IDAHO, USA — The same Idaho jury that convicted Chad Daybell in the murders of three people will also decide if Daybell should get the death penalty.
The jury will continue deliberations over the death penalty Saturday morning, according to an update from the court Friday night.
The so-called doomsday author was convicted in the deaths of his wife Lori Vallow's two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow. The jury also found him guilty in the murder of his first wife Tammy Daybell and other conspiracy and insurance fraud charges.
The jury delivered its guilty verdict Thursday afternoon after less than a day of deliberation.
It will be up to the same jury to decide if Chad Daybell should receive a punishment of death.
Tammy Daybell died in the Daybell family home in October 2019. A few weeks later, Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow. At the time, her children were missing, until Tylee and JJ's bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in 2020. Investigators determined it was Chad Daybell and LoriVallow's dark religious beliefs that fueled the crimes and their desire to have a relationship without anyone getting in the way.
Chad Daybell's trial moves to the sentencing phase
On Friday, the case moved into the sentencing phase.
Prosecutors presented opening and closing statements to the jury. They also called nine victims to the stand to read impact statements in court. Statements were made by relatives of Tammy Daybell, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow.
"It’s not an overstatement to say that I lost everything, but more importantly we all lost Tylee and JJ," said Colby Ryan, Tylee and JJ's brother.
Ryan is Lori Vallow's only living child.
"I stand here today motherless, fatherless, sisterless and brotherless," Ryan said to the jurors.
Tylee Ryan's aunt, Annie Cushing, described this case as "death by 1,000 cuts."
"She was intelligent, clever, funny, sarcastic and had the voice of an angel," Cushing told the jury.
Kay Woodcock, JJ Vallow's grandmother, shared fond memories of JJ like his high level of reading and making gumbo with him during visits with his family.
"Too many situations in the past few years where we were slammed with the fact that JJ won't hit another milestone," Woodcock shared, noting JJ would have turned 12 earlier this week if he were still alive.
"Would he have been the next Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Tim Burton, Elon Musk? We will never know," Woodcock said.
Tammy Daybell's father and siblings also spoke out in court.
"My sister was ripped from our lives," said Tammy's younger sister, Samantha Gwilliam. "Because of her murder, we lost a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and daughter. She is irreplaceable."
They also spoke about the strain this case has put on their family and relationships with Chad and Tammy Daybell's children and grandchildren. Two of Daybell's five children testified for the defense during the trial and supported their father.
"The half-life of this experience will cover generations and many lifetimes," said Tammy's older brother, Michael Douglas. "The scarring continues and the painful things keep happening. I've likened it to being in a slow-motion train crash these past four and a half years. "
"Watching loved ones and myself, as well as total strangers, caught up in the disaster, continuing to be pummeled with no end in sight," continued Douglas. "Today, hopefully, that train wreck loses momentum and finally comes to a screeching halt."
Michael Douglas also spoke about the nonprofit founded in Tammy Daybell's memory.
Chad Daybell turned down his opportunity to address the court. His attorney, John Prior, said he would not present any evidence in this phase. Prior delivered opening and closing statements to the jury, where he continued to blame Lori Vallow for the crimes.
The judge instructed the jurors that they needed to find at least one aggravating factor on each count to find the death penalty to be just.
The judge will formally impose the sentence, but can't override the jury's sentencing decision, according to information from Robin Maher, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
The jury went into deliberations on the death penalty for Chad Daybell Friday afternoon.
There are currently eight people on Idaho's death row, according to the Idaho Department of Correction.
Lori Vallow sentenced to life in prison
Lori Vallow was convicted in this case last year and sentenced to life in prison in Idaho. Prosecutors sought the death penalty in her case, but her attorneys were able to strike that as an option before the trial. She's currently in jail in Arizona to face additional conspiracy charges out of Gilbert and Chandler.
She's accused of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. He died in July 2019 after Lori's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow at the family's home in Chandler. Charles Vallow is also Kay Woodcock's brother. Charles and Lori Vallow adopted JJ when he was younger.
Lori Vallow is also accused of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Investigators believe Cox shot at her niece's ex-husband in October 2019 outside his home in Gilbert. He was not injured in the shooting.
Alex Cox is listed as a co-conspirator in these cases. He can't be charged because he died at his home in Gilbert in December 2019.
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