DAY 11 | LIVE UPDATES: Jury hears about 46 guns, bank finances, a gut-wrenching jail call and more during Daybell trial

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE LORI VALLOW DAYBELL TRIAL

4:09 p.m. Three more sketches from the trial today. Zulema Pastenes, Rexburg Det. Chuck Kunsaitis and Social Security Agent Mark Saari.

3:28 p.m. Court is dismissed.

3:21 p.m. Lots of bank documents being discussed. Boyce calls for a sidebar conference with the attorneys. Several jurors and audience members stand to stretch their legs.

3:16 p.m. Wood shows the jury the bank and credit card applications Chad filled out for his different accounts.

3:14 p.m. Kunsaitis has prepared a chart detailing Chad Daybell’s finances. He had the following accounts:

– Mountain America Credit Union joint account with Tammy Daybell
– An account for Spring Creek Book Company
– An account with First Hawaiian Bank
– Citibank Credit Card
– Wells Fargo Visa
– Joint Capital One Credit Card account for Chad and Tammy

3:10 p.m. Kunsaitis prepared a chart and timeline showing Alex Cox’s spending and financials. It shows between February and August 2019. It shows a steady income and Alex is very active with the account. On Sept. 1, he quit his job and moved to Idaho. Alex had no regular income after that. The $21,000 loan hit the account in September. From August 10 – October 24, the account shows Alex purchased 46 guns. He then opened a Mountain America Credit Union account and deposited $4,000 in it.

3:08 p.m. Wood continues to show credit card applications and other banking details associated with Alex Cox. These documents were analyzed by someone at the FBI.

3:05 p.m. Next document shows the loan application Alex completed for Lending Club on Aug. 8, 2019. The $21,000 was deposited into his Desert Financial account. Alex wrote that the loan was for “medical expenses.” Kunsaitis says police never found any indication of financial issues between that time and when Alex died.

3:03 p.m. Alex received a $21,000 deposit into his account from Lending Club in early August 2019. His bank account shows he began purchasing a lot of ammunition and guns around the same time.

3:02 p.m. Kunsaitis says Alex’s bank account information shows he was receiving three paychecks a month from his job in Arizona. The payments stopped in August 2019 when Alex quit his job and moved to Idaho with Lori, JJ and Tylee.

2:59 p.m. Next exhibit is a list Kunsaitis compiled showing Alex Cox’s bank accounts and financials:

– Desert Financial Credit Union personal account
– Barclay’s joint account with Lori Vallow
– Lending Club loan
– Mercury Mastercard
– Wells Fargo personal account
– Two Capital One credit cards
– Mountain America Credit Union account

2:57 p.m. Lori put on the application that her reason for moving into the complex was her daughter had graduated high school and they were moving to Rexburg so Tylee could attend BYU-Idaho.

2:56 p.m. Next exhibit shows a rental application Lori Vallow completed for a townhome in Rexburg. It was completed in August 2020 and Lori put her monthly income as around $5,000. The amount is equal to the SS benefits combined for Tylee, JJ and Lori.

2:54 p.m. There is some confusion over the numbers on the documents (as far as how they are being admitted to the court). Defense and prosecutors working to get things straight.

2:47 p.m. Next document shows the statement for a credit card Lori shared with Alex Cox. It’s from March 2019 and Lori made purchases for Tylee and her friend to go to Hawaii. Another roundtrip flight is purchased for Chad Daybell from Idaho Falls to Mesa. Chad was married to Tammy and Lori was married to Charles at the time.

2:45 p.m. Next exhibit is a monthly statement for the Barclay’s credit card account. A transaction was recorded on July 12 – the day after Charles was killed. A payment for around $3,000 was made to Valley of the Sun Mortuary. Another transaction was recorded on July 20 for an Allegiant Airlines flight from Provo to Arizona for Chad Daybell.

2:44 p.m. Next exhibit is an application for Charles and Lori Vallow to Barclay’s Bank for a Hawaiian Airlines credit card. The application was dated 2015.

2:40 p.m. Kunsaitis says the spending between Tylee’s original bank account and the new account was dramatically different. Everything shifted from in-person purchases to online spending.

2:38 p.m. Kunsaitis says deposits were made on Sept. 10 and Sept. 16 into Tylee’s account from her mother’s account. “The money that was coming in from Lori’s account is immediately Venmoed out and we were able to show those Venmo’s went to Colby Ryan, Lori’s son.” Kunsaitis says there were 29 deposits into Tylee’s account from Lori’s account and then the money was immediately turned around and sent to Colby on those same days.

2:37 p.m. Kunsaitis says most of Tylee’s purchases were in brick-and-mortar stores but after Sept. 1, almost everything switched to online purchases. There were two exceptions – one at Costa Vida in Rexburg around Sept. 8 and one at Costa Vida in Idaho Falls.

2:33 p.m. Boyce says some personal identifying information may be displayed on the exhibits which jurors can see but should not be displayed to the public. Kunsaitis shows a bank statement showing Tylee’s spending from this account as the family is moving from Arizona to Idaho. Three purchases were made on Sept. 1 – one in Perry, Utah, another in Fillmore, Utah and another in Wikieup, Arizona.

2:32 p.m. Archibald asks for a sidebar conference with the judge. All attorneys are gathered as white noise is played overhead.

2:30 p.m. Kunsaitis remains on the stand and is talking about another bank statement. It’s a joint BBVA bank account application for Tylee and Lori.

2:28 p.m. We are back from the recess and jurors are being brought into the courtroom.

2:01 p.m. Kunsaitis lays out when deposits were made to the accounts and then, when he mentions the bodies were found on June 9, his voice cracks. Court is taking an afternoon break until 2:25 p.m.

2 p.m. Another exhibit shows deposit information on JJ and Lori’s accounts.

1:57 p.m. Wood asks to admit an exhibit showing a summary document Kunsaitis compiled. It shows deposits made to Tylee Ryan’s and Lori Vallow’s accounts.

1:53 p.m. Kunsaitis now discussing a Social Security deposit made for JJ Vallow on Sept. 18. “Based on our investigation, JJ was killed five days later,” the detective says.

1:51 p.m. Kunsaitis says Tylee had been receiving her Social Security money in her account, but this deposit in Lori’s account was new. Lori Vallow contacted the SS Administration around Aug. 20 and requested to have the money deposit changed to her account.

1:46 p.m. Next exhibit shows a sample of activity on Lori Vallow’s BBVA account from Aug. 2019 through Jan. 2020. A deposit for $1,859 from the Social Security Administration was made on Aug. 28 on behalf of Tylee Ryan.

1:44 p.m. Next exhibit shows the banking account application Lori Vallow made at BBVA Bank. It was opened on Oct. 20, 2018. This is the account that ended up receiving all the Social Security deposits.

1:43 p.m. Next document shows Tylee Ryan’s bank account had a zero balance in October 2019.

1:41 p.m. Kunsaitis says the different profiles show a “digital footprint” of who is using the account and when. The detective shows the jury that $10.04 was transferred from Lori Vallow to her other bank account on Sept. 20, 2019.

1:39 p.m. Next exhibit shows an online administration tool for Tylee Ryan’s JP Morgan Chase account. Tylee and Lori both had profiles on the account.

1:37 p.m. Kunsaitis says the Rexburg Police Department has determined the last proof of life for Tylee Ryan was on Sept. 8 or 9, 2019.

1:36 p.m. The final transaction on Tylee’s account was on Sept. 20. The balance on the account was $10.04, and an online transfer was made on Sept. 20 to Lori Vallow’s JP Morgan Chase account. Nothing else was done on this account.

1:34 p.m. Kunsaitis now describing the final bank statement from Tylee’s account. There are multiple transactions on multiple days. It shows their travels as they moved from Arizona to Idaho. The final in-person purchase was on Sept. 1 at McDonald’s in St. George, Utah. The last payment for Tylee’s Social Security in this account was the previous July, so deposits had stopped into this account.

1:33 p.m. Kunsaitis says Tylee made a lot of brick-and-mortar type purchases – fast food restaurants, convenience stores, etc.

1:32 p.m. Wood admits a document showing a year’s worth of banking statements for Tylee from January 2019 to October 2019. There is a lot of activity on the account. Tylee is making monthly car payments for a Jeep from the account.

1:29 p.m. The last deposit in the shared account with Charles and Lori was in July, shortly after Charles died. Money from the account continued to be withdrawn until it went into overdraft status in November 2019.

1:28 p.m. Kunsaitis now showing sample portions of account activity on some of Lori’s bank accounts.

1:22 p.m. Wood shows the list of accounts on the screen for the jury. They include:

• A JP Morgan Chase account with Charles Vallow
• A JP Morgan Chase account shared with Tylee Ryan
• A JP Morgan Chase account shared with Charles Vallow
• A BBVA personal account for Lori Vallow
• A BBVA shared account for Lori and Tylee
• A Barclays Hawaiian account shared with Charles Vallow
• A Barclays account shared with Alex Cox
• A First Hawaiian bank account for Lori Vallow
• A Chase Southwest joint account
• A national life insurance account for Lori Vallow

1:20 p.m. Kunsaitis has a list of financial institutions associated with Lori Vallow and Tylee Ryan.

1:19 p.m. The manager of the apartment complex where Lori was living told detectives he also had mail for Lori and Alex. Police obtained a warrant for the mail and Kunsaitis says there were bills and other financial letters.

1:17 p.m. Kunsaitis also issued a warrant for a P.O. box Lori had opened in Sugar City, Idaho. There were around 100 pieces of mail in the box for Lori, Charles Vallow, Alex Cox and her children. There were bills and letters from the Social Security Administration and IRS.

1:16 p.m. Hermosillo asked Kunsaitis to look through the home where Lori was living. The detective found a printer upstairs with an invoice for Self Storage Plus sitting on it. A search warrant was then issued for the storage unit.

1:15 p.m. Kunsaitis has worked as a police officer in Rexburg for 23 years. He has been a detective since 2011. On Nov. 27, 2019, he was aware Detective Hermosillo was issuing search warrants for three different townhomes in Rexburg to locate JJ Vallow. Kunsaitis arrived in the afternoon to help with the warrants.

1:15 p.m. Kunsaitis has a stock of documents on the witness stand, but Wood asks that he not look at them unless they are referenced during questioning.

1:11 p.m. By my count, Wood is asking to admit 32 documents. Some of the files have more than one part. Wood will now show each of the documents and ask Detective Kunsaitis about them.

1:09 p.m. Wood is reading a long list of exhibit numbers. The defense has not objected to any of the documents thus far. Once admitted, Wood will ask if he can publish for the jury, and the rest of us, to see.

1:01 p.m. Rod Wood says the state would like to enter multiple business records and affidavits. He is reading a list of the exhibit numbers.

1:00 p.m. Rachel Smith hands a big folder full of documents to the bailiff to set on the witness stands. Det. Kunsaitis is entering the room. If you’ve never seen him, Kunsaitis is a tall, big guy. He’s wearing a suit coat, dress shirt and tie.

12:55 p.m. Next witness on the stand is Rexburg Police Detective Chuck Kunsaitis. Before he is brought in, prosecutors ask for a sidebar meeting with the judge. White noise is played in the courtroom. Lori taking lots of notes.

12:54 p.m. Saari says Lori Vallow never reported her kids were missing, that she remarried or that she moved to Hawaii. State has no further questions. Archibald says he has no questions. Saari is released from the witness stand.

12:51 p.m. The exhibit is a document detailing the mother, child and care responsibilities sent to Lori Vallow in regard to caring for JJ. One line says benefits could be lost if any child dies. Another line says SS must be notified if the person moves. Another line says custody changes, change of marital status, deaths or change of addresses must be reported to SS. “You must report marriage even if you believe an exception applies.”

12:49 p.m. Saari says people must notify the Social Security Administration of changes in their personal life that could affect their benefits. Wood asks to admit another exhibit as evidence.

12:47 p.m. Saari says Lori Vallow received mother, child and care Social Security benefits. You must be married when your spouse dies to receive this benefit and not remarry. Lori received $1,951 a month after Charles died until January 2020 because the whereabouts of JJ were unknown.

12:45 p.m. Saari says Social Security payments suspended payments to Tylee’s account on Jan. 3, 2020, due to the whereabouts of Tylee and JJ being unknown. Saari says JJ Vallow received benefits because Charles died in July 2019. JJ received $1,951 per month. They began around Sept. 18, 2019, and were stopped in January 2020 because JJ was gone.

12:44 p.m. The document is shown on the screen. It’s a letter addressed to Lori Vallow for Tylee Ryan. “As you requested … we have changed the direct deposits for Tylee Ryan to the bank you selected.”

12:43 p.m. Rob Wood is asking Saari questions. He asks to admit an exhibit that shows a change of bank account direct deposit information for Tylee Ryan from August 2019.

12:42 p.m. Tylee received $1,859 a month in 2019 because her father had passed away. She received those funds in a JP Morgan Chase account. The money was then moved to a BBVA account around Aug. 20, 2019.

12:40 p.m. Saari’s responsibilites include investigating fraud. In January 2020, his office was contacted by the FBI in Arizona about two missing kids. Saari was asked to investigate whether the benefits for the children were being misused by their mother. Saari reviewed police reports from Rexburg and met with the FBI.

12:40 p.m. Next witness called by the state is Mark Saari. He is a special agent with the Social Security Administration.

12:35 p.m. We are back from lunch, and jurors are being brought in. Here are three sketches from this morning.

11:35 a.m. The jurors remained focused during the playing of the call. Court is taking an early lunch, and we will be back at 12:30 p.m. for a new witness.

11:33 a.m. I will play the entire call tonight on “Courtroom Insider” at 7:30 p.m. It is something. The defense and prosecution have no questions about the call and Colby is dismissed from the witness stand.

11:31 a.m. Colby tells his mom he prays that she will see Jesus Christ and fall into his grace. “I pray every day no matter how mad I am at you, no matter how bad I want to hit your husband in the face with a shovel, I pray for you, I pray for him. You ripped my heart out. You ripped everyone’s heart out. I want to be in Idaho this week. You need to look me in my eye, Mom. Look me in my eye.” Colby noted earlier that Lori’s camera is turned off, and the call ends.

11:30 a.m. Colby tells his mother to explain what is happening. She says she would love to tell him, and one day the truth will come out. “My own mom, my siblings, my whole family, my dad — everyone is gone except my mom, and you’re in jail because of it. I have prayed to Heavenly Father myself and asked him to help me survive this. Why are you following Chad down the rabbit hole? Why would you follow anyone who is not good? How can you follow someone who cannot lead you to salvation in Jesus? You can’t lie to me anymore. You can’t hide anymore.”

11:29 a.m. This is a very emotional call. Colby is yelling at his mom, and she is pushing back that nobody understands.

11:27 a.m. Colby yelling at his mother to tell him that Jesus Christ told her to do these things. “The kids are found buried in your new husband’s backyard?!”

11:26 a.m. Colby is telling his mother that Jesus will judge his mom, and she begins to laugh. He calls her out for laughing, and Lori says nobody was there. She says nobody understands, and Tylee and JJ know exactly what happened. “They love me, and they are fine, and they know the truth, and we are the only people that do.” Lori says Colby can judge her, and the whole world can judge her.

11:23 a.m. Colby to Lori: “It kills me to watch you take the victim’s route and say this shouldn’t have happened to you when you are telling me that Chad Daybell came into your life, and all of a sudden everything changes. And I’m talking about my spirit feels this. I prayed, I trusted you, I gave you every chance I could past my own limitations of a human being. I pushed back all of everything to try and get to you to help my own mother. You lied to me specifically to me more times than I can count about this. To know that they’re gone and you knew, and my phone’s being texted by my little sister who is not even alive. My little brother, who is the sweetest little kid ever … you tell me this is God’s will for my whole family, including my stepfather to be dead, after everything that you’d tried to tell me — you can tell me right now that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is on your side? You tell me that with all the conviction of your heart that Jesus Christ is on your side right now. Please.” Lori responds, “I can tell you that.”

11:20 a.m. Wood starts the call from the beginning again. Colby says to Lori: “I have prayed for you in my worst moments; I have prayed for my siblings who you swore to me were OK. I thought I could trust you. I thought that you were a completely different person.” She responds, “You’ve known me your whole life.” He says, “I don’t know a murderous mother.”

11:19 a.m. The white noise is turned off, attorneys are back at their tables and Colby Ryan is being brought back into the courtroom. Boyce says upon hearing the beginning of the call, he wants Colby on the stand as a witness. The defense may have questions after the call is played, so Colby is walking back to the witness stand.

11:16 a.m. Before Boyce stopped the call, we heard Colby tell his mom he had prayed for her, and he trusted her. Lori said she didn’t do anything. This call was made after the bodies were found buried on Chad Daybell’s property.

11:16 a.m. Boyce interrupts the phone call and asks for a sidebar with attorneys.

11:15 a.m. “Hi Colby,” Lori is heard saying. “Can you hear me? Do you want to talk to me?” Colby responds, “Do you think you can hide from me?” Lori says she isn’t hiding, but he didn’t want to talk to her. “Probably because you murdered my siblings,” Colby says.

11:13 a.m. Wood now asks to admit and play the jail phone call Colby and Lori had with each other. Colby is out of the room, but he remains under subpoena and could be called back in if the defense has questions.

11:12 a.m. Lori watches as Colby Ryan leaves the courtroom.

11:10 a.m. Colby says when he was a teenager, he had a conversation with his mom about her life insurance. Colby says Tylee and JJ were alive, but Colby was the only person listed as the beneficiary. Wood has no further questions and Colby Ryan is released from the stand.

11:10 a.m. Colby says his mom never asked him to come to special church meetings or participate in castings. Colby says he learned from the news that his mom had moved in Dec. 2019.

11:08 a.m. Wood asks Colby if his mom has ever asked him for anything since he moved out of her house. He said the only thing she asked for was to help them move. Wood asks if Lori controls Colby’s bank account. He says no. Colby says at one point, Lori gave him Tylee’s debit card so he could buy himself a birthday present.

11:07 a.m. Prosecutors are back in the courtroom, and Wood will commence with redirect.

11:03 a.m. During the break, Lori is smiling while she stands and chats with Archibald and Thomas. Colby remains on the stand. Most people stand to stretch their legs.

11:01 a.m. Archibald reading parts of Colby’s book where he wrote about God helping him through obstacles and hardship. Colby says those statements are accurate. Archibald has no further questions. Wood has more questions for Colby but asks for a five minute recess.

11 a.m. Lori is wiping her eyes with a tissue during this part of Colby’s testimony.

11 a.m. Archibald: “Who taught you God was good?” Colby: “The church and my mom.”

11 a.m. Archibald asks Colby if he loved his mom. He says yes. Archibald asks if his mom loved him. Colby responds, “I think so.”

10:58 a.m. In the docuseries, Colby says his mom changed when she met Chad Daybell. Archibald asks him about this line, and Colby says he doesn’t remember saying it, but he could have.

10:57 a.m. Archibald asks about the book Colby wrote since this case started. He says the book is about how God has helped him through his life. Archibald asks about media appearances Colby has made and asks if he was paid for his Netflix documentary. Colby says he was not.

10:56 a.m. Colby says he didn’t see Alex a lot until he got married in 2018. Colby moved out of his mom’s house when he got married.

10:55 a.m. Colby was not at home when Charles filed for divorce from Lori or when they reconciled. Colby says his relationship with Alex Cox was “minimal” and describes his uncle as “odd.” “He was crude and kind of funny and odd.”

10:53 a.m. Colby says his mom never taught him about zombies, casting out evil spirits or dark and light scales. When asked about vibrations, Colby says his mom said that they were the same vibration. Archibald asks if his mom ever taught Colby that she was a goddess. He says no. He says his mom never taught that he should join a new church called The Church of the Firstborn.

10:52 a.m. Archibald asks Colby is his mother taught him about Jesus. He says yes. Archibald asks if they sang songs about Jesus. Colby says yes – at church. Archibald asks if his mom taught about multiple lives or probations or if he was someone else in another life. Colby says no.

10:51 a.m. Archibald questions Colby about his education and mission to Nampa, Idaho. Colby says his mission lasted six weeks “at the most.” Archibald asks if Colby actually made it to Nampa or was just in training. Wood objects to question, Boyce sustains.

10:49 a.m. Archibald asks if Colby had depression as a teenager and if he was suicidal. Wood objects to the question, and Boyce grants the objection. Archibald asks if Lori helped him when he had thoughts of self-worth. Colby says yes. Archibald asks, “Did your mother encourage Tylee to do good things with her life?” Colby responds, “I don’t know.”

10:47 a.m. Colby says he had a good relationship with JJ and Tylee. Archibald asks if Tylee had health issues. Colby says she had pancreatitis and often had to go to the hospital. Archibald asks about JJ’s special needs and asks if Lori cared for the needs of Colby, Tylee and JJ. Colby says yes.

10:46 a.m. Judge back on the bench and grants the objection. He tells the jury to ignore the question about abuse. Archibald asks Colby if his mother protected him from Joe Ryan. Colby says yes. Archibald asks if she protected Colby by moving away and divorcing Joe. Colby says yes. Colby says Charles Vallow had a good relationship with him.

10:44 a.m. Archibald asks if Colby’s childhood with Joe Ryan and Lori was good or bad. Colby responds, “Bad.” Archibald asks if his stepfather abused him. Rob Wood immediately objects for relevance and asks for a sidebar with the judge. Attorneys now meeting with the judge as white noise plays in the courtroom.

10:42 a.m. Archibald asks Colby who his dad is. He says William Lagioia but explains his stepdads were Joseph Ryan and Charles Vallow. Archibald asks if Lori Daybell has ever met Colby’s two kids. Colby says she met his oldest child but not the youngest.

10:42 a.m. Jurors are back in the courtroom. Archibald begins his cross-examination.

10:38 a.m. Earlier, I said Lori may be crying or wiping her face. Chanley Painter with Court TV is on the other side of the courtroom with a better angle of Lori’s face and tells me she did not see tears.

10:36 a.m. Attorneys have re-entered the courtroom. Lori is whispering with Jim Archibald as he prepares to cross-examine her son about the deaths of his siblings and step-dad.

10:34 a.m. Lori pulled several tissues from a box of Kleenex. It’s hard to see from my vantage point as her back is toward the gallery. Colby still has not looked at his mom for several minutes.

10:33 a.m. While we wait, Lori is staring at Colby on the stand. He refuses to make eye contact. Now she is writing in her notebook.

10:31 a.m. Attorneys from both sides headed back to meet with the judge privately. Colby remains on the stand, his mom remains at the defense table alone.

10:30 a.m. Colby is back on the stand while we wait for the judge and jury to enter the courtroom. Lori is looking at him, but he either looks straight ahead or down.

10:21 a.m. Lori is not wearing leg shackles today. She was able to walk out of the courtroom with a bailiff for the break.

10:09 a.m. Colby tried to contact his mom on Thanksgiving, but her phone was disconnected. He was not able to reach her. Wood has no further questions. Jim Archibald will cross-examine Colby Ryan after the break. As the jury was leaving the courtroom, Colby glanced over at his mother, shook his head and turned away.

10:07 a.m. Colby says after Charles died, his mom said she was going to get married again. After Gilbert police visited in November 2019, he called his mom and asked what was going on – why were the police looking for the kids? Colby says he did not know where his mom was, but he knew she had moved from Phoenix. She never told him where she moved, and Lori would not tell Colby. “She just told me she was moving somewhere cold, and it was dangerous for her to tell anybody where she had gone.”

10:06 a.m. Colby says after September 2019, he continued to receive money from two different accounts registered to his mom.

10:04 a.m. Colby says he was contacted by Gilbert police on Nov. 27, 2019. They asked where JJ and Tylee were. Colby said they were not with him, and Colby had been concerned about his sister. His text messages with Tylee were “in a different language than how Tylee would talk and type. It was just different.” He felt like it wasn’t Tylee he was speaking with.

10:01 a.m. Wood asks Colby about the night of Sept. 8, 2019. Colby asked Tylee for money, and Tylee responded that she was no longer in control of her money, but her mom was handling it. Colby says he spoke with Lori that day. He heard Tylee over the phone, and Lori said they were at the Yellowstone National Park gift store.

10 a.m. Wood asks Colby if he ever received money from Tylee. Colby says he did – randomly through Venmo. Colby says Lori would often send money to Tylee, who would then send it to Colby.

9:57 a.m. A few weeks after Charles died, Colby said his mom told him that she wasn’t receiving any life insurance money. Colby says he spoke with his mom monthly or every other month about their finances. Lori often told him they were out of money.

9:56 a.m. The day Charles died, Colby went home, and Tylee greeted him. Alex was sitting on the couch watching TV and had a bandage on his hand. Colby asked Alex what happened. Alex said he had been hit with a bat, and then he shot Charles. That night he said Lori’s demeanor was “calm.”

9:55 a.m. Wood asks Colby about the day Charles Vallow died. Colby says Lori called him at work and said Charles died of a heart attack.

9:53 a.m. Wood shows the court a photo of Tylee Ryan. He asks Colby who that is. Colby, through tears, says, “That’s my sister.” Wood shows the court a photo of JJ Vallow. Colby says, “That’s my brother.” Colby is sniffling and just briefly glanced at his mom.

9:52 a.m. Colby is on the stand wearing a white dress shirt and tie. Lori is staring at him. I have not seen him look at his mom. Rob Wood asks, “How do you know the defendant Lori Vallow?” Colby responds, “She’s my mother.”

9:50 a.m. Zulema steps down from the stand and leaves the courtroom with her attorney Garrett Smith. Next witness called to the stand is Colby Ryan, Lori Vallow Daybell’s son.

9:49 a.m. Zulema has repeatedly said that Alex believed everything Chad and Lori told him. Smith has no further questions for Zulema, and she steps down from the stand.

9:46 a.m. Zulema says Alex quit his job and moved to Rexburg after Chad and Lori told him to do so. He left behind his belongings in Arizona. “Chad and Lori told him the only reason he came to earth at this time – his sole purpose was to protect Lori.”

9:44 a.m. Zulema says Chad and Lori made others feel special and powerful, including Alex. “They told Alex he was the angel who had come to Saul before he became Paul, and he was the one who spoke to him and made him blind so he would mend his ways and become a follower of Jesus Christ. They also told him he had been an angel before and he was an angel that had appeared to (Latter-day Saint founder) Joseph Smith. They told him he had been exalted in other creations with his wife Holly, and he had been a very powerful warrior. He had unmasked Satan in another creation, and that is the reason why Satan had so much animosity toward him.”

9:42 a.m. Chad called Zulema “the goddess of the earth” and said she had a special mission to fulfill that he identified just for her. Chad and Lori repeatedly told Zulema how special she was and how special her powers were. “It made me feel very good and really special. I started to really believe it.”

9:40 a.m. Smith asks Zulema to clarify text messages and communication between Lori and Zulema. Lori often called Zulema a goddess and praised her ability to control the elements. “She said that I was very special and my mission was the most important one. They were always looking out for me because my mission was the most important one.”

9:38 a.m. Thomas done questioning, Rachel Smith with the prosecution now following up.

9:36 a.m. Thomas asks Zulema about a powerful spiritual experience she had in the temple where she saw Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, Jesus and her eternal father. Zulema says she doesn’t recall that day. Thomas says, “You saw Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother and Jesus and you don’t remember what happened?” Zulema thinks for a good 60 seconds and starts to talk before Thomas says, “I’ll withdraw the question, your honor. No further questions.”

9:35 a.m. The jurors are very attentive today, and many are taking notes. One juror, a man, seems to be noting everything being said. Lori is also taking notes directly across from the juror box.

9:34 a.m. Zulema says Lori was supposed to be at the temple with her “working on Hiplos” that day, but Lori didn’t show up.

9:33 a.m. Zulema says she was in the temple the day Charles died. She reads a text message saying she was working on Hiplos (the evil spirit that inhabited Charles) while in the temple and was told he would be taken the way he is. “7/11. I hope today is a good day for all of this to end.”

9:28 a.m. “I had faith they were telling us the truth,” Zulema says when asked if the castings were successful. “I personally did not have confirmation whether those evil spirits or demons were cast out. I trusted and believed what Lori and Chad were saying.”

9:27 a.m. Thomas asks about casting the demon Garrett out of Charles. While the ceremony took place, Zulema says she is unsure if the evil spirit ever left Charles because Lori always had to check with Chad to see if the spirit had actually left. “We would get confirmation from Chad.”

9:25 a.m. Thomas asks Zulema if she has a portal in her home. She says no. He asks if she has ever had a portal in her home. She says, “No, sir.” Thomas asks Zulema to read another text she sent to Chad on April 8, 2019. Part of it says, “I would love that. I want to see if you help me create a portal at home to get answers.” Zulema says she doesn’t recall this conversation.

9:22 a.m. Zulema reads another text message about “light fire.” Thomas asks what that means. She says it’s “like imagining in your mind a light aura and fire to put around somebody’s wound to help them heal.” She recalls using light fire for good, during the castings and for healing purposes.

9:21 a.m. Zulema says she felt she was doing honorable, good work at the time but now realizes the intentions of Chad and Lori were “very evil.” “Those things they were saying were evil and manipulative.”

9:19 a.m. Thomas asks Zulema to read a message she sent to Chad after he said the evil was removed. She told him she felt better and could move her shoulder again.

9:18 a.m. Zulema says she felt the adversary was attacking her back. Chad responded, “Hi, Zulema. I have captured and removed the evil spirits that were attacking you. I have removed the weapons and am healing the damage.” Thomas asks, “Do you think that actually worked, or was this hocus pocus?” Zulema responds that Chad often did energy work, and there were times she actually felt better afterward. She doesn’t recall if she felt better after this specific incident.

9:16 a.m. Thomas asks Zulema about an incident in Dec. 2018 when she texted Chad for a blessing. She reads the message that says, “I think I am being attacked again.” Zulema says Lori and Chad always taught that when you have any kind of physical pain or any emotional suffering, it is an attack from the dark side and evil spirits coming after your body and emotions. Zulema says she believed that.

9:14 a.m. Zulema reads a message Chad sent her saying her calling and election was made sure. He tells her she will be among the most righteous and in the first group of “gatherers.” Zulema responds to Chad, saying the Lord has spoken to her directly and told her that he has “made you mine.”

9:13 a.m. Zulema reads another text message about her having a yearning to only go to the temple and “leave the world behind.” Meanwhile, a person’s cell phone in the gallery has gone off, and the bailiff has taken it away.

9:11 a.m. Zulema reads another text message she sent Chad saying she feels better about things. Thomas asks her to read another text. “I have a couple of questions for you. Do I have a calling and election made sure? Will I have a calling and election made sure? Do I have a second comforter? And … how I will know when and how to the temple when the callout happens?” This was sent Jan. 24, 2019.

9:10 a.m. Thomas says, “Yes or no – did you pray about it?” She says, “Yes.” Thomas says, “And yes or no – the Lord told you eventually that you would go to Rexburg?” She says, “Yes.” Then adds that Chad and Lori were pushing her to move to Rexburg “in every blessing they gave me.”

9:08 a.m. Zulema says during this time, Chad was repeatedly telling her to move to Rexburg. He gave her blessings telling her to move to Rexburg. Lori and Chad “kept pushing” her to move to Rexburg. “I really trusted these people. Chad said he had a veil, and he could see to the other side. He said he was constantly being guided by angels. Lori said she had conversations with Jesus Christ. I trusted them. It was very hard, and I was confused.” Zulema says she started to pray for guidance. Zulema says during one prayer, she says she got her answer from God that said, “You will go to Rexburg eventually, but not right now.”

9:06 a.m. Zulema reading a text message she sent to Chad Daybell saying she was not ready to move to Rexburg – mainly because of her daughter. Chad responded that he understood, and maybe it would happen eventually.

9:04 a.m. The two exhibits showing text messages were admitted in the grand jury proceedings, according to Thomas.

9:03 a.m. Defense hands two exhibits to Zulema. She identifies them as text messages between Chad and her. The other text message is one between Zulema and Lori.

9 a.m. Thomas to Zulema: “How is it you knew him August to December and you spent very little time with him. … Maybe it’s possible you didn’t know him that well and he wouldn’t do anything for Lori?” Zulema: “I disagree with that. Whenever he wanted to do anything, he had to have Lori or Chad’s permission.” She relates a blessing Alex received from Chad where Chad told him he would be a warrior. The following day, Alex got a plane with Chad to check Rexburg out. “After we got married, I told him I would not be moving to Rexburg. My family, my life was in Arizona. He was living in Rexburg so we were discussing what we were going to do and he said, “Well, before I make any decisions I need to ask Chad and Lori what I should do.”

8:58 a.m. Thomas asks Zulema about the traumatic events Zulema witnessed. She starts to cry and says, “I went to work early Dec. 12, and Alex was fine, and when I came home Alex was laying on the floor of my bathroom dead. And then the paramedics came and started working on him and then they took him to the emergency room and they worked on him for about an hour and they brought me back into the room where he was connected to machines. They were doing CPR on him and then after many efforts to revive him. I had to give the OK to have the machines turned off. That is very traumatic, sir.”

8:56 a.m. Thomas asks Zulema about what day they got married. “I wish I could tell you I know exactly the date, but there has been so much trauma around that date and all of the events that happened around that time that it’s very hard for me to remember … especially for things I’d like to forget.”

8:55 a.m. Zulema went home to Arizona and didn’t physically see Alex again until Thanksgiving. He returned to Arizona the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and stayed with Zulema the entire time.

8:53 a.m. Zulema says the first time they went to dinner, Alex told her he wanted to get married and have a relationship. Zulema says she doesn’t remember if she had a reaction to what he was sharing with her. When he proposed on Nov. 7, Zulema says she was not surprised – “he had told me he was looking for a ring and asked for my ring size. I was not completely surprised that it happened on that day.”

8:51 a.m. Thomas asks what happened during the week of Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, 2019. Zulema says she was in Arizona and Alex was in Rexburg. Alex proposed to her on Nov. 7 in Rexburg when she says she came to visit him. “Alex was very clear that he was looking for a relationship and he wanted to get married.”

8:50 a.m. Zulema says her first day with Alex was in August 2019. They dated a few times until their first kiss on Oct. 31, 2019. They frequently spoke on the phone about scriptures, talks they had read, their families, getting to know each other, Zulema says.

8:48 a.m. John Thomas is conducting cross-examination on Zulema. He asks her if she spoke with anyone from the prosecution over the weekend. She says she did not. Thomas begins questioning her about her relationship with Alex Cox.

8:46 a.m. Zulema Pastenes is back on the stand wearing a white skirt, white jacket and white heels. Jury has been brought into the courtroom.

8:44 a.m. This is the first time Boyce has removed anyone from the courtroom. This is the same person who Archibald says was holding up her phone to take photos before proceedings began.

8:40 a.m. Defense and prosecution say they are ready to proceed. Boyce: “We are starting our proceedings late this morning because we had a participant who was disruptive. After talking with counsel, I am going to request the bailiff remove this person from the courtroom based on their conduct.”

8:38 a.m. Attorneys have returned to the courtroom. Judge Boyce is on the bench. John Prior, Chad Daybell’s attorney, is in the courtroom.

8:36 a.m. I’m sitting on the far end of a bench by a large window behind Daybell and her team. It’s currently raining/snowing in Boise and is around 33 degrees.

8:34 a.m. Kay and Larry Woodcock are here with other family members. Annie Cushing is also in the courtroom. Attorneys from both defense and prosecution have been summoned by a bailiff to leave the courtroom. Assuming this is to meet with Judge Boyce. Daybell remains at her table shackled to the ground.

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8:27 a.m. Lori Daybell is here smiling and chatting with her attorneys. The bailiff gives instructions and tells observers there is to be absolutely no recordings or taking photos with phones. Personal note: A kind person found me a seat pad that I’m using today – much more comfortable than the wooden bench.

8:20 a.m. Bailiff reminds everyone in the courtroom to not hold up their phones or they will be checked. Defense attorney Jim Archibald says he observed someone in the courtroom taking photos. The woman is escorted out to have her phone checked.

8 a.m. Back at the Ada County Courthouse this morning for day 11 of Lori Vallow Daybell’s murder trial. Zulema Pastenes, who was married to Alex Cox less than two weeks before he died, is back on the stand. John Thomas, Daybell’s defense attorney, will continue cross-examination this morning. You can read a recap of Pastenes’ testimony from Friday here and listen to the audio here.