LIVE UPDATES | Recording of Chad Daybell giving Alex Cox a blessing before his death played in day 4 of trial

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL

Excuse the typos – these are live updates from the courtroom

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3:20 p.m. Boyce says we are going to break for the day. Watch ‘Courtroom Insider’ tonight at 6:30 p.m. MT for a complete rundown of everything that happened today.

3:18 p.m. Boyce asks for a quick sidebar with the attorneys.

3:17 p.m. Prior has no further questions. Neither does Wood. The witness will not be recalled.

3:15 p.m. Prior adds up how much Lori was receiving a month from SS. It was around $5,700-5,800 a month.

3:14 p.m. Prior asks when the SS payments end for Tylee. Saari says in January 2020. The benefits would have stopped automatically when she turned 18.

3:12 p.m. Prior clarifies how much Lori was receiving due to JJ and Tylee.

3:11 p.m. Prior says he heard a lot about Lori Vallow. “Are any of these documents in regards to Chad Daybell?” Saari says no. Daybell is not listed on any of the documents. Prior says Chad is not under any obligation to notify anyone in SS Administration that he was married to Lori. Saari says if Chad was aware she had responsibilities to report it and did not, it could be a problem.

3:10 p.m. Social Security funds belong to the US Treasury. Wood has no further questions. Prior will now ask some questions.

3:08 p.m. If a beneficiary dies or moves, SS Administration needs to be notified. Wood asks if a person such a Lori Vallow remarries, are they required to tell SS Administration? Saari says they are. Saari says Lori never reported Tylee and JJ died or were missing. She never reported that JJ and Tylee moved from Arizona to Rexburg. She never reported she married Chad Daybell. She never reported she moved to Hawaii.

3:07 p.m. Wood asks to admit an exhibit and shows it to the jury. It’s a copy of the reporting responsibilities given to Lori Vallow when she began receiving payments for JJ Vallow.

3:06 p.m. Wood asks if people are required to notify the SS Administration if they have a change of circumstances. Saari says they are – if they move, if someone dies, get married, etc.

3:04 p.m. Lori received $1,951 a month. In January 2020, the amount was lowered due to a debt she had to the US Treasury. The benefits then ended due to JJ’s whereabouts being unknown.

3:03 p.m. JJ Vallow started receiving $1,951 a month in September 2019 due to the death of his father. Lori Vallow was the representative receiving the Social Security benefits. The benefits stopped due to his whereabouts being unknown. Lori Vallow received Mother, Child and Care benefits for taking care of JJ following Charles’ death.

3:02 p.m. Tylee Ryan stopped receiving benefits in January 2020 due to the fact she could not be located.

3:01 p.m. Wood asks to admit a notice sent to Lori Vallow notifying her of the bank change. The letter was sent on Aug. 27, 2019.

2:59 p.m. Tylee received $1,859 a month because her father, Joseph Ryan, died in 2018. Lori Vallow received the payments because Tylee was a minor. Saari says the Social Security benefits went to a JP Morgan Chase account. Lori was also on the account. Saari says the bank account changed to a BBVA account on or about Aug. 20, 2019.

2:58 p.m. Saari says in January 2020, the FBI contacted his office to determine the whereabouts of JJ and Tylee and to find out if fraud was involved. Saari met with law enforcement and the FBI.

2:57 p.m. Rob Wood is questioning Saari. Saari says he investigates fraud and abuse in the Social Security office.

2:55 p.m. Next witness is Social Security Special Agent Mark Saari.

2:54 p.m. State and defense do not intend to call Det. Duncan again. He is free to go.

2:53 p.m. Prior asks if Duncan knows everything about Chad, Lori and Alex. Duncan says he does not – the evidence in this case in voluminous. Prior has nothing further.

2:52 p.m. Blake has no further questions. Prior asks for more time with the witness. Blake objects. Boyce says as long as it stays within the scope, he will permit.

2:51 p.m. Duncan says he recommended charges for Chad Daybell in connection to Charles Vallow’s death.

2:50 p.m. Duncan revisits the texts between Melanie and Lori where Lori said give me five minutes as she was trying to figure out what to do. Duncan says at the time, Lori was talking to Chad. Blake asks if he thinks Alex Cox killed Charles. He says he did. Blake asks if Duncan believes Alex acted alone. Duncan believes he did not.

2:48 p.m. Blake has some follow up. She asks if Duncan was involved in investigating Alex Cox’s death. He was not. Blake asks if Duncan is aware of what drugs Alex bought in Mexico. Duncan doesn’t know. Blake says on Nov. 24, Chad spoke to Alex about crossing over and his time being done. On Dec. 12, Alex dies.

2:46 p.m. Prior asks if Duncan was aware the blessing was two weeks before Alex died. Duncan says yes. Prior says Alex Cox died of natural causes and there was “no funny business.” Duncan says, “That we know of.” Prior asks Duncan if he’s aware Alex traveled to Mexico for cheap prescription drugs before he died. Duncan is aware. Prior has nothing further.

2:44 p.m. Prior circles back to the funeral home call. Prior asks when the call was made. It was the night Charles died. Prior says Lori and Chad were having an affair at the time. Prior asks if the phone call means Chad was connected to the death of Charles Vallow. Duncan says no.

2:40 p.m. Lori went outside with the kids and then Alex shot Charles. Duncan says two day before the shooting, he uncovered messages between Lori and Melanie Boudreaux. Lori sent a message to Melanie saying she needed five minutes to try and figure out what to do.

2:37 p.m. Prior asks about the day Charles was shot. Duncan says on the day of the shooting, Alex, Lori, Tylee and JJ were all present at her home. Alex told police there was an argument between Charles and Lori over his phone. An argument continued. Tylee came out of the bedroom with a bat. Alex says he was hit in the head with the bat and Lori left the house with Tylee and JJ.

2:36 p.m. Prior asks Duncan who Zulema Pastenes is. Duncan says she was married to Alex Cox and was a friend of Lori Vallow. Prior asks Duncan if the relationship between Lori and Cox was close. He agrees. Prior says, “Oddly close?” Duncan says he doesn’t know much about the intimacy between the two and he’s heard it described as such – but he doesn’t personally know.

2:35 p.m. Prior circles back to the patriarchal prayer and asks if it’s a crime in Maricopa County to give a blessing. Duncan says no. Prior says because you give someone a prayer, it doesn’t insinuate they committed a crime. Duncan says that’s correct.

2:33 p.m. Duncan says he left the LDS faith to practice another religion when he was 18. Prior says he’s not trying to disparage the LDS church.

2:31 p.m. Prior asks about Melanie Gibb, David Warwick and Zulema Pastenes. He says they are all members of the LDS faith and they talk about vibrations, probationary periods, gods and goddesses. Prior asks Duncan if he is aware that in the LDS faith, as you move forward, you become a god or goddess. Duncan is not aware of that.

2:30 p.m. Prior says, “This is an unusual case because there’s a lot of talk about religion.” Duncan says, “I agree.” Prior asks Duncan if Chad was reading off something during the blessing. Duncan says he isn’t sure. Prior asks Duncan if he knows what Chad did for his job. He was an author. Prior says it sounds like Chad was writing a book during the blessing.

2:29 p.m. Duncan says right now Chad is not being charged but there is no statue of limitations for homicide in Arizona.

2:27 p.m. Prior asks Duncan is he received a copy of the prosecutor’s statement on whether or not to charge Chad Daybell in connection to Charles Vallow’s case. Duncan remembers getting the report. Prior asks Duncan to review the document and asks the reason the prosecutor did not charge Chad. He says, “There is no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”

2:24 p.m. Prior is back questioning Duncan. Duncan says in Maricopa County, they submit their recommended charges to the prosecutor. The prosecutor then decides whether to pursue charges or not.

2:23 p.m. Prior asks to approach. Attorneys having a sidebar meeting with the judge.

2:21 p.m. Prior asks if it’s unusual for a prosecutor to tell witnesses how to testify. Duncan says there is witness preparation in cases and it’s not highly unusual.

2:19 p.m. Prior asks about the statement the Arizona prosecutor issued about the decision not to charge Chad Daybell in connection to Charles Vallow’s death.

2:18 p.m. Prior brings up the information found on Lori’s iCloud. He says it wasn’t unusual for Chad and Lori to communicate with each other because they were having an affair. Prior asks Duncan if he knows the prosecutor in Maricopa County. Duncan says he knows many prosecutors.

2:16 p.m. Prior asks about Zulema saying light and dark. Duncan is unfamiliar with that term. Prior asks about death percentages and vibrations. Duncan says he has never heard about that in the LDS faith. Prior asks about removing evil spirits from bodies and if in the LDS faith you can pray to have possessed spirits removed. Duncan is unfamiliar with that.

2:15 p.m. Duncan says he was born in the LDS faith. Prior says he doesn’t have that background. He asks Duncan about the Doctrine and Covenants. Prior says the Church of the Firstborn is discussed in the Doctrine and Covenants.

2:14 p.m. Blake has no further questions for Duncan. Prior will now cross examine.

2:12 p.m. Blake asks Duncan if The Church of the Firstborn is affiliated with the LDS Church. He says they are not affiliated. Blake asks Duncan when Alex Cox died. He says December 2019. Blake asks about the statement Chad said about Alex knowing when it is time to move to the other side.

2:11 p.m. Blake asks the detective if heard the voice of Lori Vallow on the recording. He says he did. Duncan says a lot stood out to him in the blessing. The date was Nov. 24, 2019. Duncan says “The Church of the Firstborn” stood out to him and the statement Chad said Alex has “already helped them.”

2:10 p.m. Chad tells Alex he will have protection from Satan and says he will rise to an eternal glory with an eternal family. The blessing is over.

2:08 p.m. Chad blesses Alex with protection and says nine angels are now assigned to him from all sides because of his faithfulness. “I know you will stay faithful. You have a great mission and protection,” Chad says.

2:05 p.m. Chad says as the Second Coming approaches, Alex will know when it’s time to move to the other side. His spirit will leave his body and he will be welcomed by the Savior. Alex died less a month after this blessing on Dec. 12, 2019.

2:03 p.m. Chad tells Alex he will know where to be before natural disasters happen. He will be on location to protect church leaders and will save little children from flood waters. Chad is crying and sniffling. He says Alex will literally glow.

2:02 p.m. Chad begins to cry and says Alex will be a prophet and share his own experiences of overcoming adversity. Chad says Alex will give tremendous blessings to people and “raise their vibrations.”

2:01 p.m. Chad tells Alex he will be known throughout the world for his good heartedness and willingness to save souls all over the world through portals. “You will begin to gather the souls who come until Christ. I see you in New Jerusalem but more importantly I see you as a messenger of the Lord,” Chad says.

2 p.m. Chad says the Savior is saying to him (to Alex), “Well done. Thy soul is cleansed. All is well.” Chad blesses Alex with knowledge he will now move forward as as true warrior in ways that can be demonstrated through physical action and spiritual power.

1:59 p.m. The jurors are listening intently as Chad tells Alex he had to go to “great depths to achieve tremendous heights.”

1:58 p.m. Chad tells Alex he has already assisted him and Lori “in ways you can never be repaid.”

1:56 p.m. Chad says he wants to open the portals of time and sees Alex on the third creation being a warrior always seeking to do what is right. Chad says Alex was selected by the Savior himself to be part of the fourth creation. He says great warriors and powerful goddesses were needed. “You were selected to help protect your sister. You helped her in numerous probations to be a defender.”

1:54 p.m. Chad gives the blessing to Alex and says he’s part of the Church of the Firstborn. Chad says Jesus Christ has authorized this blessing. As the blessing is playing in court, Chad is looking at the blue screen above the witness stand and looks down.

1:53 p.m. Blake moves to admit a recording of the blessing. Chad gave this blessing to Alex Cox. You can listen to it here. It was given in November 2019.

1:51 p.m. Blake references a patriarchal blessing that was found on Lori’s iCloud. Patriarchal blessings are used in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Duncan says he has some basic knowledge of the LDS Church and a stake patriarch is authorized to give a patriarchal blessing. Chad was not authorized to give the blessings.

1:50 p.m. Blake references the calls made to the funeral home. She asks Duncan if she recognized the voice on the call. He says yes – Chad Daybell. Duncan says on the call, Chad said he intended to send the cremains to Louisiana. Duncan never found any indication Chad was in Iowa even though he said he was on the phone call.

1:48 p.m. Jurors have taken their seats. Det. Nathan Duncan will be back on the stand this afternoon. We will be in session until 3:30 p.m. with no afternoon break.

1:45 p.m. The motion hearing is over. Jurors will now be brought in.

1:43 p.m. Boyce says the court has already ruled that Wood will not be called. Absent some really surprising development, Boyce says Wood will not be called as a witness.

1:42 p.m. Boyce is denying the motion to exclude the exhibit but says he will be watching carefully if there is any relevance to the testimony of Gibb. He says attorneys are entitled to talk with witnesses and get ready for trial – not to change their testimony or not tell the truth but help them.

1:40 p.m. Boyce explains some evidence can be excluded if it is inflammatory and its up to the court to determine relevance to the case. Boyce says he has not gone through the messages between Wood and Gibb. He says without knowing what is in them, he can’t make a ruling completely eliminating it. He says the whole might or might not be relevant. He can’t say until Gibb testifies.

1:38 p.m. Prior again says he does not intend to call Mr. Wood and he isn’t planning a scheme to call him. “It sounds a little paranoid to me,” he says.

1:37 p.m. Prior says Gibb is “the witness” in this case and her testimony is crucial in the state trying to prove its case. He says he’s allowed to ask her about communication between her and Wood.

1:35 p.m. Blake says if the proper foundation is laid, witnesses can be asked about the messages. Prior says Idaho code allows him to ask witnesses about their communication with the prosecuting attorney.

1:33 p.m. Boyce asks for additional argument from the state about the exhibit – the communication between Wood and Gibb. Blake says the state is not trying to stop the defense from conducting appropriate cross examination. She says the concerns are about any attempt from the defense to misconstrue the content of testimony.

1:31 p.m. Prior says if Gibb remembers her conversations with Wood, he doesn’t need to admit the messages. If she doesn’t, he can admit the messages to refresh her memory. Boyce reminds Prior that a subpoena for Wood was quashed before the trial began.

1:30 p.m. Prior reaffirms he does not intend on calling Wood. He says when Melanie Gibb is called, he is going to question her about the contact he has had with Wood and the nature of those discussions. “I have copy of all the emails and I can question her.”

1:29 p.m. Prior says there is one defense attorney and four prosecuting attorneys. He says he gave them notice three weeks ago of all of his exhibits and they are filing a last minute hearing to keep the exhibit out. Prior says he doesn’t appreciate their tactics.

1:26 p.m. Prior says the state is trying to circumvent Idaho code regarding witnesses and evidence. He says when a prosecuting attorney engages in discussion with a witnesses over eight months and 340 texts, it can create concerns.

1:23 p.m. Prior says he has no desire to put Wood on the stand. Boyce clarifies that he does not intend to call Wood. Prior says he does not intend to call him. Prior says the state gave him 342 emails and texts between Wood and Melanie Gibb regarding the case.

1:22 p.m. Prior says prosecutors provided him with notice of their motion on Sunday around 11 p.m. Prior says he’s concerned the state is suggesting they can dictate where he can go on cross examination. “They’re trying to handcuff me from going to areas they may find a little sensitive to their case,” he says.

1:20 p.m. Boyce asks Blake if she is seeking a specific court ruling prohibiting certain types of cross examination. Blake responds that if the defense is allowed unfiltered cross should Wood not be allowed as a witness, it could cause problems.

1:19 p.m. Blake asks Boyce to exclude Wood as a witness and if the court has additional concerns, asks that a hearing be held.

1:17 p.m. Blake says it is very, very rare for courts to find that a prosecutor should be a witness. In the cases they found, it involved a prosecutor being a witness to the actual facts or they are a witness to a statement that contradicts a later statement and they are the only available witness to the statement.

1:15 p.m. Blake says they don’t want to get through the case and have it be an issue if Prior plans to call Wood. Blake says if the court has concerns, a hearing could be held to determine whether or not any prospective testimony would be relevant to the case. Blake says a defense attorney can call a prosecutor in a case but it’s disfavored and should be disclosed well in advance of a trial.

1:11 p.m. Boyce is on the bench. Blake begins by saying a discovery request was given to prosecutors from the defense. She says she has concerns the defense may make Rob Wood a witness in relation to Melanie Gibb.

1:05 p.m. Back in the courtroom. Chad Daybell was just escorted in. He is seated next to John Prior. Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake will argue a motion against having Rob Wood called as a witness by the defense.

12:02 p.m. Boyce says the hearing will happen at 1:05 p.m. and the jury can be back in the courtroom at 1:30 p.m. Blake will argue for the prosecution, Prior will argue for the defense. Be back in an hour.

12 noon Prior says his intention of calling Wood is to be used as impeachment evidence. Boyce says items can be sealed to preserve the rights of a fair trial and a lot of work went into finding an impartial jury for this case. Boyce says the companion case has already gone through trial and we already have a jury so the hearing this afternoon will not be sealed.

11:58 a.m. Blake argues the motion should be sealed as there are concerns. You can read their filing here. Prior says the jury has been seated so there shouldn’t be any concerns.

11:56 a.m. Boyce says a motion in liming was filed yesterday by prosecutors. It says John Prior plans to call Rob Wood as a witness and the state is opposed. That hearing will happen after the lunch break. Right now is the hearing to determine whether the hearing after lunch will be sealed and closed to the public.

11:54 a.m. Boyce dismisses jurors for lunch but we will now have a motion hearing before the public goes to lunch.

11:52 a.m. Attorneys are having a sidebar with the judge in chambers.

11:51 a.m. The total price is close to $2,000 with all the fees. Chad says he’s going to call one or two other funeral homes. The call ends.

11:49 a.m. The call continues with the funeral director. Chad says he’s just starting the process of helping the family with the cremation and needs a price. The lady tells him cremations are $1,695 and it includes transportation to the crematory and other fees. She lists out other fees.

11:47 a.m. The lady asks for Chad’s number. He says he doesn’t know and needs to look. The operator asked if he passed away in a nursing home, hospital or residence. Chad says he died in a hospital but doesn’t know the details. The lady asks what city in Louisiana. Chad says New Orleans. The call is then transferred to the director.

11:45 a.m. Blake plays the call. Chad says he just had a death in the family and they don’t want anything but a cremation. He says they want to send the cremains to the family in Louisiana. He asks for a simple cremation and asks the price. The operator asks for the callers name. He says, “Chad Daybell.” DABEL is how he spells his last name. The lady asks how he is related to hte person who died. He says he’s his nephew and lives in Iowa. She asks for the name of the uncle. He says, “John Myron DABEL.”

11:42 a.m. Blake asks if Duncan was contacted about a call made to a mortuary in Arizona. He was. It was the Valley of the Sun Mortuary. Blake asks to admit the phone call made from Chad to the mortuary. You can listen here.

11:41 a.m. Chad responded to the email saying he would be able to come and to let the wards know. Duncan does not know whether Chad went to Texas.

11:40 a.m. The email came from a kkwalker Yahoo account, which was linked to Lori. The email was sent from the area of Katy, Texas, where Lori was staying at the time.

11:38 a.m. We now see an email sent on April 21, 2019. It is purportedly from Karen at AVOW. The letter is inviting Chad to come and speak at a youth conference in Houston about the temple. The lady says 400 kids will be attending and she wants him to come speak about his book. “Is there any chance you could come? A high councilman is currently the main speaker but he says he would be happy to let you speak in his place.” The letter offers Chad a flight and place to stay.

11:36 a.m. Duncan says he never saw any indication of grief about the loss of Charles in any of the phone messages he observed.

11:33 a.m. Duncan reads messages between Zulema and Lori. Lori messaged Zulema on May 22, 2019 about Hiplos being a level 4. Lori send another message about going to the truck and hovering over it. More messages. Zulema says she was given instructions to “rip, tar or burn the aura of Hiplos to let the body energy out.” Chad sends a message to Zulema saying Mother Earth is grateful for Lori and Zulema. He offers to give Zulema a blessing on July 11 after saying “it’s crazy about Charles but such a relief.”

11:30 a.m. Blake asks Duncan if he reviewed content from Zulema Pastenes’ phone. He did. Zulema was married to Alex. Duncan says the content on her phone was “voluminous.” Blake asks to admit an exhibit showing the content of Zulema’s phone.

11:28 a.m. We now see a text that Alex sent to Lori on Sept. 3, 2019. Alex to Lori: “Network name is anti-laman pw is 2many kids.” Lori to Alex: “Funny!!” The last known sighting of Tylee was around Sept. 8 and the last known sighting of JJ was around Sept. 22.

11:26 a.m. We now see a message from Chad to Lori on July 26, 2019. It’s the Harry Potter text:

11:25 a.m. At the time Charles was killed, Lori believed she was getting insurance money. The next message was sent from Lori to Chad on July 18, 2019. “So I talked to the insurance scompany. He changed it in March. So it was probably Ned before we got rid of him. They can’t tell me to who of course but it’s done. I still get the 4000 a month from SS.” SS stands for Social Security.

11:24 a.m. Chad writes, “It will be interesting if it got changed after he had two bullets in his chest.” As Duncan is reading these messages, Chad Daybell stares up the screen and does not show much of a reaction.

11:22 a.m. We now see text messages between Lori and Chad on July 18, 2019. Lori sent Chad a message saying she got a letter from the insurance company saying she is not the beneficiary. “It’s a spear through my heart. Who do you think he changed it to? Brandon? Or probably Kay?” Chad responds, “Wow. That’s terrible. There is no way to find out?” Lori to Chad: “Nope.” They go back and forth with Chad saying, “I love you. This is terrible but it is probably another step in bringing down the Gadiantons, especially Brandon.”

11:20 a.m. The next slide shows there were messages between Chad and Lori the morning of July 11 – the day of Charles’ death – but there is no content of what the actual texts were. There is a record they occurred but we don’t know what they said. One is sent at 6:12 a.m., another at 7:01 a.m., another at 7:33 a.m. Charles arrived at the home that morning around 7:30 a.m. based on location data on his phone.

11:20 a.m. These messages were sent two days before Charles died. Charles and Adam were planning an intervention based on the disturbing things Lori was doing and saying.

11:17 a.m. We now see a slide showing Lollytime@iCloud.com. It was created on July 1, 2019. The next slide shows a text from Lori to Alex on July 9, 2019. “So the plot thickens. Call me when u can.” On July 9, 2019, she sends another message to Alex about how he needs her to stay close to him and “they” are planning some kind of intervention. “Thank you for standing by me. It’s al coming to a head this week. I will be like Nephi I am told! And so will you.”

11:15 a.m. The message indicates that Lori was unaware Tammy had passed away, even though she had communicated with Nicole earlier in the day about the death. We now see a text from Nov. 22, 2019 from Lori to Colby Ryan, her son. “I text Ty to send it but I haven’t heard back yet. She will probably just do it before she tells me. Hope you got the Venmo. Ty said she sent it late. I’ll call you when I get a break.” Tylee had been dead for over two months at this point.

11:14 a.m. We now see a message from Melanie Gibb to Lori on the same day saying, “I heard what happened to Chad’s wife. Oh my gosh.” Lori responded, “Hello What?”

11:13 a.m. Duncan reads a message from a lady named Nicole to Lori on Oct. 19, 2019 saying Chad’s wife had died. Lori says, “Oh my gosh! I’m in Hawaii.” The lady asks Lori what happened and Lori says Tammy woke up in the night coughing, threw up, collapsed and passed away.”

11:12 a.m. Duncan says through his investigation, Charles was designated as Garrett and Hiplos. He says the phrase “it’s a new one” refers to a new dark spirit that had entered his body.

11:07 a.m. Boyce says the PowerPoint can be admitted. The presentation shows what was found on the Lori4style account and phone numbers associated with her. The first slide shows messages between Lori and Alex in March 2019 about Ned being gone. Alex messages Lori about getting rid of Ned and Ned still being alive. Lori responds at one point saying “it’s not Ned” and “It’s a new one.”

11:04 a.m. Duncan says he reviewed Lori’s iCloud accounts – lori4style and lollytime. There was a significant amount of information in those accounts. Duncan has an exhibit that caught his attention about what was in her accounts. Blake asks to admit the exhibit.

11:02 a.m. After this text exchange, communication ceased on Charles’ phone. He was shot and killed right after these messages were sent.

11 a.m. There is back and forth between Charles and Lori about the fake letter found on Charles’ phone. The next slide shows messages between Charles and Adam Cox around 7:30 a.m. the day Charles was shot. The messages show they were both concerned as Alex was at Lori’s house.

10:58 a.m. Duncan was not aware of any divorce proceedings between Charles and Lori around this time but there was indication they had separated and were living in different locations. The next slide shows more messages founds on Charles’ devices. These are text messages between Charles and Lori. He tells Lori he’s going to Idaho to meet with Tammy. Lori says Tammy won’t listen to him as she is her friend.

10:56 a.m. The next slide is a message from Charles to Lori on June 3, 2019. He confronts Lori about the affair and says, “There really is something wrong with you. You have to be exposed for what you are,” he says. He tells her lying has become second nature to her and has blamed him for everything.

10:55 a.m. Duncan now reads an email Charles sent to Chad. He confronts Chad about the fake email about Charles wanting to write a book and come visit. “Either you or Lori need to tell me what’s going on or this will be exposed for all to see. Regards, Charles Vallow,” he wrote. Then he adds, “And does your wife know you have several of Lori’s dance videos? She sent them to you at your request in January. Explain how that is in any way appropriate.”

10:54 a.m. Duncan reads another email. The subject says “Your husband and my wife…” and then the body says, “are having an affair. I have definite proof. If you care to see it, contact me.” Duncan was not able to determine whether Tammy ever saw the emails.

10:52 a.m. Duncan says there is no evidence Charles tried to visit Tammy in person. We now see an email Charles sent Tammy’s work email on June 29, 2019. Charles says he has some “vital and disturbing” information about her husband and his wife. “I apologize to be the one sending this but something has to be done. I feel it’s best if I shed some light on this issue,” he wrote.

10:50 a.m. Blake asks Duncan if he learned Charles tried to make contact with Tammy. He says Charles did send emails to Tammy but there is no indication she looked at the emails or received them. We now see more messages from Charles to Lori. He tells Lori he has emailed Tammy and “their game is up.” He later texts, “Please stop spending money on the credit cards. I appreciate it.”

10:49 a.m. Charles tells Lori in another text that he has Tammy Daybell’s email address and he will email her. He tells Lori “he better explain.” Charles sends another text saying he has Tammy’s cell and Lori has until noon to explain or he will email and text Tammy.

10:47 a.m. Blake asks Duncan if Lori had brothers named Alex and Adam. Duncan says she did. He says Adam was never a suspect in this investigation but Alex was. The next slide shows messages between Charles and Lori. Charles confronts Lori about the affair in the texts and calls Lori evil.

10:46 a.m. Blake asks Duncan if he was aware of other investigations as he was working on Charles’ case. He says he was aware of Tammy’s death, the attempted shooting of Brandon Boudreaux and the missing kids.

10:45 a.m. Duncan says this was a document that Charles said he found on Lori’s computer. This was the first letter where he suspected Lori was having an affair with Chad. “All indications in Charles’ phone is this letter was fictitious and not created by him,” Duncan says.

10:44 a.m. The email says Charles will pay Chad well to be his ghostwriter. He asked Chad to come visit him for a few days to talk about the book project and the publishing business.

10:43 a.m. Blake shows a slide on the screen that says “Charles Vallow’s Cell Phone Extraction Data.” Duncan reads an email purportedly from Charles to Chad inviting him to visit Arizona to help him write a book.

10:40 a.m. We are back in the courtroom. Attorneys are at their tables and Boyce is on the bench. Jurors are being brought in.

10:09 a.m. Boyce calls for a morning recess. We will be back in 30 minutes with the PowerPoint.

10:07 a.m. Blake moves to admit a PowerPoint exhibit prepared by Duncan.

10:05 a.m. Duncan determined Charles’ phone was the catalyst of an argument that happened between him and Lori the day of the shooting. Shortly after the shooting, Lori left the house with Charles’ phone. She returned the phone to police and they did an extraction on the device.

10:03 a.m. Blake asks if any additional blood was located in the home. Duncan says there was. Alex told them he washed his hands in the sink so there was some blood on the faucet. Duncan says the shooting was investigated as a homicide. He was assigned as the lead agent in June 2020.

10 a.m. Alex told police he was standing in the southwest corner of the living room and he and Charles were face to face with each other. Alex said he shot Charles twice standing up. As police were cleaning up the scene, Duncan noticed an indention in the floor that would have been consistent with Charles being shot while lying on the ground.

9:58 a.m. Duncan and the crime scene techs did not touch the body. The medical examiner arrived and the AED pad was removed. Another wound was noticed in the center of Charles’ chest. There were two additional wounds on his back consistent with bullet holes. Blake asks if the wounds in the back and front appeared to be linked. Duncan says they try not to immediately determine that but Alex mentioned Charles had been shot twice so they assumed they were entry and exit wounds.

9:54 a.m. Charles was lying the wooden floor next to a baseball bat. By this point, Charles had been pronounced dead. Duncan said there were reports Alex had done CPR. The fire department had placed pads on his chest to determine whether life-saving measures were needed. Duncan says he noticed a bullet wound in the lower left quadrant of his torso. His t-shirt was cut open and AED pads were put on for medical intervention. Duncan did not notice a lot of blood on the floor surrounding the body which is not consistent with someone who have been given CPR.

9:52 a.m. Duncan was assisted by crime scene technicians. Patrol officers gave him a briefing and a technician then entered the crime scene to take photos. “The crime scene in this case was very simple relative to other crime scenes,” Duncan says. They entered through the front door and there was a small foyer that opened up into a large living room. There was a wood plank floor, no furniture, mirrors on the walls and an open window. “It was very sparse,” he says.

9:51 a.m. Alex Cox made the 911 call. He said he shot his brother-in-law Charles Vallow in self-defense. Before this day, Duncan had never heard of Alex or Charles. Duncan was assigned to document the crime scene.

9:49 a.m. Blake asks Duncan if he was working on July 11, 2019. She asks if he responded to a report of a shooting. He did. The call came in around 8:36 a.m. He arrived 20-30 minutes after the original call.

9:47 a.m. Chandler Police Det. Nathan Duncan is the next witness on the stand.

9:44 a.m. Blake asks Heideman if she was aware that Melanie Gibb or David Warwick profited from JJ’s death. She says no. Blake has no further questions. She is done testifying at this point but will be recalled by the state later in the trial.

9:43 a.m. Blake asks about the statement that people having affair change their phone numbers. She asks Heideman if people involved in criminal activity also change phone numbers. Heideman says yes.

9:42 a.m. Blake asks Heideman if she’s aware who designated Charles as Ned. Heideman says Lori calls Charles Ned but she doesn’t know where the name comes from. The searches for Ned were done around the same time Lori was calling Charles Ned. Blake asks Heideman found any searches in Chad’s email regarding divorce or separation. “Not that I recall,” she responds.

9:40 a.m. Blake asks Heideman if she is aware Audrey is married. Heideman says at the time, she was not married. Blake asks about the attempted shooting of Brandon Boudreaux and the death of Charles Vallow. She asks Heideman if she is still involved in active investigations regarding those incidents. Heideman says she is not.

9:38 a.m. Prior asks Heideman if she’s aware Lori Vallow was in Hawaii with Audrey Barattiero and Melanie Boudreaux on Oct. 22, 2019. Prior asks Heideman if she’s aware the ladies were looking for wedding dresses on that day. Heideman is unaware of that. Prior has no further questions. Blake will now re-direct.

9:37 a.m. Prior asks about the search on removing the back seat of a Jeep. That was on Lori’s account. Prior asks if there were any searches done by Chad about moving a seat. Heideman says no. Prior clarifies that Chad has not been charged in Arizona. Heideman says that’s correct.

9:36 a.m. Prior says Chad and Lori have strong religious beliefs – but so do Melanie Gibb, David Warwick, Alex Cox and Zulema Pastenes.

9:34 a.m. Prior says he didn’t see anything where Chad Daybell searched for life insurance on the kids. Heideman says he didn’t. Prior asks if there were any emails that said, “Let’s kill two kids.” Heideman says there were not. Prior says Lori searched for life insurance information. Prior asks about Elaina and Hiplos and if there are religious meanings. Heideman says not necessarily – it got confusing because Chad and Lori called each other different names.

9:30 a.m. Prior directs Heideman to look at the lollytime4ever slide. He asks Heideman about Lori’s children watching their father be killed. Prior says we don’t know what JJ or Tylee saw – the evidence goes both ways. Prior says one of Tylee’s close friends was interviewed and provided information on what Tylee says.

9:27 a.m. Prior says the day after Chad searched for the wind details, he emailed his wife saying he was going to burn some limbs in the backyard. Prior now asking about track phones and how if you were having an affair, wouldn’t it be logical to buy different phones to hide it from his wife. Heideman says it’s possible.

9:26 a.m. Prior asking about the search that says “when you surprise someone with accusations.” He asks Heideman if she knows who typed that information. She says someone with access to Chad’s email account. Prior asks the same question about the wind search. Again – Heideman says it was someone with access to his account.

9:24 a.m. Prior asking about Ned Snider/Schneider. Heideman says Chad regularly did searches for different people but the Ned Snider/Schneider was directly connected to this case. Prior says Chad’s history shows there are a lot of inquiries into a lot of names and topics – thousands of searches.

9:21 a.m. Prior asks if it’s possible Lori could have been dropping hints about one day getting married and having a malachite ring. Heideman says ultimately they purchased malachite wedding bands. Prior asks Heideman if she’s aware there were discussions between Alex and Zulema about malachite rings. She isn’t sure about that.

9:19 a.m. Heideman is not sure where the searches were done from – a phone or computer. Prior asks about the search on March 6, 2019 about Leo and Cancer being compatible.

9:17 a.m. Prior shows the slide of the chad.daybell@gmail.com searches. Prior asks Heideman if we know for sure Chad did the searches. She says no – she doesn’t know for sure that it was Chad typing in the searches but someone with access to his account. Prior asks Heideman if she’s aware 3-4 other people were living in Chad’s house at the time.

9:15 a.m. Prior asks Heideman about Chad and Lori being in a romantic relationship. He says the relationship was happening while Charles and Tammy were both alive. Heideman says that’s correct. Prior asks if some of the Google searches could be explained by the fact that Chad was trying to hide his affair with Lori. Heideman says she’s unsure she understands.

9:13 a.m. Prior says Lori Vallow, Alex Cox, Melanie Gibb and David Warwick were all around JJ Vallow on the day he died. Prior says he doesn’t see any Google searches on Gibb or Warwick. “Why don’t I have any Google search information on Melanie Gibb or David Warwick?” Heideman says she doesn’t write the search warrants.

9:12 a.m. Heideman says she is not communicating with the agent in any significant way. Prior asks Heideman if she believes JJ Vallow was murdered the afternoon of Sept. 22 up until late morning of Sept. 23. Heideman says yes. Prior asks Heideman if she’s aware JJ was murdered either in an apartment of Lori Vallow or close proximity. Heideman says she isn’t sure if we know exactly where he was killed.

9:08 a.m. Prior says he notices there is an FBI agent in the court who has been here a number of times. He asks Heideman if that is her supervisor. She says he is not her direct supervisor. Heideman says she has not discussed her testimony in detail with him. Prior asks Heideman if she has spoken with the FBI agent if she has spoken with him over the last week about the testimony in the case. She says possibly.

9:07 a.m. Prior asks Heideman is she’s aware Chad is not implicated in Charles Vallow’s death or the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux. Heideman says that’s correct.

9:05 a.m. Blake has no further questions for Heideman. Prior will now cross-examine.

9:01 a.m. There was a search on Sept. 30, 2019 – “how to get the back seat out of my Jeep Wrangler; Jeep Wrangler JK Rear Seat Removal How to DIY – YouTube.” On Oct. 2, 2019, there was a search for “gilbert az news” and on Oct. 22, 2019 – three days after Tammy Daybell died – there was a search for “wedding dresses, wedding dresses in Kauai.”

9 a.m. There were a lot of searches for information on service dogs and selling service dogs on July 26, 2019. On Aug. 25, 2019, there was a search for “wedding bands made of malachite.” There were searches for Kennedy Elementary (the school JJ attended in Rexburg) on Sept. 20 and 24, 2019.

8:57 a.m. The next slide shows searches from lollytime4ever@gmail.com between March 7, 2019 – Dec. 14, 2019. The first search, on May 7, 2019, was for “malachite.” There was a search on July 21, 2019 for “life insurance for children – the grow-up plan.” Heideman says, to the best of her knowledge, there was no life insurance on the children.

8:55 a.m. The Chad email account also searched for “hiplos” on June 21, 2019. On July 9, 2019 – the day Charles was shot and killed – there was a search for “when you surprise someone with accusations.” There was a search on Sept. 8, 2019 for “ssw wind, what is the definition of ssw direction.” It’s believed Tylee Ryan was killed Sept. 9. The last search, on Oct. 8, 2019, was for “Rhode Island area code.” Heideman says one of the phone numbers belonging to Chad had a Rhode Island area code.

8:54 a.m. On May 5, 2019, there was a search for “malachite, eBay malachite jewelry.” Chad and Lori purchased malachite wedding rings. Learn more about that here.

8:52 a.m. The Chad gmail account searched “Ned Schneider Louisiana obituary 1997” on Jan. 31, 2019. The next search, on March 6, 2019, was about cancer and leo being compatible. Heideman says Lori’s birthday is a cancer and Chad’s birthday makes him a leo.

8:49 a.m. Heideman sayss he reviewed multiple documents, reports and phone data. She learned of the name Ned Snider/Schneider from Chandler and Gilbert Police. Charles Vallow made comments that Lori referred to him as Ned Snider/Schneider. The name also appeared in Lori’s iCloud account in connection to Charles.

8:46 a.m. The first slide shows a summer of search activity from chad.daybell@gmail.com beginning Oct. 1, 2018. On Jan. 28, 2019, the email user searched for Ned Snider 1996 death and other searches revolving around Ned Snider. There was also a search for “bodies possessed after original occupant dies.”

8:43 a.m. Heideman looked at web searches done by Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell. Blake asks to admit a PowerPoint exhibit on a thumb drive.

8:42 a.m. Heideman says the case of the missing children quickly expanded into the deaths of Tammy Daybell and Charles Vallow, as well as the attempted shooting of Brandon Boudreaux.

8:40 a.m. Jurors take their seats. Boyce reminds everyone in the courtroom to follow the conduct order. He says a few members of the public did not comply yesterday and were not able to come back in the afternoon.

8:36 a.m. Boyce is on the bench. State and defense are ready. Heideman takes the stand. Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake will continue questioning Heideman.

8:31 a.m. Chad Daybell just walked in. He’s wearing khaki pants, a dress shirt and tie. He does not have on handcuffs or leg shackles but appears to be wearing an ankle monitor on his right leg.

8:26 a.m. We are back in the courtroom. People in the gallery are seated. Prosecutors are at their table, John Prior is at his table but Chad Daybell is not in the courtroom yet. FBI Tactical Specialist Nicole Heideman will be back on the stand this morning.