IDAHO, USA — A jury has convicted Chad Daybell of multiple murder charges following the conclusion of a lengthy trial.
The so-called doomsday author was charged with the murders of his wife Lori Vallow’s two kids, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, who used to live in the East Valley. He’s also accused of killing his first wife, Tammy Daybell.
The jury got the case Wednesday afternoon after 31 days of testimony and arguments over the course of two months. Deliberations continued Thursday morning and a verdict was announced by the afternoon.
Daybell was found guilty of conspiracy and first-degree murder for the deaths of Tylee, JJ and Tammy. The jury additionally found him guilty of two counts of insurance fraud.
There were 17 jurors who listened to the full trial, but only 12 were able to deliberate. The judge selected five of the jurors to be alternates. The court said all 17 will be sequestered during the deliberation process.
Dead spouses and 'zombies'
Investigators believe Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow were having an affair and plotted to get rid of people who were obstacles in their path of being together. Prosecutors presented evidence that Daybell and Vallow believed certain people, including their spouses and Vallow's children, were "dark" or "zombies" that had to die.
In July 2019, Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her husband Charles Vallow at their home in Arizona. After his death, she moved to Idaho with her children, Tylee and JJ, to be with Chad Daybell.
In October 2019, Tammy Daybell died in the Daybell family home, which was eventually ruled a homicide. Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow in Hawaii a few weeks after Tammy's death.
Around this time, JJ Vallow's relatives contacted authorities in Arizona to help find JJ. They discovered that both Tylee and JJ hadn't been seen since September 2019 in Idaho. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in June 2020.
Lori Vallow sentenced to life in prison
Lori Vallow was convicted in this case last year and sentenced to three life sentences in Idaho. She's currently in jail in Maricopa County facing additional conspiracy to commit murder charges.
Alex Cox, Lori's brother, is listed as a co-conspirator in the case. He can't be charged because he died at his home in Arizona in December 2019.
Death sentence on the table for Chad Daybell
The jury in Chad Daybell's case will also be the jury that will determine whether the death penalty is a just punishment for the charges in this case.
The judge said the trial is now moving to a sentencing phase, where new evidence can be presented for the jury to consider. The jury will remain sequestered during this phase of the case.
Court will resume Friday morning where we are expecting to hear some victim impact statements.
Chad Daybell will remain in custody.