Boise, Idaho (AP) — Mother accused of triple murder of two youngest children As with her new husband’s former wife, prosecutors were willing to “remove any obstacles to getting what she wants” for jurors Monday morning.
Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsay Blake said, “The defendants used money, power and sex to get what they wanted. It didn’t matter what it was.”
Prosecutors have charged Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, with multiple counts of conspiracy, murder and theft. Joshua “JJ” Varrow, 7, and older sister Tyree Ryan, last seen days before his 17th birthday in 2019, in connection with the deaths of Varrow Daybell’s two youngest children. October 2019 Chad Daybell’s late wife, Tammy Daybell, passed away today.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, but are being tried separately. Chad Daybell’s trial is still months away. Vallow Daybell faces a life sentence if convicted.
The children were missing for months before their bodies were found buried. In Chad Daybell’s Eastern Idaho garden, Blake told the jury.
“The charred remains, that’s Tyree’s remains,” prosecutors said, showing jurors a photograph of a human corpse partially exposed in patches of dirt. That’s what this beautiful young woman is left with.”
Tylee’s DNA was found in a shed on the property with a pickaxe and shovel, she said.
JJ’s body was wrapped in garbage bags and duct tape, Blake said — tape tied his arms in front of him and wrapped around his head.
The children and Chad Daybell’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, were all killed for interfering in the couple’s relationship, Blake said.
“Remember, the defendant removes obstacles to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,” Blake said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald told the jury that he described Varrow Daybell as a “kind and loving mother to her children” who happened to take a special interest in biblical prophecies about religion and the end of the world. bottom.
“Some people don’t really care about Bible prophecies, some people really care,” said Archibald. “Thankfully, in this country, we can worship as we please.”
Valor Daybell was presumed innocent, and Archibald reminded the jury that although the criminal charges themselves accuse Valor Daybell of directing, encouraging, assisting, or participating in the murder, what prosecutors did in the case. This indicates that you really don’t know what happened.
“Did she kill, help, encourage, direct? They’re not sure,” said Archibald.
Archibald also attributed Valor Daybell’s religious beliefs to Chad Daybell, a religious writer who wrote a fictional book focused on the Book of Revelation and loosely based on the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said it was after they met.
But Blake said those beliefs had taken an extreme turn, with the couple calling people “dark” or “light,” and telling friends and acquaintances that the “dark” people were possessed by evil spirits. They eventually began teaching their friends that when an evil spirit became strong enough, that person would become a “zombie” and the only way to free that person’s soul was to kill it.
A friend of Barrow Daybell would testify that she said it was “dark” before the children and Tammy Daybell died, Blake said. , Vallow Daybell said he called his two children “zombie” before disappearing.
“The common theme was that the body had to be destroyed,” said Blake. “Defendants and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions against others. Their actions ranged from cheating to murder.”
JJ Burrow’s grandmother, Kay Woodcock, was the first witness to take the stand after opening the altercation. She cried after Madison County prosecutor Rob Wood showed her a picture of her JJ.
Woodcock said that Varrow Daybell was once a “doting mother,” but her opinion of the defendant changed after Charles Varrow filed for divorce in early 2019.
According to Woodcock, she only communicated with JJ three times after her father died, and it was over short FaceTime video calls. Her last call, she said, happened a month before JJ was last seen alive, just 35 seconds or so.
“He just said, ‘Hi Mama, Hi Papa,'” Woodcock said, referring to JJ’s nickname for his grandparents. “Go, Mama. Go, Daddy. Goodbye!'”
Woodcock eventually contacted authorities and asked them to ascertain JJ’s living conditions, so Rexburg Police launched a missing persons investigation in November 2019. Police say the couple lied about the whereabouts of their children during that period.
Prosecutors say the couple planned to use life insurance money from Tammy Daybell’s death, and that Valor continued to collect and spend Social Security and survivor benefits for their children after they died. Said Tylee’s father died after he and Vallow Daybell divorced several years ago. JJ’s father, Charles Varrow (who Varrow Daybell was married to when he met Chad Daybell), was shot dead by Alex Cox, Varrow Daybell’s brother.
Vallow Daybell has been indicted in Arizona in connection with Charles Vallow’s death, but has not yet entered the petition. Cox, who told police the shooting was in self-defense, died months after the shooting and was never charged.
The couple married two weeks after Chad Daybell’s ex-wife died unexpectedly.
The couple eliminated “all obstacles that prevented them from getting exactly what they wanted.”
It may not have been the first attempt on Tammy Dabell’s life.Ten days ago, she called the police to report that a masked man approached her in her driveway and shot her several times before fleeing. rice field.
Later that night, Blake said someone overheard a phone call between an angry Barrow Daybell and another person.
The prosecutor told the jury, “She said something like, ‘He can’t do anything right.
Another witness testified that he was also the target of a shooting in October 2019. Brandon Boudreau was previously married to Barrow Daybell’s niece, Melanie Pawlowski.
Boudreau said that Pawlowski looked up to Barrow Daybell and women began attending religious meetings together. Pawlowski became increasingly devout, clinging to his belief that the world was ending.
The two divorced in 2019. Boudreaux said he was driving to his new rental home when someone shot his Jeep and his Wrangler while it was parked near the driveway, shattering the car’s windows. Boudreaux said Jeep recognized her as Tylee’s.
Barrow Daybell has not been charged with the attempted shooting of Boudreau, but prosecutor Rachel Smith said the shootings were all part of the same plan to “cause the deaths of multiple people in her world.” rice field.
