LIVE UPDATES | First witness takes the stand in Chad Daybell trial

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL

Excuse the typos – these are live updates from the courtroom

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3:35 p.m. Nothing further to discuss today. Court is adjourned. We will be back tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. MDT.

3:32 p.m. Boyce wants to clarify stipulations on evidence the prosecutors and defense previously agreed to admit without argument.

3:30 p.m. I’ll be live tonight at 6:30 MDT for ‘Courtroom Insider.’ I’ll break down everything that happened today and answer some of your questions. Join me on the EastIdahoNews.com YouTube channel or my Facebook page.

3:29 p.m. Hermosillo says under the tree, they discovered a small body wrapped in black plastic. On that note, Boyce dismisses the jurors. There is one additional item Boyce wants to discuss after they leave.

3:28 p.m. Hermosillo says at this point, Chad was leaving his daughter’s residence kitty-corner to Chad’s house “at a high rate of speed.” Police followed and took him into custody.

3:26 p.m. After they removed the dirt, police found a black round object. “It appeared to take the shape of the crown of a human head,” Hermosillo says. “At that point, the ERT team leader made a slit in the black plastic. He kind of opened it up a little bit but underneath the black plastic was another white layer of plastic.” Underneath that it looked to be brown human hair, Hermosillo says.

3:24 p.m. Hermosillo says as they removed the first layer of ground, he smelled decomposing body. There were white rocks under the dirt and there were boards below the white rocks. After the boards were removed, there was a discoloration in the dirt – it was wet and moist. Chad sits motionless as this is being described.

3:22 p.m. Hermosillo says ERT members marked off a place under the tree near the pond. They marked off a 6×6 section. “There was taller shrubs and in the middle of the 6×6 section, it looked like there was a little bit of grass – the length of sod – and some dirt protruding through the grass.”

3:21 p.m. Hermosillo and a few others were tasked with going through the dirt in the fire pit area and putting it in a sifter. This was around 9 a.m. They sifted in the fire pit around 35-45 minutes.

3:17 p.m. Hermosillo says law enforcement officers were marking off different areas on the property. “There were some ERT members marking off a section under this tree right next to the pond area,” Hermosillo says, pointing with the laser to the area on the map.

3:16 p.m. Hermosillo says as the call progressed, Chad had the phone in his right hand and was intently looking over his right shoulder. “I found it odd. I wanted to see what he was looking at so I maneuvered myself to see what he was so intently looking at.”

3:14 p.m. Hermosillo uses a laser pointer to show on the map where he and Chad were in the front of the home. He shows where the shop, back driveway and pasture areas are.

3:13 p.m. Chad asked to make a phone call and went outside. Hermosillo went with him. Chad asked to sit in the car to make his call. Hermosillo stood in the grass near the vehicle. Wood shows the satellite map displaying Daybell’s property.

3:11 p.m. Chad asked to get dressed and met officers downstairs. They gave him the warrant and Chad asked to speak with his attorney. Chad called Mark Means, his attorney at the time. Chad sat on a recliner in the front room and read through the search warrant. He asked if he needed to leave. Police told him he didn’t need to leave but if he chose to stay, he would be accompanied by an officer for safety purposes.

3:10 p.m. Hermosillo explains who he was with they arrived at Chad’s house. They knocked on the front door and Mark Daybell, Chad’s son, answered. He was eating cereal. Mark said his dad was still sleeping. Mark let the police in and showed them where Chad was sleeping in a bedroom above the garage.

3:03 p.m. Hermosillo says the FBI, the FBI ERT (evidence recovery team), the AG, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Rexburg Police conducted the search warrant. Boyce asks to have a sidebar with the attorneys about the exhibit and they go back into chambers.

3 p.m. Wood moves to admit a Google Earth image showing Daybell’s property. Hermosillo is familiar with the general layout of the yard and house.

2:57 p.m. Wood asks Hermosillo if he ever executed a search warrant on Chad Daybell’s house in Fremont County. He has. He served a warrant on June 9, 2020. He arrived around 7 a.m.

2:56 p.m. We are back in the courtroom. Jurors take their seats. Hermosillo remains on the stand.

2:27 p.m. Boyce calls for afternoon break. Court will be held tomorrow from 8:30-3:30 p.m. but there will be no court on Friday. We will be back in 20 minutes.

2:25 p.m. During the search for the kids, Hermosillo was aware of an investigation in Fremont County regarding the suspicious death of Tammy Daybell, Chad’s wife. She died on Oct. 19, 2019.

2:24 p.m. Rexburg police reached out to the family, FBI, “anybody that would take our calls” in the search for the kids, Hermosillo says.

2:22 p.m. The photo was taken Sept. 22, 2019 at 11:46 a.m. Here is the picture:

2:21 p.m. Next exhibit is a photo of JJ sitting on the couch in apt. 175. The picture was on the Lori4Style account.

2:18 p.m. Hermosillo says they were unable to find any photos showing Tylee was alive after the Yellowstone picture.

2:16 p.m. The exhibits are admitted without objection. The first photo:

2:14 p.m. Wood asks to admit more photos. Boyce asks for a quick sidebar.

2:12 p.m. Wood asks Hermosillo what the phrase “proof of life” means to him. He says it’s anything they can use to prove the last time somebody was seen alive. Hermosillo says the last known “proof of life” for Tylee was taken from Lori’s “Lori4Style” iCloud account. It was a picture of Tylee taken at West Yellowstone.

2:10 p.m. The exhibit is a photo of Tylee Ryan taken from her Instagram account.

2:09 p.m. Lori Vallow never produced her children to the Rexburg Police Department of Department of Health and Welfare. Wood asks to present another exhibit.

2:08 p.m. Hermosillo says everything looked normal at the condo. There were beach towels, food in the fridge, couches, everything seemed ordinary, he says. JJ and Tylee were not there. There was nothing that showed a child or teenager lived at the condo.

2:07 p.m. Hermosillo arrived in Hawaii on Jan. 24, 2020. He went to assist in serving a court order to produce Tylee and JJ in Rexburg. Lori was served the order the next day. Hermosillo says he observed the Kauai Police Department serve two search warrants – one on Chad and Lori’s condo, the other on their rental car.

2:05 p.m. Hermosillo learned about the location of Chad and Lori the beginning of January 2020. Eyewitnesses called into the police department and said the couple was on Kauai. Hermosillo issued cell phone warrants that helped locate Chad and Lori.

2:03 p.m. After police put out a news release, they received more tips. Here is the first story EastIdahoNews.com posted about the missing kids.

2:01 p.m. Police set up multiple tip hotlines so anyone with information on JJ and Tylee could call. Hermosillo says they received tips and those tips were all assigned numbers. They were followed up on by detectives and other officers.

2 p.m. Detectives tried to contact Lori Vallow on her cell phone but it was turned off. Hermosillo says they contacted Chad Daybell by calling his cell but it was also shut off. Hermosillo says Lori and Chad never contacted Rexburg police about the missing children.

1:56 p.m. On Dec. 11, 2019, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were entered into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The FBI, Chandler police and Gilbert police were contacted to help in the search.

1:55 p.m. Wood moves to enter an exhibit showing Tylee Ryan’s birth certificate.

1:53 p.m. Police spoke with Brandon Boudreaux, Melani Boudreaux and Colby Ryan. After speaking with Colby, the search grew to include Tylee Ryan.

1:51 p.m. Hermosillo says JJ Vallow was not located on Nov. 27. The next step was to talk to anyone who would take their phone calls. “JJ was who we were looking for so we were exhausting every effort to find JJ,” Hermosillo says. They called siblings, family members – anyone who might know the whereabouts of JJ.

1:49 p.m. The other photos show continuations of the emails. The following photo shows books written by Chad Daybell that were found in a tub. The final photo is a cell phone found in a tub in the garage.

1:46 p.m. Prior asks follow up questions about the photos. The photos are admitted. The first picture shows a printed email of what was located in the garage. The paper shows names and numbers associated with the names. The email was sent from Chad Daybell in Oct. 2018.

1:44 p.m. Wood moves to admit more exhibits. Prior asking about police staging the items and what items were photographed. Hermosillo says they took pictures of anything they thought was of evidentiary value.

1:42 p.m. The next photo shows the rope and duct tape in a Walmart bag. The last photo shows Alex Cox’s passport found in the belongings.

1:40 p.m. The next picture is a close-up of the rifle. The following photo shows two suppressors. The next picture shows knives found among the ammunition in the tubs. The next exhibit shows a handgun in a case found inside the garage. The next exhibit shows a Halloween mask found in a plastic bag in the garage along with duct tape and rope.

1:38 p.m. The next photo shows various caliber of ammunition. The next picture shows a rifle that was found inside the garage. It has duct tape on it and the top of the rifle is threaded for a suppressor to muffle the sound of a gunshot. The next photo shows the exact same rifle along with another rifle.

1:36 p.m. The photos are shown on the screen. The first image shows rifle magazines on the floor that were inside tubs. There is also suppressors, ammunition, a ghillie camouflage suit and some other items. The next photo shows items found in black plastic bags. The clothing and items are laid out on the floor.

1:33 p.m. Wood moves to admit the photos into evidence. Prior objects. He asks who took the photos. Hermosillo says Det. Dave Hope took them. Boyce overrules objection and the pictures are admitted.

1:32 p.m. Wood presents more exhibits and asks Hermosillo to review them. They are photos taken in apt. 175 in the garage on Nov. 27, 2019. Hermosillo was present in the garage. The items were in the picture were taken out to be photographed.

1:26 p.m. Wood asks to admit a photo of a rental agreement Lori Ryan signed. He shows the agreement to the jury. The agreement led police to the storage unit.

1:24 p.m. The next picture is the bedroom on the right hand side. This is where police found some of Alex’s belongings including a plastic tub, hygiene items, etc. The new photo shows what was in Alex’s room – two white Tyvek suits are laid out on the floor. The room to the left has twin beds with bedding.

1:23 p.m. The next photo “caused some red flags for us when we were searching the apartment,” Hermosillo says. There were a lot of empty hangers. “It appeared to us that she grabbed her clothes, left everything else and took off.”

1:22 p.m. The next photo shows the top of the stairwell looking down into the bottom of the stairs. The following image shows the master bedroom. Bedding and pillows are on the mattress.

1:20 p.m. The next photo shows pictures on the walls, the TV, papers on the counter. The next image is the Star Wars suitcase and some 72 hour kits under the stairs.

1:18 p.m. The photos are shown on the screen and to the jury. The first picture is the front porch area of apt. 175. The next photo shows the front room/kitchen area. A child’s suitcase is on the floor along with some other items.

1:17 p.m. Prior objects again after Wood asks more questions. Boyce overrules the objection with the exception of one photo and they are admitted.

1:16 p.m. Hermosillo says around 10 people were in the apartment at the time the photos were taken but doesn’t know who took the photos. Prior objects to having the pictures admitted. Wood wants to lay more foundation.

1:12 p.m. The exhibits are photos taken of Lori’s residence on Nov. 27, 2019. Prior asks what time the photos were taken. Hermosillo says between 10 a.m. – noon. Prior asks repeated questions about who took the pictures. Hermosillo doesn’t know who took the pictures.

1:10 p.m. Wood continues questioning Hermosillo about the search of Lori’s apartment. He asks to admit more exhibits.

1:07 p.m. Boyce back on the bench and the jurors are being brought back into the courtroom.

1:04 p.m. Boyce enters the courtroom and Wood asks for a sidebar to discuss an evidence issue. Det. Hermosillo remains on the stand.

1 p.m. We are back in the courtroom. Det. Hermosillo remains on the stand. Chad Daybell just walked in and is chatting with Prior at the defense table. Half of the right side of the gallery is now blocked off and the bailiff says the public is no longer allowed to sit there.

11:52 a.m. We are going to break for lunch. We will be back in one hour.

11:51 a.m. Hermosillo explains what was in the unit – photos, family items, etc. Wood asks for a brief sidebar.

11:49 a.m. There was no evidence that JJ Vallow had been in apt. 174 or 107. In apt. 175, a storage unit rental agreement contract was found. The name of Lori Ryan was on the contract and it was storage unit #C52. Police went to the storage unit. I visited in January and did a report on what was inside. You can find it here.

11:48 a.m. Apt. 107 was completely vacant. In apt. 174, police found a large amount of cash that they seized for safekeeping. In apt. 175, police found several different styles of weapons in the garage – handguns, rifles, guns of various calibers, army knives. They were seized for safekeeping.

11:47 a.m. Police found a child’s Star Wars suitcase mixed in with 72-hour kits and an old prescription bottle for JJ. There were also some scooters and a small child’s bike on the porch. Hermosillo seized the Risperidone prescription and the suitcase. Police then searched apt. 174. Everything was normal, but no signs of JJ.

11:46 a.m. The warrants were executed on Nov. 27, 2019. They searched apt. 175 first. “Everything looked ordinary. There were couches, papers on the table, there was food in the refrigerator and food in the pantry.” Hermosillo said it appeared people lived there, but there were no clothes on any of the hangers in the closet. JJ was not in the apartment.

11:43 a.m. Hermosillo says police attempted to locate Melanie Gibb, Lori’s friend. Lori told police that JJ was with Gibb in Arizona. Det. Pillar in Arizona went to Gibb’s residence and around 9 p.m., Rexburg police learned JJ was not there. Hermosillo contacted Ball, and they agreed to meet at prosecutor’s early the next morning to get search warrants on apts. 175 (Lori’s), 174 (Melani’s) and 107.

11:40 a.m. “At that point, our only focus was to find JJ, and we were going to exhaust every means to do that.” Hermosillo went to the prosecutor’s office to get a warrant. While he was on the way, Det. Hope called and left a message. Lori Vallow called Hope back and they told her to open the door. Det. Stubbs and Det. Ball made contact with Lori that day.

11:38 a.m. Hermosillo asked his lieutenant, Ron Ball, to gather detectives and respond to the complex. Ball arrived with another detective, and they began knocking on doors. They went to Lori’s apartment and nobody answered. Hermosillo learned Melani Boudreaux (now Pawlowski), Lori’s niece, lived right next door to Lori. Nobody answered that door.

11:37 a.m. Hermosillo was not wearing a body camera. As a detective, most of the interviews are done at the department in a controlled environment with cameras. Patrol officers are assigned body cameras, but detectives are not.

11:36 a.m. Hermosillo knew Chad and Lori were married in Hawaii two weeks prior. Hermosillo asked Chad for Lori’s phone number. He said he didn’t have it. Det. Hope saw the two talking and walked back toward them. Hermosillo again asked Chad for Lori’s number and Chad gave it to him. Chad said he felt Hermosillo was accusing him of “something” and that’s why he didn’t give the number the first time.

11:35 a.m. As Hermosillo approached his car, Chad drove toward him in a black Chevy Equinox. Hermosillo stopped him to talk. He asked Chad when the last time he saw JJ Vallow. Chad said it was in October in apt. 107 with Lori Vallow. Chad told Hermosillo he had only met Lori a couple times and didn’t know her very well.

11:33 a.m. Hermosillo and Hope went to the apartment to find JJ Vallow. They knocked on apt. 107, and there was no answer. Hope knocked on neighbors’ doors. Hermosillo walked back to his vehicle to call for more detectives. He called for more “because of the deception from Alex. I wanted to figure out exactly what was going on, and we were going to start canvassing the area and knocking on doors.”

11:32 a.m. Hermosillo asked Alex for Lori’s cell phone number. Alex said he didn’t have it. Rexburg police knew Alex and Lori were siblings and extremely close. “When Alex told me he didn’t have his sister’s cell phone number, I assumed he was lying to me.”

11:30 a.m. Alex eventually said JJ was with his grandmother in Louisiana. “I informed Alex that it was unlikely JJ was with his grandmother Kay because she was the one who called in the welfare check,” Hermosillo says. He says Alex looked over at Chad, and they both looked at each other. “I asked Alex where I could find Lori Vallow,” Hermosillo says. Alex says Lori was in apt. 107 – the same complex but a few apartments down.

11:29 a.m. Hermosillo knew who Chad and Alex were. He says he got out of his vehicle and made contact with Alex. He asked if Lori was home. Alex said she was not home. Hermosillo asked if JJ was home. “At that point, Alex got surprised, frightened look on his face, looked over across the pickup at defendant Daybell. Daybell then looked back at Alex and initially neither one of them answered my question.”

11:27 a.m. Wood shows the photo of JJ to the jury and gallery. Hermosillo says on Nov. 25, 2019, he got a call from Gilbert Police Det. Pillar. He asked Hermosillo to do a welfare check on JJ the next morning. Hermosillo did the check on Nov. 26. He and Det. Dave Hope went to Vallow’s home. “As we approached, we noticed the defendant Chad Daybell and Alex Cox unloading a pickup near the garage area.”

11:26 a.m. Boyce is back on the bench. During testimony, many jurors are taking notes. Others haven’t written a thing. Some drink water, coffee, Diet Coke.

11:23 a.m. Hermosillo says they received a few photos of JJ from Gilbert Police and JJ’s grandmother, Kay Woodcock. Hermosillo says photos and video of JJ were found on Lori Vallow’s iCloud account. Wood admits exhibit four – a photo of JJ Vallow. Prior asks the source of the photo. Hermosillo says it came from Vallow’s iCloud. Prior asks to approach. White noise is played.

11:22 a.m. Exhibit three is Joshua Jackson Vallow’s birth certificate.

11:20 a.m. The second exhibit is an adoption decree for Canaan Trahan. Wood asks Hermosillo to read from the decree. It says the name of Canaan Trahan is being changed to Joshua Jackson Vallow.

11:18 a.m. Wood asks to admit three exhibits. The first is Canaan Todd Trahan birth certificate. Place of birth: Lake Charles, Louisiana.

11:16 a.m. Hermosillo says Gilbert Police asked Rexburg to do a welfare check on JJ Vallow. They were provided with a brief description and where JJ should be – 565 Pioneer Road – where he lived with his mother Lori Vallow.

11:13 a.m. After the Jeep was seized, Gilbert Police detectives and crime analysts flew to Rexburg. They served a warrant and were looking for the infotainment system that contained the GPS locations. They came on Nov. 18, 2019 and asked Hermosillo if they had seen any children. Rexburg police said they had not.

11:12 a.m. Hermosillo says he never saw children with Lori or Chad. At that time, Hermosillo did not know who JJ or Tylee were and Rexburg police were not asked to look for the kids at that time.

11:10 a.m. Boyce is back on the bench. Wood is showing two photos of the Jeep to the jurors. It’s a gray Jeep that was registered to Charles Vallow but Tylee Ryan drove it. The next photo shows the back of the Jeep with a Texas license plate.

11:06 a.m. Prior asks Hermosillo if he went through the Jeep or took photos himself. Hermosillo says he went through the Jeep personally. Prior has no further questions. Boyce asks for a quick sidebar. White noise is played.

11:04 a.m. Four photos are admitted into evidence. Prior has some questions about the evidence. Chad scoots the microphone over so Prior can be heard.

11:02 a.m. Hermosillo says Chad and Lori were observed a few times at the location. His primary job was to look for a Jeep. Wood asks to admit an exhibit for Hermosillo to look at.

11:01 a.m. Hermosillo contacted Gilbert, Arizona, Police and they asked him to seize the Jeep if it could be found. Gilbert asked Rexburg to conduct intermittent surveillance on the residence. Hermosillo says they surveillance between Nov. 1 to 4 at 565 Pioneer Road in Rexburg.

11 a.m. Hermosillo has been a detective with Rexburg police for about five years. He was in law enforcement for 18 years before becoming a detective. Rob Wood is questioning Hermosillo. He says he was contacted on Nov. 1, 2019, by Fremont County Sheriff’s Office saying there was possibly a Jeep in Rexburg that was involved in a homicide in Arizona.

10:56 a.m. First witness called to the stand is Rexburg Police Det. Ray Hermosillo.

10:53 a.m. Boyce now holding a sidebar with attorneys to discuss scheduling.

10:52 a.m. Prior tells the jury to listen to the arguments and not make their decision until the very end. “I’m going to ask you folks to return a verdict of not guilty. Thank you, folks.” Prior’s opening statement was around 19 minutes.

10:50 a.m. Prior says the jury will hear from Patrick Eller, a data forensic examiner. Prior says the jury will hear testimony that Alex Cox visited the Daybell property multiple times, and Eller will present information and data to support it. Dr. Eric Bartelink will also testify, Prior says. He is a forensic pathologist.

10:49 a.m. Prior says the jury will hear testimony from three to four of Chad’s children. “They’re going to talk about their mother’s health struggle. They’re going to talk about their mother’s use of various medical treatments she would use – oils she would put on her leg, medicine and different herbs she would take, and that their mother was suffering from a number of maladies, and she would refuse to see a doctor.”

10:48 a.m. Prior says Hampikian will talk about “several” hairs found on the plastic of JJ Vallow. “He’s also going to say there was no DNA evidence, no hair sample of Chad Daybell on Tylee Ryan or on JJ Vallow.” Prior says the jury will also hear from Dr. Raven, a forensic pathologist, who will talk about the circumstances surrounding Tammy Daybell. He says she will say there is no indication this was a homicide or any other cause of death.

10:46 a.m. Prior talks about the burial locations of JJ and Tylee. Prior plans to bring forward four experts including Dr. Greg Hampikian – a DNA expert. Hampikian got Amanda Knox exonerated in Italy because of DNA evidence, Prior says. “He is the guy. He’s going to talk a little bit about the DNA evidence that was found on the scene.”

10:45 a.m. Prior says Chad had no background and then Ms. Texas Lori Vallow – “a very sexual person” – came into his life. “After that, eventually yes, there was a murder and there was a burial,” Prior says. He says the backyard of Chad’s property is a 4.5 acre farm.

10:43 a.m. Prior says Chad and Lori had an inappropriate relationship while their former spouses were still alive. Prior tells the jury that Alex Cox shot and killed Charles. Prior says the jury they will see Chad Daybell had nothing to do with the execution of Charles Vallow or the shooting of Brandon Boudreaux.

10:42 a.m. Prior says Alex Cox approached Joseph Ryan and shot him with a Taser in 2007 – years before Lori knew Chad. “It set the pattern for what we are dealing with with Alex Cox. Whenever there was a problem with Lori Vallow, Alex Cox ran to the rescue.”

10:41 a.m. Prior mentions Lori’s second short-lived married. He says Alex Cox, her brother, would do anything to assist his sister – without question. “If Alex Cox perceived there was a problem, Alex Cox reacted.” Prior says jury will hear testimony that Lori’s third marriage to Joseph Ryan was tumultuous.

10:40 a.m. Prior says after the seminar, there was a 1-2 month break where Chad and Lori had no contact. Prior says Chad had a speeding ticket in 2005 but no other background. “But Lori Vallow was a different story. Lori Vallow was someone who, right out of high school, married her first husband. That marriage was very short-lived – VERY short-lived.”

10:38 a.m. Prior says in late October 2018, Chad was invited to speak at an event. While he was trying to sell his books, “this beautifully stunning woman named Lori Vallow comes up and she starts giving him a lot of attention. She pursued him. She encouraged him. She went so far as to go behind the booth and help him in selling his books.”

10:37 a.m. Prior tells jury Chad wrote books about religious experiences. “He writes about his premonitions, he writes about good and evil, what it means to be good and what it means to be evil, he writes about dark and light. He writes about death and the coming of the end of things and when his Savior in his mind is going to come back.” Prior says all the books were based on fiction.

10:35 a.m. Prior says Chad served his mission in New Jersey, returned home, and he then dated Tammy for six months. They then got married and had five children. They moved to Idaho and ran a publishing company that was predominantly run by Tammy.

10:34 a.m. “What’s important are facts and evidence,” Prior says. He tells jurors not be distracted by speculation, guesses, assumptions or hunches. Prior says Chad Daybell went on a mission to talk to people about his religious beliefs.

10:34 a.m. Jurors are in. Prior has a handheld mic and stands in front of the group. He introduces himself and says he’s from Meridian.

10:31 a.m. Boyce is on the bench. Jurors are being brought in.

10:30 a.m. All the attorneys and Daybell are in the courtroom. Waiting on the judge and jury.

10:20 a.m. Back in the courtroom. Chad Daybell is smiling as he chats with his attorney.

10:01 a.m. Prior will give an opening statement after a morning break. Be back in 20 minutes.

10 a.m. New slide says: “Yet Unwritten” and lists all the charges Daybell faces. “Two dead children buried in this defendant’s backyard. The next month, his wife dead in their bed. 17 days later, this defendant marries Lori Vallow. Members of the jury…your verdict will be the link that writes the final chapter of this tragic saga.” Wood finishes. His statement was around 22 minutes.

9:59 a.m. Wood: “You will hear many of this defendant’s own words. You will read multiple texts that he and Lori sent back and forth.”

9:57 a.m. Slide on screen says outline of evidence to come. It includes financial evidence, law enforcement testimony, unraveling the conspiracy, DNA testing, fingerprints, Hawaii police.

9:55 a.m. Wood explains the trial will be lengthy and there will be a lot of witnesses. He shows a timeline of major events on the screen. It shows when Chad and Lori met, Charles Vallow killed, Lori moves to Rexburg, Tylee last seen, raccoon text, JJ last seen, attempted homicide of Brandon Boudreaux, shooting at Tammy, Tammy’s death, Chad and Lori marriage, welfare check on JJ, Chad and Lori lie to police and leave town, children found buried on Chad’s property.

9:54 a.m. Wood shows a slide that says “The Collapse of the Dream.” It lists the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, concern for the missing children, lies to police, unwillingness to produce the children, raccoon text.

9:51 a.m. Wood shows photos of Chad and Lori on the beach. He says they were preparing for their wedding well before Tammy’s death.

9:50 a.m. Wood explains Tammy’s death and Chad cashing in her life insurance policy. Chad and Lori then went to Hawaii and rented a condo, Wood says. “You will hear from multiple witnesses that Chad predicted multiple times that Tammy would die an early death.”

9:49 a.m. Wood shows images of Tylee, JJ and Tammy on the screen. He explains that Daybell said Tylee and JJ were possessed. They were found in Chad’s backyard. “Tammy Daybell, a vivacious, happy mother, was another individual labeled as a dark spirit to be removed.”

9:48 a.m. Wood tells jurors Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Alex in Arizona. Lori stood to get $1 million and awaited it – only to learn the beneficiary was no longer her. “I’ll still get the $4,000 a month from SS,” Lori texted Chad. Chad responded, “It will be interesting to see if it got changed after he had two bullets in his chest.”

9:47 a.m. Wood introduces Alex Cox and two photos of him appear on the screen. Wood references the blessing Chad gave to Alex. Wood says text messages will be shown showing Alex told his wife “he was afraid he was going to be Chad and Lori’s fall guy.”

9:46 a.m. Wood laying out his statement with chapters. Wood says any who opposed Chad and Lori were labeled as dark spirits “or even zombies.” “The evidence will show this was a convenient narrative to dehumanize people who stood in their way. This narrative gave them the pretext to remove people from the world for their good.”

9:45 a.m. Wood: “In his thirst for sex, power and money, Chad created an alternate reality where he called themselves James and Elaina.” Wood says he was captivated by Lori’s appearance and spoke about their sexual encounters on many occasions. “More than anything else Chad’s obsession with Lori was rooted in her adoration for him. He called her an exalted goddess.”

9:44 a.m. Wood: “You’ll hear about a pivotal date – the day Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow met at a religious conference in St. George, Utah. That introduction set into motion what you will hear about.”

9:42 a.m. There are some tech issues with the Powerpoint and the microphone. Wood pauses while they get it worked out. “Chapter 2: Lori Vallow was a homemaker from Arizona. She was married to her fourth husband Charles Vallow and was the mother to Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow.”

9:40 a.m. “He craved significance,” Wood says referring to Daybell. He says Daybell was an author and explains the background of Chad and Tammy. They had 5 children, moved to Idaho where Tammy became a beloved school librarian. “For this defendant, that ordinary existence was not enough.”

9:39 a.m. “Two dead children found buried in Chad Daybell’s backyard,” Wood begins. He says Tammy Daybell was found dead in her bed and 17 days later, married his mistress on the beaches of Hawaii. “His desire for sex, money and power led…to the deaths of his wife and two innocent children.”

9:38 a.m. Wood asks for a hand mic and stands in front of the jury. He has a Powerpoint presentation.

9:36 a.m. Clerk finishes reading the amended indictment. Boyce reminds jurors the indictment is not evidence. It’s now time for opening statements. Rob Wood will give statement on behalf of prosecutors.

9:35 a.m. A few jurors taking notes as the clerk reads the indictment. Others listen intently. Chad Daybell sits still with his eyes looking down.

9:30 a.m. You can read the indictment here.

9:29 a.m. Boyce finishes jury instruction. Clerk will now read the amended, redacted indictment to the jurors.

9:27 a.m. Boyce reminds jurors not to talk about the case with anyone else, to keep an open mind, not reach a decision until the end and don’t discuss it with other jurors until the very end in the jury room.

9:23 a.m. Boyce continues with jury instruction, including the importance of weighing witness testimony.

9:21 a.m. Boyce explains there may be occasional sidebars where he speaks with the attorneys in the corner of the courtroom and white noise is played.

9:20 a.m. Boyce says he will not express any opinion on witnesses and whether they are worthy to be believed. He will not comment on the facts of the case. He tells jurors they must follow the court instructions regardless of their opinions on the instructions.

9:18 a.m. Boyce tells jurors they must determine Daybell’s guilt or innocence based solely on the evidence presented in court. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

9:15 a.m. State goes first for opening statements because they have the burden of proof. Defense can then present an opening statement or wait. After all witnesses and evidence are presented, state and defense will present closing arguments.

9:14 a.m. Jurors get $10 a day and after 5 days, it bumps up to $40 per day. They are reimbursed for mileage. They are fed lunch and snacks while they are here.

9:13 a.m. If you need a refresher on who’s who in the case, we have it here. A timeline can be found here.

9:10 a.m. Jurors are sworn in. Boyce says normal trial schedule will be weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Recesses will be held in the morning and afternoon.

9:06 a.m. Clerk conducts roll call. Boyce introduces prosecutors and defense attorney and asks them to stand. Boyce tells jurors Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges listed in the indictment. The clerk will read the indictment to the jurors. Boyce tells jurors defendant is never required to prove his innocence and never has to produce any evidence at all.

9:03 a.m. The jury enters the courtroom. They each have a notepad and are allowed to take notes, but they can’t take them home. Boyce introduces himself and courtroom staff.

9:01 a.m. Boyce mentions that witnesses are not allowed to watch court proceedings unless they are legally classified as a victim.

9 a.m. Boyce says all 18 jurors are here. State and defense are ready to proceed.

8:58 a.m. Boyce reminds everyone of the courtroom conduct order – no noises from cell phones, no photos, no video. He says if there is a technological issue during the trial with the livestream, they will try to get things fixed. If there are significant delays, court proceedings will continue without video.

8:56 a.m. Judge Boyce is on the bench.

8:53 a.m. Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake, Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood, Special Prosecutor Ingrid Batey, Fremont County Deputy Prosecutor Rocky Wixom and defense attorney John Prior just walked in. Prior whispered something into Daybell’s ear.

8:44 a.m. Still waiting for the attorneys and Judge Boyce to enter the courtroom.

8:38 a.m. A reminder of the charges Chad Daybell faces:

8:36 a.m. Daybell sitting stone-faced wearing a blue shirt and blue tie. The courtroom has been rearranged so he is directly facing the jury. Prosecutors table will face the judge.

8:33 a.m. Opening statements in Lori Vallow Daybell’s were exactly one year ago today – on April 10, 2023. There were also 10 men and 8 women on the jury in that case.

8:32 a.m. Larry and Kay Woodcock are in the courtroom. So is Vicki Hoban, Tammy Daybell’s aunt. Tom Evans, a juror in the Vallow case, is here with his wife and another former juror.

8:25 a.m. We are in the courtroom. Members of the public are filing in. It will be full today. A line started forming outside the courthouse at 7 a.m. Chad Daybell is sitting at the defense table alone. Attorneys and judge are not in the courtroom yet.