chad Daybell’s defense attorney, John Prior, rested his case on Thursday last week, providing a long Memorial Day weekend for everyone involved. Prior contends there simply isn’t enough evidence to conclusively tie Daybell to the deaths, or even to prove that his late wife, Tammy Daybell, was killed instead of dying from natural causes.
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Chad Daybell listened closely as his defense counsel pointed the finger at Lori Vallow Daybell and Alex Cox. "The target was not Tammy Daybell. He was the target," exclaimed Defense Attorney John Prior.
Daybell’s son, Garth Daybell, testified that his mother had been fatigued and sickly before she died. He told jurors he was home the night his mother died and that he heard no disturbances from his bedroom next to his parents' room. He said he later felt like police officers and prosecutors were trying to pressure him to change his story, even threatening him with perjury charges at one point.
Lori Daybell's Trial in Arizona
Lori Daybell, dubbed the "doomsday mom," delivered her closing argument Monday during her latest trial in Arizona, where she is charged with conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband. She has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Daybell represented herself in the Phoenix trial. During her nearly 20-minute closing argument, she told jurors the shooting was not a premeditated murder but a "tragic family event."
"This event was not planned or expected. It was shocking," she said.
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She argued that officers neglected to conduct a thorough investigation, though she also said the Chandler Police Department "did treat this event just like it was: self-defense."
"This is an attempt by the state to try to retrofit a crime that doesn't exist," she said.
Daybell also urged the jurors to watch her entire police interview conducted after the shooting, part of which was shown during the trial.
The judge sustained several objections during her closing argument after she referred to testimony that had not been entered into evidence during the trial.
During her nearly two-hour closing argument on Monday, Maricopa County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Treena Kay said the evidence at the scene shows that Vallow was not shot in self-defense, but was "executed" and the scene "staged."
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Kay said that, upon learning she was no longer the beneficiary of the plan, the defendant messaged Chad that "Ned" probably changed it "before we got rid of him."
"Her words tell us that she was involved in this killing, her actions and her words of texting Chad Daybell tell us the motives behind this murder -- Chad and money," Kay told jurors.
The prosecutor also revisited witness testimony that she said spoke to what she called Lori Daybell and Alex Cox's "twisted religious beliefs" and a text message the defendant sent her brother days before the deadly shooting that mentioned Nephi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon who God commanded to kill Laban.
"Lori Vallow wanted the million dollars, and she wanted Chad Daybell, and she and Alex used that twisted religious beliefs they had so that they could kill the evil, possessed Charles and 'be like Nephi,'" Kay said.
Kay said Alex Cox showed up at his sister's home with a loaded gun, "ready for his mission," and shot Vallow twice. She argued that the evidence shows the second shot was fired while Vallow was lying on the ground.
"That is premeditated first-degree murder, no matter what you believe before that," Kay said.
Daybell countered in her closing that Nephi "signifies strong faith, perseverance and courage."
"The state's attempt to misconstrue the positive text message about a wonderful religious figure, Nephi, and try to turn it into an order to kill someone is absurd," she said.
Kay advised jurors that even if you don't hear someone explicitly talk about conspiring, "a conspiracy may be inferred from circumstances showing a common criminal objective."
In this case, the conduct inferred a "conspiracy of Alex coming over with his gun to shoot and kill Charles," she said.
The jury is now deliberating the verdict.
Over two weeks, the state called more than a dozen witnesses, including Daybell's other brother, Adam Cox, who testified that he had "no doubt" his two siblings conspired to kill Vallow upon learning that his brother had fatally shot him.
Daybell did not call any witnesses in the trial and did not take the stand in her own defense.
In her cross-examination, Daybell tried to question the thoroughness of the police investigation into the shooting. She asked several witnesses, including her brother Adam Cox, if they personally saw her conspire with her brother Alex Cox to murder her husband, to which they responded no.
Throughout the trial, the judge often sustained frequent objections from the prosecution over Daybell's questions for testifying, hearsay, relevance and speculation.
After the state rested its case on April 16, Daybell presented a motion for acquittal due to insufficient evidence. The judge denied it, saying the court finds there is sufficient evidence that a reasonable juror could find her guilty.
Background: The Murders and Convictions
Both Lori and Chad Daybell were found guilty of first-degree murder for the deaths of her children, Joshua "J.J." Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, who went missing months after Vallow was killed. In two separate trials in 2023 and 2024, prosecutors argued that the couple thought the children were possessed zombies and murdered them so that they could be together. The children's remains were found on an Idaho property belonging to Daybell in June 2020 following a monthslong search.
Lori Daybell is currently serving life in prison without parole for the murders of her two children.
Adam Cox said Vallow’s killing occurred just before he and Vallow were planning an intervention to bring Vallow Daybell back into the mainstream of their shared faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Four months before he died, Charles Vallow filed for divorce from Vallow Daybell, saying she had become infatuated with near-death experiences and had claimed to have lived numerous lives on other planets. He alleged she threatened to ruin him financially and kill him.
The trial over Vallow’s death marks the first of two criminal trials in Arizona for Vallow Daybell.
Larry Woodcock explained his emotions as he listened to the statements as he leaned over to hide his face while in attendance.
Lori and Chad Daybell Update | Beliefs about the Apocalypse
Key Figures and Their Status:
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Chad Daybell | Defendant | Awaiting verdict in capital murder trial |
| Lori Vallow Daybell | Defendant | Serving life in prison; awaiting trial in Arizona |
| Charles Vallow | Victim | Deceased |
| JJ Vallow | Victim | Deceased |
| Tylee Ryan | Victim | Deceased |
| Alex Cox | Co-conspirator | Deceased |
| Tammy Daybell | Victim | Deceased |
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