A jury in Idaho has found Chad Daybell guilty of all charges in a murder case that involved unusual religious beliefs, an affair, and the deaths of three individuals.
The jury received the case on Wednesday afternoon and reached a verdict on Thursday at 1 p.m. local time. Daybell was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, as well as the deaths of two children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, who were the children of his current wife, Lori Vallow Daybell.
He was also convicted of planning to commit murder in his wife’s death, planning to commit murder and stealing through deception in the deaths of JJ and Tylee, and committing insurance fraud.
Because the prosecution asked for the death penalty, the case will now move on to a phase where the sentence will be decided. Judge Steven Boyce informed the jurors on Thursday afternoon that they would have control over the schedule for the sentencing phase. This could include the option of holding court on weekends.
The witnesses for the penalty phase would start testifying on Friday morning. The jurors who found him guilty and have been isolated will also be involved in the next phase. According to Boyce, Daybell’s sentencing for insurance fraud will happen separately.
The bodies of the children were discovered buried on Daybell’s property several months after they were last seen. The case gained national attention when JJ was reported missing by his grandparents in 2019. Daybell, who is 55 years old, entered a plea of not guilty for all charges. If he is found guilty, he may be sentenced to death.
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During the trial, which began in early April, over 75 witnesses testified before the jurors. Prosecutors claimed that Daybell and Vallow Daybell, who were having an affair, worked together to plan and commit three murders. Prosecutor Lindsey Blake stated that their motives were driven by “money, power, and sex.” They justified their actions based on their religious beliefs, which focused on the end of the world and categorized people as either “dark” or “light.” They believed that evil spirits could possess individuals and viewed those who were possessed as “zombies.”
Defense attorney John Prior claimed that the person responsible for the murders of the children was their deceased uncle, Alex Cox. Two out of Daybell’s five adult children testified in his defense. They stated that their mother had health problems. The children of Daybell have consistently stated that their father is innocent, even during a 2021 interview with “48 Hours.”
The jury came back to the courtroom on Thursday after a few hours of discussing the case. They had a question about a missing jury instruction before going back to discuss further.
Lori Vallow Daybell was found guilty of murder in 2023 after the jury deliberated for only a few hours. She has been given a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. She has been sent to Arizona to face charges for the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. Cox shot him in 2019.
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