BOISE, Idaho — There were hours of testimony from 21 different witnesses in Chad Daybell's triple-murder trial in Idaho this week.
The so-called doomsday author is married to Lori Vallow. He’s accused of killing her kids, Tylee and JJ, who used to live in the Valley and also his first wife, Tammy Daybell.
Vallow was convicted in the case last year and sentenced to life in prison in Idaho.
Key witnesses
Colby Ryan faced his own mother, Lori Vallow, in court last year and this week he faced Chad Daybell when the prosecution called him as a witness.
"Was your mom influenced by Chad Daybelll?" asked prosecutor Rob Wood.
"100 percent I think she could be influenced," Ryan stated after objections from Daybell's attorney were overruled.
Ryan testified earlier this week along with several investigators and others who knew the Daybell family.
Some thought Tammy Daybell’s quick funeral was rushed. Others said they were concerned that there was no autopsy and that Chad married Lori just a few weeks after Tammy’s death.
The jury heard the 911 call from the day Tammy was found dead in her home in October 2019 where Chad sounded upset when telling the operator that his wife was "clearly dead."
The coroner testified, according to EastIdahoNews.com, that Tammy had foam in her lungs, but said it didn’t turn into a homicide case until after investigators started looking for Tylee and JJ. Lori's children were ultimately found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard.
In cross examination, Chad Daybell’s attorney asked some witnesses if Chad’s grief over Tammy’s death seemed genuine and all indicated that it did.
Where Lori's brother allegedly ties in
The defense has been trying to cast blame on Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who's come up repeatedly during this trial and in the investigations.
Cox is considered a co-conspirator in this case.
It’s also believed Cox tried to pull a gun on Tammy Daybell in the days leading up to her death. Tammy Daybell wasn’t hurt in the incident, but reportedly rattled and thought it was a paintball gun, according to our partners at KTVB. The jury heard that 911 call from Tammy.
Cox can’t be charged because he died in Arizona in December 2019 of natural causes. An investigator testified that when police searched Cox’s home they found guns and literature from Chad Daybell.
Testimony continues next week.
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