The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
The trial of doomsday author Chad Daybell has featured some bizarre moments so far in the last seven weeks of testimony.
Daybell, 55, is on trial for the murders of Lori Vallow’s children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ, seven, who went missing in 2019 and months later were found buried in his Idaho backyard.
He’s also accused in the sudden death of his then-wife Tammy Daybell, who died in her sleep in October 2019. Weeks later, Daybell married Vallow. An autopsy later revealed Tammy’s death was due to asphyxiation.
Prosecutors say his “desire for sex, power, and money” led to their murders. John Prior, however, said his client was manipulated by Vallow.
Jurors learned about his system for rating people as “light” and “dark,” depending on his judgment of the degree to which they had been influenced by evil. On Monday, testimony turned graphic as jurors heard Vallow’s name for his penis.
Last year, Vallow was convicted in the murders and sentenced to life in prison. Jurors heard how she, Daybell and her late brother Alex Cox were fuelled, in part, by their bizarre cult beliefs.
If convicted, Mr Daybell faces either the death penalty or life in prison.
Testimony in Chad Daybell’s trial continues today
Chad Daybell’s high-profile trial continues today in Boise, Idaho.
Daybell, 55, is on trial for the murders of Lori Vallow’s children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ, seven, who went missing in 2019 and months later were found buried in his Idaho backyard.
He’s also accused in the sudden death of his then-wife Tammy Daybell, who died in her sleep in October 2019. Weeks later, Daybell married Vallow. An autopsy later revealed Tammy’s death was due to asphyxiation.
Andrea Cavallier14 May 2024 14:48