Chad Daybell is behind bars today, awaiting update in his murder case, along with his wife, Lori Vallow. The two are scheduled to face trial together in July 2023, according to East Idaho News.
The high-profile case gained renewed interest with a Netflix documentary, “Sins of Our Mother.” It was released Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Both Daybell and Vallow are facing the death penalty for the triple murder of Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell, and Vallow’s two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow. The remains of both children were found on the property where Daybell and Vallow lived together in Rexburg, Idaho, June 9, 2020, according to the New York Post
Here’s what you need to know:
A Judge Ruled Against Daybell’s Attorney & Ordered That He & His Wife Would Face Trial Together
Scott D. Pierce: “Very little of what happens is directly tied to Utah, but a lot of it is tied to the fact that both Lori and Chad Daybell were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
A judge ordered that Daybell and Vallow would face trial together, a move that Daybell’s attorney, John Prior, opposed, according to East Idaho News. Daybell’s attorney filed a motion in September 2020 asking that the two face trial separately. A hearing on the motion was filed in March 2022, the news outlet reported.
“John Prior’s motion to sever was held via Zoom before District Judge Steven Boyce. Chad Daybell appeared next to Prior from the Fremont County Jail wearing a white dress shirt and dark tie. Daybell said nothing during the hearing,” East Idaho News reported.
Prosecutors argued that it would be more efficient to hold the trial together, and that it would save money, the news outlet reported. But Prior argued that his client would not be afforded a fair and impartial trial if they were tried together, the news outlet reported.
The State’s Response to #LoriVallow‘s request for special discovery stating, they don’t have a duty to collect evidence, and with no specificity, they’re unaware of what contact she’s referring to regarding out of state witnesses or potential witnesses. #ChadDaybell
“We have a trial that is set for January and it’s fast approaching. There’s a significant amount of preparation that needs to be done and there is going to be a significant difference as to how I prepare in the event the case is joined or separate,” Prior said during the hearing on his motion, according to East Idaho News.
The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution, and filed a 12-page ruling that said Vallow and Daybell would face trial together. You can read the ruling in full here. The trial is expected to last 10 weeks, and it will begin in January 2023.
Daybell Wrote an Essay Called ‘Moving Into the Second Half of My Life’ 9 Days After Tammy Died
Review: In Netflix’s “Sins of Our Mother,” director Skye Borgman takes on the gripping story of Chad Daybell, Lori Vallow Daybell and the bizarre beliefs that allegedly led the couple to murder two of Lori’s children
Initial reports on the death of Tammy Daybell were that she had died in her sleep, according to East Idaho News.
The news outlet spoke to some who attended her funeral who said they noticed some strange things. The service seemed rushed, they said, especially since her death was unexpected. She was “healthy, working as the librarian at Central Elementary School in Sugar City and was actively involved at church.” There was no casket at her service, the source said. Daybell married Lori Vallow just five weeks later, the news outlet reported.
Nine days after Tammy Daybell died, Chad Daybell wrote an essay called, “Moving Into the Second Half of My Life.” Read the essay here.
His essay began:
My dear wife Tammy passed away in her sleep early Saturday, October 19. When I awoke at around 6 a.m., it was clear she had been gone for several hours. It came as a shock. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been awakened somehow, but all indications are that her spirit simply slipped away during the night. Her face looked serene, with her eyes closed and a slight smile. It was devastating to discover her that way, but I’m so grateful that her death was peaceful.
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