LIVE UPDATES | Day 9 of the Chad Daybell trial; Fremont deputy describes graphic images of Tammy’s body
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LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL
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Please excuse any typos – these updates are live.
2:43 p.m. Boyce calling it for the day. Andrea Olson will be with you tomorrow morning as we continue to use teamwork in filling in the absence of Nate Eaton.
2:41 p.m. Greenhalgh dismissed and released from all subpoenas. Boyce requests sidebar to discuss whether the next witness will be called now or tomorrow morning.
2:40 p.m. Wood asks about Tammy’s seizures. Greenhalgh does not recall that, confirms it is possible Chad told her one thing and the coroner another.
2:39 p.m. Wood focused on the nonprescription treatments found at the home. Greenhalgh had no info outside of what was provided by Chad, about who was taking the meds and for how long.
2:38 p.m. Prior reads from a report about something Greenhalgh says she does not remember. Greenhalgh informs him he is reading the coroner’s report. That concludes cross. Wood back for redirect.
2:37 p.m. Tammy’s daughter, Emma, told officers that Tammy had “slowed down” recently.
2:36 p.m. Prior suggests the pink foaming was from anemia. Greenhalgh cannot confirm. She does confirm, however, that there were no signs of a struggle in the home.
2:35 p.m. Prior suggests Tammy was dealing with “unexplained falls.” Then confirms Greenhalgh was not using a body cam or recorder while present for the investigation into the unattended death.
2:34 p.m. Greenhalgh agrees that Chad was more “shook up” and “despondent” than anyone else in the house.
2:33 p.m. Among the meds found was also a “respiratory blend” and something to treat bruising.
2:31 p.m. Greenhalgh confirms the meds Tammy was taking. She was “experimenting” with essential oils, Chad told Greenhalgh. There was also cough medicine found next to the bed.
2:30 p.m. Prior, on cross, says it was determined an autopsy would only be performed if the Daybell family requested one. Greenhalgh confirms.
2:27 p.m. Greenhalgh was told Tammy took meds for depression. Greenhalgh found no evidence that Tammy may have overdosed on any of those meds. She never found anything suspicious at that time.
2:26 p.m. Greenhalgh never discussed the possibility of an autopsy with Chad and never heard anyone else do so.
2:25 p.m. Greenhalgh says there was lividity — bruising from blood pooling following death — in Tammy’s lower back and back of her thighs. Greenhalgh says this shows Tammy was on her back for “some time” after she died.
2:23 p.m. A ninth photo, taken after the passage of “some time,” shows bruising on Tammy’s head and face. The pink foam was not present in the photos. Greenhalgh says she did not personally remove it.
2:22 p.m. An eighth photo shows Tammy’s face after the coroner wiped some of the foam and blood away.
2:21 p.m. A seventh photo showed blood and foam from Tammy’s mouth. Greenhalgh says she had never seen an unattended death where the deceased had blood and foam coming from the mouth, so she found it important to document.
2:20 p.m. A sixth photo is a closeup of Tammy’s face, showing blood around her nose and mouth and facial discoloration. The foam from her mouth flowed down the left side of Tammy’s face, consistent with Chad’s telling of the events.
2:19 p.m. A fifth photo to document “discoloration” in Tammy’s right ear.
2:17 p.m. A fourth photo, with the coroner present, showing Tammy’s body position with the mattress “shifted a few inches from the boxspring below it.” She says this corroborates Chad’s telling of him and Garth moving Tammy’s body.
2:16 p.m. A third photo shows how Tammy’s arms were positioned, uncovered by the blanket.
2:15 p.m. A second photo was taken to show the “pinkish” foam running down Tammy’s cheek. “I like to document any bodily fluids that are present.”
2:15 p.m. Greenhalgh describes the first photo — of Tammy’s body as she was in the bed when the officer arrived.
2:13 p.m. The exhibits will be published to the jury, but not broadcast publicly.
2:10 p.m. Following the sidebar, Boyce informs the court that the upcoming exhibits will be graphic. They will be published.
2:08 p.m. Attorneys and judge still in sidebar.
2:04 p.m. Looked like Larry Woodcock used this brief break to stretch his legs. He is sitting in the back row with a woman who looks like Kay. For those watching the video, you will know that the picture is not perfect.
2:03 p.m. The evidence, I believe, is photos of Tammy’s body taken by Greenhalgh.
2:03 p.m. Wixom asks for the admittance of evidence exhibits but requests a sidebar prior to publishing.
2:02 p.m. Garth never said anything. He was present for the conversation and never interjected.
2:01 p.m. Greenhalgh says she found nothing suspicious about the scene, based on info provided by Chad. No one else provided any info about Tammy or her death.
1:59 p.m. Greenhalgh requested for assistance from detectives in investigating the death. The detectives told her to take photos and allow the coroner to decide whether an autopsy was needed.
1:58 p.m. Chad said Tammy had been suffering from a “pretty bad cold” but did not like visiting the doctor. He says she had recently fallen and visited the doctor. Also that she was going through menopause and suffered from fainting spells.
1:58 p.m. Greenhalgh checked Tammy’s body and says she was colder than the room and rigid.
1:56 p.m. With Garth’s help, Chad moved Tammy’s body back onto the bed. The covers were pulled back up to cover Tammy’s shoulders.
1:55 p.m. Chad told Greenhalgh Tammy woke up in the middle of the night in a coughing fit and had to vomit. He said he woke to fine her “unresponsive” and had fallen partially off the bed.
1:53 p.m. Greenhalgh says Chad was “definitely more emotional” than Garth.
1:51 p.m. Garth Daybell, Tammy and Chad’s son, let Greenhalgh into the home. Chad was there. Later, more family arrived.
1:51 p.m. Greenhalgh says the call came in around 6 a.m.
1:50 p.m. “I’m Chad, the husband. She’s clearly dead.” He begins to cry.
1:48 p.m. Court listening to audio from 911 call received reporting Tammy’s death.
1:45 p.m. Greenhalgh responded to reports of an unattended death — Tammy Daybell.
1:43 p.m. Greenhalgh is a Fremont County Sheriff’s deputy.
1:42 p.m. Cannon is dismissed and released from his subpoenas. State will call Alyssa Greenhalgh.
1:41 p.m. Cannon did not think to ask Murray about hearing a gunshot, and believes that would be a detail he would have brought up without prompting.
1:40 p.m. Cannon says there was nothing he discovered that rule out that the incident “could have” involved a “real gun.”
1:39 p.m. Regarding the time differential, Cannon says he used a timestamp from his being dispatched — you’ll remember that Joseph Murray called before Tammy.
1:38 p.m. Wixom, on re-direct, asks about Fremont County policy regarding body cams. Cannon says the sheriff’s office does not require use of body cams. Police reports, he continues, are how deputies document incidents and their responses.
1:36 p.m. Despite several prompts from Prior, Cannon will not concede that the incident with certainty was a paintball gun incident.
1:33 p.m. Tammy’s first mention of “gun” — without preceding with “paintball” — is when she says the man holds it like a rifle. Prior asks when that was said. Cannon says later in the recording. Prior says he never heard that — he heard the recording stop. Cannon says that’s because Prior stopped it.
1:32 p.m. Tammy’s 911 call being played for a second time.
1:30 p.m. Prior asks what info. Cannon received to lead him toward the gun involved being a gun, rather than a paintball gun. Cannon says it was info. he received from Tammy.
1:30 p.m. Joseph Murray did not report hearing a gunshot. Cannon did not ask him. Prior asks why it was so important to include the word “gun” but not important enough to ask if the witness heard a gunshot.
1:28 p.m. Cannon says, to his knowledge, his supervisors were not intentionally trying to link Cox to the incident.
1:28 p.m. Original report said suspect was around 5’10”, 190 pounds. Second report listed 6 feet, 200 pounds. Prior suggests it was changed to better fit Alex Cox’s description.
1:25 p.m. Prior asks why Cannon why his second, more detailed report, contained that Tammy described there being a “gun believed to be a paintball gun.”
1:24 p.m. The second report apparently had incorrect times listed. It shows Cannon spoke with Tammy four minutes before she made the 911 call.
1:23 p.m. Prior asks if it was really important to add more details, or if Cannon’s supervisors were trying to “put” a gun at the scene.
1:22 p.m. “A couple months later” Cannon’s second reports is longer, Prior says. Cannon says he was told by a supervisor to add further details to his report.
1:21 p.m. Prior asks to play the 911 calls from Tammy and her son-in-law Joseph Murray again.
1:20 p.m. Prior asks Cannon to read the first sentence of the first report. Prior asks why Cannon “made it a point” to include the word “gun” after “paintball.” Cannon: “Well, it’s a paintball gun, so…”
1:19 p.m. Prior asks to publish a photo of the report. Following discussion, the reports will be admitted and published.
1:15 p.m. Prior asks about the two separate police reports filed by Cannon regarding the incident. The first, he says, was short — Cannon agrees. Cannon also says his body cam was not active because it was broken.
1:13 p.m. Cannon and other officers returned to the Daybell home to search and investigate a second time. Again, nothing of evidentiary value was found. Direct done. Prior will cross.
1:12 p.m. Cannon searched the area for paintballs or shell casings but found nothing.
1:11 p.m. Chad did not say anything to the officer. Cannon said Chad would have heard the entire conversation. Cannon found it odd that Chad never seemed to take any protective actions hearing what happened to his wife.
1:10 p.m. After searches were unsuccessful, Cannon spoke with Tammy, who described the incident. She apparently confronted the gunman, who did not say anything. Tammy described hearing two pops, but nothing was discharged from the gun.
1:10 p.m. Cannon, again, says he searched the area around the Daybell home looking for the person who aimed a gun at Tammy on Oct. 9, 2019.
1:10 p.m. Fremont County Deputy Colter Cannon still on the stand. Trial will conclude early today, so there will not be an afternoon recess.
1:06 p.m. We are back, and the jury is being seated.
11:56 a.m. Upon arrival, Cannon drove around the property searching for the assailant. Wixom asks for a lunch break. We will be back at 1 p.m.
11:54 a.m. Cannon says he responded to the calls around 9 p.m. The sun was going down. “It was dusk,” he says.
11:53 a.m. Tammy says the man was holding the gun like a rifle and shot at her but nothing came out.
11:52 a.m. Tammy says she was removing stuff from the backseat of her car and found a man wearing a mask pointing a paintball gun at her. She yelled for Chad, and the man “took off” around her house.
11:52 a.m. Court now listening to Tammy’s 911 call reporting gun incident.
11:49 a.m. Court listening to 911 call reporting the brandishing of what was believed to be a paintball gun at the Daybell home.
11:46 a.m. On Oct. 9, 2019, Cannon was on patrol when he received a call reporting a “suspicious circumstance” involving Tammy Daybell. Someone pointed a paintball gun at her in her driveway.
11:43 a.m. Cannon is with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. He is a school resource officer and patrol deputy.
11:42 a.m. State calls Deputy Colter Cannon.
11:40 a.m. That concludes cross. No re-direct. Pillar steps down and is released from subpoenas.
11:39 a.m. Prior says “common denominator” of instances is Lori Vallow and Alex Cox. Pillar agrees.
11:38 a.m. Prior on cross.
11:36 a.m. Boyce says he in concerned about witnesses directing comments at the jury following testimony — State and Defense both acknowledge the concern.
11:35 a.m. Boyce excuses the jury momentarily so he and the attorneys can discuss the next witness on the record outside the presence of the jurors.
11:33 a.m. That concludes direct examination. Judge requests sidebar before cross.
11:31 a.m. Pillar stopped surveilling Cox on Dec. 12, 2019, when Cox died. Officers executed a search of Cox’s home. They found guns, clothing, literature authored by Chad Daybell. Inside his Cox’s truck, they found gun paraphernalia.
11:30 a.m. Pillar says his department found no evidence either child was in Arizona in 2019.
11:29 a.m. Attention shifted from Boudreaux shooting to the missing children — in late November, after the Jeep was processed by evidence techs.
11:27 a.m. While searching the Jeep, Pillar and other officers collected physical evidence, including DNA swabs and gunshot residue evidence.
11:26 a.m. Pillar found, in investigating the Jeep, that it had traveled to and from Rexburg. Pillar called Rexburg PD and Freemont County Sheriff’s Office to serve a search warrant on the Jeep.
11:26 a.m. Gilbert PD designated Alex Cox as a person of interest involved in the Boudreaux shooting.
11:24 a.m. Pillar learned of a recent homicide in Chandler — Charles Vallow — involving family members of Brandon’s ex-wife, Melani Boudreaux. So he reached out to Chandler PD for info. Learned a dark gray Jeep, registered to the deceased, was at the scene.
11:22 a.m. Description of suspect vehicle matched that of Tylee’s Jeep — a dark gray Jeep displaying a Texas license plate, without a spare tire attached to the rear hatch.
11:21 a.m. Pillar says there was evidence that Brandon’s vehicle has sustained damage from “a projectile” and that there was a Jeep idling leading up to a shooting.
11:20 a.m. Pillar was among the officers who responded to reports of the Brandon Boudreaux shooting incident.
11:19 a.m. Deputy Idaho State Attorney General Ingrd Batey is on direct examination.
11:17 a.m. Pillar is an officer with the Gilbert (Arizona) Police Department.
11:15 a.m. State calls Ryan Pillar.
11:13 a.m. Brandon steps down and is released from all subpoenas. Attorneys and judge in sidebar.
11:12 a.m. Brandon says that he is not personally aware of Latter-day Saint teachings regarding light and dark spirits.
11:11 a.m. Prior asks Brandon if he is aware of people who claim to have visions about the future. Brandon says he has never had such visions and does not personally know of anyone who has.
11:09 a.m. Prior and Brandon now discussing firesides.
11:06 a.m. Prior shifts gears to the temple visits. Brandon tries to explain some of the events that occur at the temple — Prior cuts him off to direct him toward sealing ceremonies.
11:05 a.m. Prior suggest Gibb planned the firesides. Brandon does not know if that is correct.
11:05 a.m. Prior now asking about the relationship between Lori and Melanie Gibb.
11:03 a.m. Prior says Charles and Lori discussed Charles naming Lori as the beneficiary on his life insurance policy. Brandon cannot testify to that, says he and Charles did not discuss that.
11:02 a.m. Brandon agrees with Prior in that Tylee often was like a second mother to JJ. Prior asks if JJ relied on Tylee for things Lori did not provide — Brandon is noncommittal in response.
11 a.m. Prior asks how close Alex Cox and Lori were. Says Alex often moved from state to state — city to city — with Lori.
10:58 a.m. That concludes direct examination. Prior will now cross.
10:57 a.m. He identified JJ, using photos of his deceased body, on June 11. Brandon crying on the stand.
10:56 a.m. He got married the following day. “Shortly after that,” he felt the need to go to Rexburg. He drove from Arizona to Idaho. He was asked to ID JJ.
10:55 a.m. He got a call June 9, 2020, informing him of the discovery of their bodies.
10:55 a.m. This was around the time he learned that JJ and Tylee were missing.
10:53 a.m. Brandon wanted to learn more about the person responsible for these teachings, so he Googled Chad Daybell’s name. He found an obituary for Tammy Daybell and was shocked.
10:52 a.m. Brandon believed a better understanding of the beliefs Lori and Melani had taken on would help his situation. That was how he learned about the belief of light and dark spirits — and that he was a dark spirit.
10:51 a.m. Those emails voiced concerns Charles had about Lori’s mental health.
10:50 a.m. Brandon says the entire situation was traumatic. He knew a resolution wouldn’t come quickly, so he decided to help police in any way possible — including hiring a private investigator. He also provided police with emails he received from Charles.
10:48 a.m. Wood published photo of Tylee’s Jeep to the jury. Brandon confirms that is the Jeep he saw the morning of Oct. 2, 2019.
10:46 a.m. During break, I was reminded that Melani Boudreaux’s first name does not have the second “E.” (Editor’s note: This has been fixed.)
10:45 a.m. Jury being brought back in. Brandon Boudreaux still on the witness stand.
10:41 a.m. Court back in session. Judge Boyce asks for return of the jury. State and Defense want a moment with Boyce in sidebar.
10:08 a.m. We will take a mid-morning recess. Back around 10:30. When we return, you will find the updates stacked from the bottom — meaning latest information will be at the top of this page. My apologies.
10:07 a.m. Because he was an insurance agent at the time, he had information for the Jeep — including the VIN, which he provided to police.
10:06 a.m. Brandon reported the incident to police, including providing a description of the Jeep. He later determined the Jeep was purchased by Charles for Tylee.
10:03 a.m. He followed the Jeep when it left — “I don’t know what I was doing.” Police told him to return to his home, so he did. Brandon says very few people knew he lived at the house, where he had only been living for a few days.
10:02 a.m. He saw the window of the Jeep open. Then saw a gun, with a silencer, and his window was shot out. Rather than turning into his driveway, he floored it to the end of his street and parked near a community pool, where he called police.
10 a.m. Brandon described his morning. Says he got his kids ready for school, dropped them off at school and went to the gym. When he returned from the gym, he saw a Jeep parked on the corner near his home that he thought was “awkward” and out of place.
9:58 a.m. Following divorce, Melani became “cold” to Brandon. He did not know what happened with Lori, Tylee and JJ. Then, on Oct. 2, 2019, someone shot at him in front of his home.
9:55 a.m. Brandon says he no longer had any contact with Lori, JJ and Tylee. He and Melani were divorced. The process began immediately after Brandon’s grandfather’s funeral.
9:54 a.m. Lori ignored the message. Charles responded the following evening. He and Charles spoke, He apologized to Charles for not being there for him. He says he felt like he believes Charles felt going through a separation and divorce.
9:53 a.m. The two argued from the afternoon through midnight. Melani went to bed, and Brandon stayed up “troubled” all night. He texted Lori and Charles, telling them if his family was “ruined” it was “on them.”
9:52 a.m. Melani accused Brandon of being gay and hacking her aunt’s computer. He was disappointed and frustrated by the accusation.
9:50 a.m. Brandon says Melani never provided any evidence to his hacking Lori’s computer. Says it was just a wild accusation.
9:48 a.m. During the argument, Melani accused Brandon of hacking into Lori’s computer. Seems Wood is leading to something Defense doesn’t want presented. Several objections to the line of questioning
9:46 a.m. When Brandon learned the date of the funeral, he told Melani he wanted the entire family to attend. Says Melani refused. That led to an argument.
9:44 a.m. Late June 2018, Brandon and Melani visited her family. He says “a few things” happened during that visit — including the unexpected death of his grandfather (of a heart attack).
9:42 a.m. Brandon holding back tears reminiscing JJ coming to his house, with Charles, to play with his kids. Describes the planning involved in hosting JJ — Brandon’s son would help keep an eye on JJ while Charles and Brandon chatted.
9:40 a.m. Says Lori left without JJ. Adds that caring for JJ was a full-time thing — all plans had to made around his needs. Melani took Lori’s side in the divorce. He encouraged they did not pick a side and love Lori, Charles, JJ and Tylee equally.
9:37 a.m. Jan. 2019, Lori sent messages to family that Charles was cheating. Said she began taking things from him. Calls it irrational. Found out later Charles’ number was blocked on his phone. He believes Melani blocked it.
9:35 a.m. He suggested these meetings were not focused on the “core” of their faith. Says, for the second time, he did not attend any of the firesides — he tried but was informed he was not welcomed.
9:34 a.m. Brandon was concerned when Melani returned from one of these firesides wanting to build a massive food storage.
9:32 a.m. Around the same time, Melani began attending what she referred to as “firesides.” He did not acknowledge them as firesides, which he viewed as an uplifting gatherings “under the direction of the church.”
9:31 a.m. Going to the temple is something someone does for themselves — to make promises to God. Sees it as a once-a-month sort of thing. Daily visit is something someone would do when they’re retired and have nothing else to do.
9:30 a.m. He thinks attending the temple is a great thing but believes some moderation is necessary.
9:29 a.m. In all of 2018, Melani Boudreaux’s approach to church changed. He says, early on, she was not fully committed to church. Beginning fall 2018, she decided to start going to the temple daily.
9:27 a.m. Brandon spoke with his wife during that visit. Says she seemed to find everything normal.
9:27 a.m. Brandon says that things began to distance between Lori and Charles around Christmas. He thought it was strange to have someone he did not know (Melanie Gibb) there during Christmas.
9:22 a.m. He says Melani’s mother died when Melani was young, so she looked to Lori as a mother figure. Brandon says he and Charles Vallow had a “really good relationship.”
9:22 a.m. Brandon now asked about the relationship between Melani and Lori.
9:20 a.m. Brandon now describes Tylee — “a good girl.” Says there were times when she kept to herself and “watched too much Netflix,” but other times when she was sweet. Says she had “good motherly instincts.”
9:20 a.m. Brandon says everyone could tell JJ had autism — “early on, he was nonverbal.”
9:17 a.m. Brandon saw the Coxes about once a month. They would spend a lot of time with Lori and Charles Vallow. He got to know them “very well.”
9:15 a.m. Brandon and Melani were married for “about 10 years” from 2008. Brandon met her family, including Janice, Barry, Adam and Alex Cox.
9:13 a.m. State calls Brandon Boudreaux, Melani Pawlowski’s ex-husband. Melani is Lori Vallow Daybell’s niece.
9:12 a.m. Warwick steps down. State release him from subpoena; defense asks for its subpoena to be upheld.
9:10 a.m. Back into the timeline of the weekend (Saturday) when Chad told Warwick that Tammy would die sometime in the near future.
9:10 a.m. Prior will recross.
9:09 a.m. Warwick says he does not have visions of himself having superpowers or mystical foresight.
9:08 a.m. Following sidebar, Wixom diving into the weekend to which Prior referred. Warwick says Chad told him Tammy was “healthy.” Chad told Warwick he had a dream Tammy would die.
9:05 a.m. One of the attorneys request a sidebar. Could not tell which.
9:03 a.m. Warwick says he married Gibb because she is a wonderful woman who is great with his children — especially his son with Down syndrome.
9:02 a.m. He says he saw a “different Chad.” Describes an “authoritative voice.”
9:02 a.m. Warwick says Chad was manipulative. Describes Chad as a con-man — developing people’s confidence in him to his favor.
9 a.m. Having now reviewed the report, Warwick says he was angry Chad told Gibb not to speak with police. “When someone makes a call like that, something’s wrong.”
8:55 a.m. Warwick, still on redirect, says he told law enforcement he liked Chad. Warwick does not recall more descriptive language he used when discussing Chad. He will review a report from Det. Hermosillo for reference.
8:53 a.m. On redirect — Warwick says he does not recall meeting with the prosecution yesterday or Sunday.
8:51 a.m. Warwick did not see Chad on Saturday. He did see him Saturday and Sunday. Prior says those was the only interactions Warwick had with Chad that weekend.
8:50 a.m. Prior does not understand how Chad would have been at this meeting if he was at church. Warwick says they were attending their “calling,” not church services.
8:49 a.m. Chad was “wearing his church clothes” when they met. Warwick says Chad did not get there until the afternoon.
8:47 a.m. Warwick saw Chad “late morning” Sunday the following day. JJ was not there. Prior did not ask about Tylee.
8:46 a.m. Prior and Warwick ironing out his recollection of events on a Saturday evening when he recorded a podcast episode with Lori.
8:42 a.m. Warwick and Gibb lived together for only “several months” before taking up residence in separate states. He says they were NOT married in order to avoid testifying against each other.
8:41 a.m. Warwick momentarily forgets his wedding date. Voice seems a bit nervous — but I’ve never spoken with him.
8:39 a.m. Warwick calls Chad “meek,” “humble” and deeply religious.
8:38 a.m. Warwick says he does not recall looking at an affidavit but did review a written document — he does not know what it was called.
8:36 a.m. Prior asking Warwick about his previous testimony and communications with prosecuting attorneys.
8:36 a.m. Prior will continue cross.
8:33 a.m. David Warwick, Melanie Gibb’s husband, is on the stand. His testimony began yesterday.
8:31 a.m. Court now in session. Chad is wearing a gray shirt and yellow tie.
8:22 a.m. Good morning. My name is Kalama. I will be filling in today as Nate is out of state. While I am doing these live updates remotely, I will do my best to provide live, up-to-the-minute updates from the trial.
