LIVE UPDATES | Zulema Pastenes, Alex Cox’s widow, testifies about zombies, prayers and other activities in Daybell’s inner circle

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL

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Please excuse the typos. These are live updates from the courtroom.

3:30 p.m. Court is now dismissed for the day. Back tomorrow. Catch you tonight on “Courtroom Insider” at 6:30 p.m. MDT.

3:29 p.m. Wood asks if any of Tylee’s medical history were problematic to explain her death. Warren says not in his opinion.

3:27 p.m. Warren reviewed Tylee’s medical records. She had a history of anxiety and had panic attacks. She had a history of ovarian cysts that caused her discomfort. She had a history of pancreatitis.

3:25 p.m. Warren says Tylee was dismembered and set on fire. This fit the criteria to have the homicide by unspecified means as the cause of death. There also wasn’t enough to do an autopsy.

3:24 p.m. Tylee’s cause of death: homicide by unspecified means. After reviewing all the information and performing the autopsy, Warren believes Tylee was killed, but because of the state of the body, he can’t say exactly how. Larry Woodcock just stood up and left the courtroom.

3:22 p.m. Warren also did Tylee’s autopsy. It took about a week because she was not intact. Tylee was received in multiple bags. Two were body bags, and the third was a brown paper bag that contained five sealed bags inside. Human remains were inside all the bags – bones, tissue, organs, and a lot of mud, dirt and other debris.

3:20 p.m. GHB was also found in the liver. GHB is a depressant and can be used as liquid ecstasy. This can be used for medicinal or recreational purposes. Warren was concerned when he saw it, but it could have been produced postmortem. It also could have been ingested.

3:17 p.m. Warren tries to get blood, urine and vitreous fluid during autopsies. Because of the state of decomposition, they were unable to get any fluids. Hair samples, a liver sample, a rib and tooth samples were sent away for testing. Low levels of ethanol, likely from decomposition, were found in the liver. Theobromine and caffeine were also found. Warren wasn’t concerned about those substances.

3:16 p.m. Warren saw no rib fractures or bone abnormalities on x-rays. JJ’s lungs showed decomposition changes but no evidence of natural disease. Sections of JJ’s lungs were looked at under the microscope, and there were no signs of any natural disease.

3:15 p.m. Warren says incisions were made in the body to get access to the brain, heart, lungs, liver and other organs. JJ’s organs were intact but had some decomposition. Warren found decomposition changes but no sign of overt trauma or natural disease in looking at it or looking at tissues under the microscope.

3:13 p.m. There was possible bruising on JJ’s ankles. Warren notes sometimes decomposition can look like bruising, so they take extra steps to determine if the bruising is legitimate or decomposition. The marks on the arms were indeed bruising, Warren says.

3:11 p.m. The autopsy consists of an external examination and an internal examination. Warren looked for any sign of trauma or natural disease on JJ’s body. Warren saw no external signs of disease but there were scratch-live abrasions on the left side of JJ’s neck. There was also bruising on JJ’s right and left upper arms and diffused hemorrhage under one of JJ’s right thumbnail. The hemorrhage means there had been force or trauma to the finger.

3:09 p.m. JJ was covered with duct tape and he was in red pajamas. His body was in a state of decomposition. Not much of his skin was showing because there was so much tape on him. Photos were taken. The pajamas and socks were taken off and given to law enforcement. Warren removed the plastic bag around JJ’s head and neck. The duct tape was taken off the arms and legs and given to law enforcement. Other evidence was collected from JJ’s body. Hand, nail, oral, anal and penile swabs were taken.

3:07 p.m. Warren says the first time he saw JJ, the child was in a black body bag. Warren broke the seal of the body bag, and JJ was wrapped in a black tarp with multiple strips of duct tape. “That was really the first time I got a good look at JJ.” Warren says there was a plastic bag over JJ’s head. As this is being described, Larry Woodcock bows his head and is wiping tears from his eyes.

3:07 p.m. JJ Vallow’s cause of death: asphyxia by plastic bag over the head and duct tape covering the mouth.

3:05 p.m. Warren was involved in the autopsy of JJ Vallow on June 11, 2020. It happened at the Ada County Coroner’s Office. It was the first time Warren had ever seen JJ. The autopsy lasted approximately four hours.

3:03 p.m. Wood asks Warren to describe forensic pathology. He says it’s the practice of pathology combined with the legal system. Warren says the cause of death if the natural event or traumatic injury that sets into a series of events that causes somebody to die. A heart attack or gunshot wound to the head would be a cause of death. Manner of death deals with the circumstances surrounding the death. There are 5 options: natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined.

3:02 p.m. Rob Wood is questioning Warren. He asks Warren to describe his training and how he became board certified.

3 p.m. Warren’s job is to try and determine why a person died. He needs to determine the cause and manner of death. His office performs autopsies for Fremont and other counties. Warren has performed over 1,500 autopsies in his career.

2:59 p.m. Warren’s office investigates a wide variety of deaths – non-natural deaths like suicides, accidents, homicides along with some natural deaths. A young person who dies without explanation would be investigated by Warren’s office.

2:55 p.m. Zulema leaves the courtroom. Next witness is Dr. Garth Warren. He is a forensic pathologist for the Ada County Coroner’s Office. He has practiced seven years in Idaho and five years in Colorado.

2:54 p.m. Zulema says Tammy was dark and had become a zombie. She was no longer alive. Charles was a zombie. He was no longer alive. JJ was dark and was no longer alive. Tylee was dark and was no longer alive. Blake has no further questions. Zulema is released from the stand, but Prior wants her under subpoena.

2:52 p.m. Chad told Zulema he could visualize spiritual weapons and then remove them. Blake asks about the Seven Gatherers email account. She asks about castings, and Zulema says Chad and Lori spoke about castings with her at different times.

2:50 p.m. Chad told Zulema she could control the weather and told her to practice her gift. She learned about spiritual attacks in the scriptures and Chad and Lori also spoke about them. The way they described the attacks differed than what Zulema had read in the scriptures. Chad and Lori were far more detailed.

2:49 p.m. Chad indicated that he could communicate through the veil and Zulema believed he could. Blake asks Zulema where she learned the idea of cutting a cord. Lori and Chad taught about how the spirit needed to be attached to the body by a certain amount of cords. Those cords needed to be cut before a person died.

2:48 p.m. Blake asks who was teaching at the house about the translation process. Chad was teaching, Lori was sitting on the couch as a student. Blake asks about Chad staying at Lori’s house during the conference. Chad was the only man. Zulema did not stay the entire time – she left after being given a blessing. Blake asks if Chad’s teachings were part of the standard LDS teachings. Zulema says no.

2:46 p.m. Blake asks Zulema about the meeting with Hermosillo and the other officers. She asks if more was discussed in the interview. Zulema says yes, more than likely. There were many interviews. Blake asks Zulema if it was Lori she would usually talk to about the spiritual topics. Zulema says she would talk with Lori but the ideas originated from Chad.

2:45 p.m. Blake asks Zulema if they have met before. Zulema says yes. Blake asks if her testimony has changed based on meeting with Blake. Zulema says no, and her testimony is based on her own experiences and recollection.

2:43 p.m. Prior asks Zulema if she remembers Hermosillo mentioning that she has had inconsistent statements in the past. Zulema says yes. Prior says he has nothing further. Blake will now conduct re-direct.

2:40 p.m. Prior says Hermosillo was aiding Zulema with her statements. Blake objects and moves to strike. Boyce grants the objection. Prior asks the question another way. Blake objects again. Boyce sustains again. This happens a few more times, and Boyce tells Prior he needs to move on.

2:37 p.m. Prior asks about the purpose of the meeting being to get her story straight. Blake objects, and Boyce grants the objection. Prior follows up by asking what Zulema’s understanding of the meeting was. She says there were some inconsistencies, and Hermosillo wanted to be ahead of “what you’re doing right now.”

2:36 p.m. Prior asks if Hermosillo was aiding her to try to make it so defense attorneys could not attack her. She says yes. Prior asks if during the meeting, she was attempting to get her story straight if they had to testify in this case. Blake objects and Boyce overrules the objection.

2:34 p.m. Jurors are back in. Prior asks the court reporter to read back the last question: “Was there ever a time that there was a discussion about attempting to make your testimony credible?” Prior tells Zulema she’s had a chance to review a recording of her with police. He asks the question and Zulema says, “Yes.” Zulema says Hermosillo was trying to reconcile her statements to Gilbert police and the statements she was giving them.

2:29 p.m. Hermosillo says Zumela told Gilbert Police that she didn’t know how to get a hold of Alex and Chad. Hermosillo asks why she told them that. Prior stops the recording. Boyce says that jurors can be brought back in now and Prior can pick up with his last question – was there ever a time where you had a discussion about making you sound credible.

2:27 p.m. Hermosillo says they are trying to eliminate things Lori and Chad’s defense will bring up during trial. Hermosillo says part of the defense could be they try to pin the crimes on other people or make Zumela not look credible. Hermosillo says in order to make her look credible in court, they want to get ahead of inconsistent statements.

2:25 p.m. Prior plays a recording from a police interview with Zulema, Hermosillo, Kaiakamanu and attorney Garrett Smith. Hermosillo says some of the statements Zulema gave Gilbert Police are different from what she told Rexburg Police. Zulema asks if they were statements from around the time Alex died.

2:23 p.m. Boyce says he will now take up an evidentiary issue that will take around 10-15 minutes. Jurors are being excused.

2:21 p.m. Prior asks if there was ever a discussion with law enforcement about attempting to make Zulema’s testimony credible. She says she doesn’t recall. Prior asks for a sidebar.

2:20 p.m. Prior asks Zulema if she was interviewed by anyone prior to her testimony today. Zulema says she had interviews with the prosecutors when she arrived in Boise on Sunday night. Prior asks how many police officers have interviewed Zulema. She doesn’t know.

2:18 p.m. Prior asks Zulema when she started dating Alex and how often they saw each other. Zumela says they had one dinner date in August 2019. Between August and November, Zulema and Alex saw each other around three times. They got engaged on Nov. 7, 2019. They were married at the end of November.

2:14 p.m. Prior asks Zulema if she has heard who is accused of shooting at Brandon Boudreaux. Zulema says Alex Cox. Prior asks if she knew Alex was involved. She says no. Prior asks if Zulema was involved. She says no.

2:12 p.m. Zulema wrote to Lori, “I have to go to work. lol.” Prior asks what that means. Zulema says it’s just a comment. Zulema told Lori she had a vision. Prior asks if Chad or Lori told her to have the vision. Zulema says nobody tells you to have a vision – you have them on your own.

2:10 p.m. Prior ask Zulema if she recalls sending Lori an email about having a vision in the celestial room. She does. Prior asks the date of the email. Zulema doesn’t recall, so the bailiff shows her the email. It was from Nov. 29, 2018.

2:08 p.m. Prior asks about an email on April 14, 2019. Zulema wrote that angels still talk to men and women. Prior asks what it means. Zumela says Lori had visitations from angels.

2:06 p.m. Many of the jurors are rubbing their eyes and their heads are bowed. One has his eyes closed. Quite different from this morning when they were taking notes and seemed engaged with the testimony.

2:03 p.m. Prior asks Zulema when Lori first met Chad. Zulema says it was in October 2018. Zulema emailed Lori and told her that she was to be protected and Zulema would be her protector. Zulema learned this during her meditation and prayers. She said it was if angels were jumping for joy saying, “Yes, yes, yes!”

2:01 p.m. Prior asks about a third eye on the forehead, a phrase Zulema used in an email. Zulema says energetically, there is a third eye on the forehead between the two eyes. Prior asks if Zulema actually sees a third eye on the forehead when she sleeps. Zulema says no.

1:58 p.m. Prior asks Zulema about another email from December 2019. He shows her the message to refresh her memory. Zulema sent this email to Lori and said she had been attacked by some demons while she was sleeping. Zulema heard a voice of something unrecognizable next to her. Zulema told Lori she saw demons attacking Lori in her dream. Prior asks if Chad or Lori told Zulema that she was being attacked by demons. Zulema says no. She experienced it without prompting from Lori or Chad.

1:55 p.m. Prior asks Zulema if Lori encouraged her to have the energy session with Stacy. Zulema says it was something she did herself. Prior quotes from part of the email where metal cages are put up to block energy. Prior asks if this is consistent with her LDS beliefs. Zulema says no – it’s inconsistent. Zulema then wrote she cut the cords and all the records were kept of her. Zumela doesn’t remember who she was talking about. Zulema wrote she would create a storm and bring protection to you. Zulema says this was done energetically and spiritually.

1:53 p.m. Zulema reviews the email and Prior asks her about having an energy session with her friend Stacy. Zulema says the person connects to your energy and then sees if there is any negative energy or things that would influence you negatively. This email was sent to Lori in February 2019.

1:51 p.m. Prior asks Zulema if she has any recollection of talking to other people about her visions. Zulema says yes. Prior asks if she recalls talking about cutting cords. Zulema doesn’t. Prior asks to refresh her memory with an exhibit.

1:48 p.m. Another exhibit is shown with numbers listed on the paper. There are circles and lines next to the numbers. Prior asks her to explain what the drawing means. Zumela says this comes from information Chad had given her over the phone about her prior life.

1:46 p.m. Prior shows the back of the restaurant receipt from Firebirds. It shows the drawings of the light/dark scale. Prior says he’s confused about what this means. The higher number on the light scale, the better it is for the person. The higher number on the dark scale, the worse it is. Zulema says this particular drawing was done by Lori at a luncheon. Chad was not there.

1:44 p.m. Prior asks Zulema what her knowledge of portals is, other than what Chad and Lori told her. Zulema said she doesn’t have much knowledge other than what’s in the movies.

1:43 p.m. Prior asks Zulema if she has a phone or something she’s looking at. Zumela says no – she has her hands. Prior asks Zulema if she recalls hearing Chad talk about Tammy having a short life. Zumela doesn’t recall.

1:42 p.m. Prior asks where JJ was when Lori went to Hawaii. Zulema says JJ was with Charles. Prior asks if Lori ever mentioned that she was trying to convince Charles to make her the beneficiary of his life insurance. Zulema says no.

1:41 p.m. Prior: “Isn’t it true you were quite specific in your responses to the prosecutor about her questions?” Zulema says yes. Prior: “And yet when I ask you a question about Lori moving to Texas, you don’t remember.” Zulema responds, “I don’t remember the date.”

1:39 p.m. Prior points out that Charles did not die. A second casting was held. Prior asks Zulema if the vast majority of the information she got was from Lori passing along what Chad told her. Zulema says that’s correct.

1:37 p.m. Prior asks when the first casting was. Zulema says the end of March 2019. Prior asks if at the end of the casting they received notice that Charles Vallow died. Zulema says Chad and Lori taught that the person had already died, and there was a 2-minute window where an evil spirit could come into the body. Zulema says Chad and Lori taught the body was already dead and it was being occupied by an evil spirit. Zulema says if a casting worked, it would be more accurate to say the body would finally die naturally.

1:36 p.m. Prior asks if the Seven Gatherers account was used regularly. Zulema says it was used but doesn’t know the number of documents. Prior asks if it was used frequently. Zulema says probably. Prior asks if Melanie Gibb was running the casting on Charles. Zulema says no – it was Lori Vallow.

1:33 p.m. Prior continues questioning Zulema. He asks about castings and if Chad and Lori ever spoke of killing a body during a casting. She says no. Prior asks Zulema who was present for the casting of Charles. The first time it was Christina, Nicole, Serena, Melanie Gibb, Lori and Zulema. Prior asks if it was a Seven Gatherer casting. Zumela doesn’t remember if the email had been created at that time.

1:28 p.m. The jurors are now being brought in.

1:26 p.m. Boyce says the police interview is nearly four hours, which is problematic to admit for the jury. Boyce says he’s not going to allow the exhibits in but Prior can ask Zulema about what she said. Boyce says Zulema’s statements don’t rise to the level of being inconsistent based on Idaho law.

1:25 p.m. Prior argues that Zulema’s testimony about the body dying when possessed was inconsistent – she said in court that the body had to die but in the police interview, she didn’t talk about the body being killed. Blake argues the statements are not inconsistent.

1:23 p.m. Boyce says the clips were played to refresh the memory of the witness and for the judge to see if there were inconsistencies in her statements. Boyce asks Prior what the inconsistent statement was. Prior says Zumela testified that the email was used a few times, but during the police interview, and she said it was used a lot more.

1:21 p.m. The next clip is played. Prior stops it and says he has the wrong spot. He slips to the clip he intended to play. Zulema talks about Seven Gatherers group exchanging information through a shared email address. Zulema says they used it for a little bit. Zulema is asked if she still has access to the account. She says she doesn’t know.

1:20 p.m. Prior asks for a sidebar. Boyce says no – we need to keep things moving and the jury isn’t in the courtroom.

1:17 p.m. We see another police interview of Zulema speaking with Fremont County Det. Vince Kaaiakamanu and the FBI agent. Prior begins to play the clip, and Blake objects saying the issue being discussed on the tape hasn’t come up. Boyce says there’s no reason to continue playing the clip because it’s way out of the scope. The objection is sustained.

1:13 p.m. Prior plays the first clip. We see Zulema talking to police. She is asked if she believes about the demon being in a body and the way to get the demon out is to kill the body. Zulema says no – the way Chad explained it is the demon would be expelled, put a protection around the body so no other entities could come in but Zulema says they never spoke about killing the body. They only talked about expelling or casting out the bad spirit, she told Hermosillo.

1:10 p.m. The jurors will remain outside the courtroom as Prior publishes excerpts of Zumela’s police interview. Boyce says this is being allowed to refresh Zumela’s memory.

1:09 p.m. We are back in the courtroom. Attorneys have been meeting with Judge Boyce in chambers. Zumela remains on the stand. John Prior will continue cross examination.

11:54 a.m. Blake says Prior has not followed the rules on admitting the exhibit. Boyce is ready to rule. He says to admit the entire exhibit would be premature, and he denies the admission. We are now breaking for lunch. Be back at 1 p.m.

11:52 a.m. Prior moves to admit the entire interview that is over 3 hours long. Prior says he plans to call Zulema back during his defense. Blake objects to admitting the evidence as a cumulative waste of time. She says there have to be inconsistencies in the testimony versus the police interview, and there haven’t been any shown.

11:51 a.m. Prior plays a clip and asks her to identify the people in the video. She is there along with her attorney, Garrett Smith, Rexburg Det. Ray Hermosillo and someone she believes is an FBI agent – Ricky Wright.

11:49 a.m. Prior says the exhibit is from a police interview with Zulema from Oct. 2, 2020. The interview is over three hours long. Prior will play a clip for Zulema to identify.

11:46 a.m. Prior asks to admit a recording. Prosecutors ask to approach. Boyce says there is an issue that needs to be discussed outside the presence of the jury. The jurors are dismissed for lunch while the matter is argued.

11:41 a.m. Prior asks about demons being cast out of bodies. He asks if she ever discussed the topic of killing anyone. She says no. She says Chad and Lori taught that if the casting was successful, the demon would be cast out, and the body could die.

11:40 a.m. Zulema would practice in her mind how to predict the weather. Prior asks if she was ever successful at predicting the weather. She pauses and says, “I don’t believe so.”

11:38 a.m. Prior asks Zulema if she believes she has any special gift. She says no. Prior asks if she believes she can predict the weather. She says no. Prior asks if she ever believed in the past she could predict the weather. Zulema says yes. Chad and Lori told her she could predict the weather. Chad told her to practice how to predict the weather.

11:36 a.m. Prior asks if, in the LDS faith, blessings are unusual. Zulema says they are not. Prior asks about light and dark and if anyone can determine who is light and dark. Chad told Zulema he had access to his portal and was getting information from the spirit world about light and dark.

11:33 a.m. Prior asks about the weekend Chad stayed at Lori’s house and they played basketball together outside. Prior asks how many people were staying at Lori’s house. Zulema says 4-5. Prior asks if there was any romantic interest between Chad and Lori at the time. Zulema said there didn’t appear to be. Lori was being flirtatious with Chad while playing basketball, Zulema says, and Lori said, “Are you scared of me?” Zulema understood it to mean that Lori was asking if Chad was scared of being alone with her.

11:32 a.m. Prior asks about the St. George meeting where Chad was speaking and selling books. Prior asks if Lori was pursuing Chad. Zulema says she was very flirtatious toward him, and she was the aggressor.

11:30 a.m. Prior asks Zulema if she has been granted immunity by cooperating with the police. She says that is true. He asks how many times she has spoken to the police. Zulema says she has spoken to law enforcement several times.

11:29 a.m. Prior asks Zulema about her ability to judge people’s character. “I believe that I have been an overly trusting person,” Zulema responds.

11:27 a.m. Prior asks about Zulema’s professional skills and experiences. She has worked as an insurance company manager, an instructional assistant and she currently works for vocational rehabilitation. Prior asks Zulema if she considers herself to be an educated person. Zulema says yes.

11:26 a.m. Chad talked about his near-death experiences, and after his near-death experience, he no longer had a veil and could see into the spirit world.

11:24 a.m. Zulema recalls meeting Chad at a Preparing a People conference in Mesa when she bought some of his books. These were classes on preparing for emergencies and preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

11:21 a.m. Zulema met Melanie Gibb when she moved near her home in 2017, and they attended the same Latter-day Saint ward. Gibb invited Zulema to a meeting at her house in Sept. 2018. Zulema met Lori at this meeting for the first time. The purpose of the meeting was for Lori to share her testimony. Lori shared that she had visitations from angels and the angel Moroni. Lori also said she was a personal witness of Jesus Christ and had a physical meeting with Jesus.

11:19 a.m. Prior asks if Melanie Gibb ever contributed to the Seven Gatherers. Zulema says it is possible, but she doesn’t recall. Prior asks Zulema if she remembers anyone sending emails in the Seven Gatherers. Zulema says there were a few. Zulema says it wasn’t a club – it was an email address that was shared among the group.

11:18 a.m. Zulema says Seven Gatherers was an email address that was formed by lady in the group – maybe Christina. A few ladies emailed back and forth, but there was never a formal meeting or discussion about the group. An email address and password were shared in the group.

11:16 a.m. They shared information and articles with each other via email. Prior asks if the group was very familiar with the words “Seven Gatherers.” Zulema says yes. Melanie Gibb and Melani Pawlowski previously testified that they did not know what Seven Gatherers was.

11:14 a.m. Prior begins by asking about the Seven Gatherers. Nicole, Christina, Serena, Melanie Gibb, Melani Pawlowski, Lori and Zulema were the members. They would gather in person and on Zoom to share information and do castings.

11:13 a.m. Blake has no further questions. Prior will now cross-examine.

11:12 a.m. Chad told Zulema that she had been on the earth when Jesus Christ came to the Americas and she had been killed with Lori in a very violent way – she had been raped, killed and her body was dismembered.

11:10 a.m. Zulema says Alex’s demeanor changed quite a bit after the call. He’s normally joking and laughing. After the call, he was very quiet, somber, kept to himself and started saying things to Zulema that didn’t make sense. “I think I’m going to be their fall guy,” Zulema quotes him as saying. Zulema asked what that meant. Alex wouldn’t say anything. Zulema was getting frustrated with Alex. She walked back and forth to talk with him. “I think I’m being their fall guy,” he said. “Zulema, either I am a man of God or I am not.”

11:08 a.m. The night before Alex died, Chad and Lori called him to say Tammy’s body was getting exhumed. It seemed strange to Zumela that the body was getting exhumed and that Lori and Chad were telling Alex this news. Zulema asked Alex, “If they exhume her body, are you going to be tied to anything that happened to Tammy?” Alex said no.

11:07 a.m. The Saturday before Alex died, he said he was going to Mexico for the day. He left in the morning and was fine but came back sick that night. As Zulema speaks, many jurors are taking notes.

11:06 a.m. When Alex visited for Thanksgiving, he read the patriarchal blessing Chad had given him to Zulema. As Alex read it, he cried “because he really believed what was in there.” Alex died on Dec. 12, 2019.

11:06 a.m. Zulema learned Tylee and JJ were missing from Melanie Gibb. Zulema talked to Alex about it, but he didn’t say anything. The last information Zulema had from Lori was JJ was with Kay. Zulema wondered why Kay would be asking for a welfare check if she’s the one who had JJ. Alex just said, “Yeah, huh.”

11:05 a.m. Zulema says Chad and Alex became very close over time. Alex believed what Chad told him and would do what Chad asked “especially because he would tell him what to do through a blessing, and it was Jesus Christ telling him what to do.”

11:03 a.m. Alex relied on Lori and Chad “for everything,” Zulema says. Alex and Lori were very close. Chad told Alex the only reason he had come to earth at this time was to be Lori’s protector. Alex took that to heart and believed he was there to protect his sister.

11:02 a.m. Zulema often turned to Chad for spiritual answers. Alex went to spend Thanksgiving at Zulema’s house in Arizona. He told her that he had seen Chad and Lori before he went to Arizona, but they stopped returning his texts and calls. Alex was very upset. He said, “Can you believe they are being such jerks after I helped them? Now they don’t even want to talk to me.”

11:01 a.m. Chad had a pendulum in his back pocket. Zulema asked a question, and Chad pulled it out and said, “We could ask.” Zulema said, “No, thank you.” She had never seen the pendulum before.

11 a.m. On the way back from Hawaii, Chad and Lori had a layover in Gilbert. They were staying at a hotel and asked Zulema to pick them up and take them to the airport. Zulema asked where JJ was. Lori said she had given JJ to Kay Woodcock. Chad and Lori were acting like newlyweds – “they couldn’t keep their hands from each other.” Neither of them appeared sad – they were very happy and giggly.

10:57 a.m. Zulema and Alex began officially dating on Oct. 31, 2019. They got engaged at Alex’s apartment in Rexburg on Nov. 7. Alex gave Zulema a diamond ring – size 5. Alex and Zulema didn’t know where Chad and Lori were but while they were visiting, they received photos of Chad and Lori getting married on the beach in Hawaii.

10:56 a.m. Zulema was at home in Arizona when Gibb called and said Tammy died. Lori said the day after Tammy’s funeral, Chad was going to move into Lori’s apartment. From the beginning, Chad and Lori talked about the need of them being together to start their missions to build Zion and gather 144,000.

10:54 a.m. Zulema spoke to Alex that day about her new car. They did not discuss the casting, and Alex did not talk about what he had done that night. Zulema learned from Melanie Gibb about Tammy’s death. Lori told Zulema that Chad and Lori had received new information from angels that taught them how to do a successful casting to finally cast out a demon. Lori said that’s what happened to Tammy.

10:53 a.m. Zulema says she learned much later that someone had attempted to shoot Tammy that night. The night of the casting, Zulema says Lori was on the phone and was very irate and upset. Zulema says Lori was calling the person on the phone “moron, idiot, stupid,” and was so mad. After she hung up, Lori said, “Idiot can’t do anything by himself.”

10:51 a.m. This was the same day of the “paintball” gun incident in Tammy’s driveway. Zulema, Lori and Melani Pawlowski gathered at Melani’s house for a casting. Lori said they had never information on how to do castings and this time the cosmos would be involved. It was just Zulema and Lori in this casting.

10:50 a.m. Blake asks Zulema if she ever heard anyone talk about The Book of Life. Chad said he had access to The Book of Life so he could read someone’s life, past, present and future. Chad never showed the book to Zulema. Zulema recalls hearing that Tammy had been possessed by demons and had become a zombie. Zulema participated on a casting on Tammy on Oct. 9, 2019.

10:48 a.m. The next page shows the names James and Elaina – meaning Chad and Lori. Seven children are listed underneath their names. Melani Pawlowski, JJ Vallow are listed under the names of James and Elaina. Zulema saw these documents for the first time on paper, and the ratings were on Chad’s computer.

10:46 a.m. Many people in Lori’s family were rated as dark. All of Chad’s children were rated as light, Zulema says. JJ and Tylee were deemed zombies and possessed.

10:44 a.m. Blake moves to admit some exhibits. The first one we see shows two pages. There are handwritten names on the side. The names of Chad’s children are written on the paper. On the other side of the page, there are names of the Cox family with ratings. Zulema says Chad provided all of the ratings.

10:41 a.m. Zulema expressed her concerns to Lori and she responded, “Don’t worry about it. Melly (meaning Melani P., Lori’s niece) had enough money for all of us.” Zulema later asked Melani about this and she had no idea Lori had said this.

10:40 a.m. We are back in the courtroom. Zulema continues her testimony by saying she did not want to move to Rexburg. She had no family, ties, jobs, etc. but Chad pushed for her to move.

10:10 a.m. Zulema did not want to move to Rexburg. She was not dating Alex at the time but they were getting to know each other. Chad gave Alex a blessing and started the same way – that Jesus was next to him and telling Chad what to say. Alex started sobbing when Chad told him all his sins were forgiven. Morning break time. Back in 20-30 minutes.

10:08 a.m. During the trip, Zulema observed Chad and Lori being very romantic with each other. Zulema went to Mesa Falls with Alex, Lori and Chad. Alex was driving, and Zulema was in the front. Chad and Lori were in the back seat hugging and kissing. Chad gave Zulema a blessing during her visit. He said, “Jesus Christ is standing right next to me, and he’s saying this to you: ‘All of your sins are forgiven.’ And he’s telling you it’s time for you to leave Babylon and move to Rexburg.”

10:07 a.m. Zulema says Lori got rid of the service dog. After Melanie Gibb visited Rexburg, she and Zulema got together. Gibb said she learned during her trip to Rexburg that JJ had become a zombie.

10:06 a.m. Before Lori moved to Rexburg, she had told Zulema a few times that Tylee had been possessed by a dark spirit named Hillary. Lori got that information from Chad. Lori told Zulema that JJ was being attacked in the middle of the night by dark spirits, and they couldn’t get him, so the spirits would enter JJ’s service dog.

10:05 a.m. Zulema visited Rexburg in September 2019. She stayed in Alex’s apartment and visited Lori’s. Zulema never saw Tylee. Lori said Tylee “had to be freed,” and when Zulema asked for an explanation, Lori put her hand against Zulema’s face and said, “Don’t ask.” Lori never provided any information about where Tylee was. JJ was there.

10:01 a.m. Lori moved to Rexburg with Tylee, JJ and Alex at the end of August 2019. Zulema asked Lori what she was going to do in Rexburg. Lori said she would live off the $6,000/month Social Security benefits. Lori told Zulema that if anything ever happened to Charles, he had a $1 million policy and Lori was the beneficiary. Lori was very upset that Charles changed the beneficiary before he died, and Lori was not getting the $1 million.

10 a.m. Right after Charles was killed, Chad and Alex were acting like really close friends. Zulema recalls hearing about zombie at Firebirds and the term kept coming up. Alex believed there were zombies and told Zulema if he ever turned into a zombie “just shoot me in the face.”

9:55 a.m. During the same meeting, Chad said JJ was going to die young – probably soon – and he was going to come right back to earth as Colby Ryan’s son. Chad gave Zulema a blessing. He said he was telling her what Jesus Christ wanted him to say and that Zulema needed to move to Rexburg. Chad said Zulema was going to get married soon. Zulema had zero ties to Rexburg. Chad also gave Alex a blessing. Alex told Zulema that Chad said he also needed to move to Rexburg and Alex was going to be one of the warriors who was going to fight invasions from other countries. Rexburg was going to be a place of safety, and Alex was going to play a key role in being one of the defenders of the area. Zulema says Alex bought into it 100% “so much that Chad was leaving the following day to go back to Rexburg and right then Alex booked a flight to go to Rexburg with Chad so he could see the sites.”

9:53 a.m. Chad said his and Lori’s mission in this life was to build Zion and gather the 144,000. Lori and Chad said they were the leaders of the group. Blake asks Zulema about the Church of the Firstborn. Chad said he was the head of the church, and he was the one who would gather people who belonged to the church.

9:52 a.m. Chad said Tammy was going to die early, and he had a portal in his house where he would get communication and instruction from the spirit world. He got information through the portal that Tammy was going to die soon. Lori told Zulema that Chad created a portal for her in her closet and this is where they communicated with each other.

9:51 a.m. Zulema asked Chad why he and Lori were together like that when Chad was still married to Tammy. Chad said he and Lori had been married to each other seven times before in other lives, and they had been exalted together in other worlds. They were to be together in this life because they had a mission together, and their spouses would understand because of the mission they needed to complete. Lori said it didn’t count for them.

9:49 a.m. Zulema asked Alex if he was going OK. He said, “Yeah, why?” Zulema said, “Because you just shot someone.” Alex responded, “Zulema – he was a zombie!” Alex 100% believed what Chad was telling him, Zulema says. Zulema saw Chad in August 2019 when he came to visit Lori’s house. Lori and Chad were physically romantic, holding hands, she sat on his lap, they hugged and touched each other like girlfriend and boyfriend. Zulema had never seen them that physical before.

9:47 a.m. Lori told Zulema that Charles had come over to take JJ to school. Charles had left his phone in the house, and Lori started looking through it. Lori said Charles came back inside and demanded his phone. Lori didn’t want to give it to him so they started fighting. Alex and Tylee were both there. Tylee walked into the room with a bat telling Charles to leave. Charles took the bat away and hit Alex on the back of the head with the bat. Alex took his gun out and shot Charles.

9:45 a.m. Zulema says the teachings of Chad and Lori evolved. Zulema says the castings on Hiplos were never successful. The day after Charles died, Lori asked Zulema to come to her and that’s when Lori told Zulema that Charles was dead. Lori seemed quiet and somber, Zulema says. Alex seemed normal.

9:43 a.m. Blake shows another page from Zulema’s journal. It is the order in which castings were performed – cast out, burn, dispel, banish, expel, purge, evict. The next page shows the order of the priesthood – dispel, encapsulated, cast out, burn out, escorted, sealed.

9:40 a.m. It seemed weird that Lori moved with Charles to Texas after all the problems and fighting they had – and the fact Charles was possessed. Blake asks Zulema about the Seven Gathers. This was a group of women who got together to do castings. The Seven Gathers were Christina, Nicole, Serena, Melanie Gibb, Melani Pawlowski, Lori and Zulema. Most of the time the group would turn to Lori for answers, who got her information from Chad.

9:37 a.m. Chad and Lori said Alex’s spiritual status had changed so he was now able to come to the casting. Lori gave assignments to the group, and Alex was always the warrior. Zulema says after the second casting, Lori called Chad, and Chad said it had been successful. Later on, the group found out that another dark spirit had entered Charles’ body. This dark spirit was a high dark spirit – an experienced demon who had done this before to others. This demon was called Hiplos.

9:35 a.m. Lori called Chad after the casting, and Chad said it was a success – the casting had worked. Later on, Chad said Ned had been cast out, but another dark spirit took over Charles’ body. This evil spirit was named Garrett. Another casting was held with the same people, but Alex also joined in.

9:31 a.m. Zulema said Lori once mentioned she and Charles were having financial issues, but there weren’t any other problems that Lori spoke about. In March 2019, Zulema had Gibb, Christina, Nicole, Serena and Lori come over for a casting of Charles. Lori explained that everyone needed to hold hands, and she gave everyone a different part to say. They then casted the evil spirit out of Charles. Charles was not physically present. Zulema says throughout the entire casting, Lori was in communication with Chad, and Chad was giving instructions.

9:30 a.m. The first time Lori talked about someone being possessed by a dark spirit or demon was during their lunch at Firebirds. Zulema had never heard about dark spirits coming into bodies. Lori said that’s what happened to Charles Vallow, her then-husband, and Charles was now possessed by a dark spirit named Ned. Lori got this information from Chad.

9:25 a.m. The next page from Zulema’s journal shows 24 people on the earth who were part of a council. The name Serena is on the diagram. Chad said Serena was no longer light and was moving toward the dark side. She was a very dark high priestess, according to Chad. Blake asks what caused Serena to move to the dark list. Zulema says Chad didn’t give any reason – it was a mystery to her. Zulema later found out that Serena had questioned Chad about his teaching of not needing repentance. Because she questioned him, Chad deemed her dark.

9:24 a.m. Because Zulema had already been exalted in another world, Chad told her she was on this earth now to help and assist the work of God. Chad said there was no need for repentance if you had already been exalted in another world. Lori used to say all the time, “It doesn’t count for me,” and “It doesn’t count for you either,” Zulema says. Lori would hit something and say, “Doesn’t count for me.” Zulema says all this information came from Chad.

9:22 a.m. Blake asks what Chad taught about exaltation. Zulema says after you experience a probationary time, you become a righteous person who is spiritually minded. You then become exalted and have a place in the celestial realm. Zulema says it’s taught in her church that people can become exalted, but the way Chad was teaching was different. He taught that if you came in another world, you became exalted so you already had your place in the celestial world.

9:21 a.m. The next part of the receipt shows Lori drew Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. After that, there was council of 12, council of 48, etc. All of this was being given to Lori by Chad, Zulema says.

9:19 a.m. Lori wrote on the receipt the numbers of people on the earth who were 2s, 3s, etc. There were billions of 2s, billions of 3, only 1,200 people were 4.1 light, 7,000 4.2, only 700 4.3, and only one person who is a 6 light and a 6 dark. Equal number on light and dark.

9:17 a.m. Lori drew the diagram on the restaurant receipt. Zulema kept the receipt. Blake shows the receipt on the screen. It displays eternal rounds at the top, the five worlds where one could come, and the bottom of the receipt shows Chad rating people on whether they are light or dark.

9:15 a.m. The lunch was at Firebirds. They had lunch again at the same restaurant Feb./March 2019. Chad was not there. During the lunch, Lori made a diagram similar to the one Zulema had written down. Lori went through the creations and worlds and ratings of people.

9:13 a.m. Chad told Zulema she was going through the vibration process. The next page of the journal shows one of the circles of the entire creation – all the times a person comes to one of the worlds. It shows how a person moves up in a spiritual descent – 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc. The left hand side shows what happens to a person if they become dark. Zulema was rated 4.2 – according to Chad. Chad discerned light and dark.

9:10 a.m. The exhibit is entries from a journal Zulema kept in 2019. The first page we see on the screen lays out what Chad taught about three phrases of translation – emotional, spiritual and physical. Each one would go from 0-100%, vibrations would go from 0-1000% and around 80% there is a big test in order for you to get to 100%. Then you move on to the next phase.

9:06 a.m. Zulema had never heard anything like this before, but she was open to it. Blake moves to admit another exhibit. Boyce asks for a brief sidebar.

9:03 a.m. Chad told Zulema she lived in different worlds. She had come to the third world five times, to the fourth world four times and to the fifth world four times. Chad told Zulema he was the brother of Heavenly Father and Jesus. In another creation, he had been the Holy Ghost. On the diagram, there is a circle with the word “limbo.” Chad and Lori told Zulema that when a person passes away, there was a small time where the body was a viable body. It could be occupied by a dark spirit or demon. Because the body no longer has its original spirit, the spirit could not move to the spirit world but would go to limbo.

9 a.m. Chad told Zulema about her past lives and gave her a rating – a 4.2 light. Blakes moves to admit an exhibit Zulema drew after speaking with Chad. It is shown on the screen. Zulema explains that Chad and Lori were teaching that in one realm of creation, there were five different worlds to which one person could come to.

8:57 a.m. Zulema said Lori and Melanie Gibb started a podcast, and Chad was going to be a guest. After the podcast, Chad said he wanted to go to lunch because he had information he needed to give to Zulema. Lori, Gibb, Chad and Zulema all went together. Lori and Chad didn’t want Gibb to hear what Chad was going to tell Zulema. Chad said he would call Zulema later. When he called, he said he was able to read people’s past lives and he wanted to give Zulema a reading of her past lives.

8:56 a.m. The day after the conference, Lori was supposed to have a meeting at her house. Zulema did not go to the house but instead went to the temple. When Zulema walked into the celestial room, Chad and Lori were sitting together. They both stood up and walked to Zulema. Lori told Zulema not to tell anyone that they were in the temple.

8:54 a.m. Chad said there were three phases to translation: the physical part, the spiritual part and the third part she can’t remember. With each part, you go up on vibration and when you hit 100, you move onto the next phase. Zulema had never heard translation taught this way, but she was open to the idea.

8:53 a.m. Chad praised Zulema a lot during the blessing. During that weekend, everyone gathered in a room. There were around 6-7 women there – no other men. Chad sat in the middle of the room and he taught everyone the doctrine of translation. Charles was out of town with JJ so Lori could have the house for guests.

8:51 a.m. Chad gave Zulema a blessing during that weekend. Zulema says usually when you receive a blessing, it is tailored to the specific needs you may have at that time. This blessing was different. “It was almost as if Chad was looking into the future for me and he was telling me how special of a person I was, how many gifts I had and all the things that I was going to do in the future. It was very, very different than what I used to.”

8:50 a.m. At another conference near Lori’s home, Lori had a gathering afterward at her house. Zulema attended and went outside with Chad and Lori. Lori started playing basketball and asked Chad to play with her. “It was very uncomfortable for me. I felt like a third wheel, so I said I was going to go inside the house. Chad said he was going to go inside with her. Lori said, ‘Why are you going inside – are you scared of me?'”

8:49 a.m. Chad told Lori that they were the angels who were supposed to gather the 144,000, according to Zulema.

8:47 a.m. On the way home from the conference, Lori asked Zulema and Melanie to search the scriptures for certain things – anything to do with James the Less and Doctrine and Covenants 77:11 (which has to do with the 144,000). Lori didn’t expand on why she wanted information on James the Less. Lori later told Zulema that Chad had told her in a previous life that they had been married and Chad was James the Less, who was one of Jesus Christ’s disciples. Lori was his wife, and her name in that previous life was Helena.

8:46 a.m. Zulema recalls Lori being flirtatious and “putting on the moves” on Chad when they first met. Chad was “very giggly” and laughing a lot with her. Zulema knew Lori was married to Charles Vallow. Zulema also knew Chad was married.

8:45 a.m. Zulema met Chad at a conference in Mesa in the summer of 2018. Zulema says she did not stay in contact with Chad but she stayed in touch with Lori. She developed a friendship with Lori after the St. George conference in 2018. Zulema traveled with Lori, Melanie Gibb, Michelle and another woman to the conference.

8:44 a.m. Zulema’s attorney, Garrett Smith, is in the courtroom. He also represents Ian and Melani Pawlowski. Lindsey Blake is questioning Zulema. She asks Zulema how she met Lori Vallow. They met in 2018 at Melanie Gibb’s house.

8:41 a.m. Next witness for the state: Zulema Pastenes. She was married to Alex Cox and was very close with Chad and Lori.

8:38 a.m. Attorneys are back at their tables. Boyce is on the bench. Jurors are being brought in.

8:33 a.m. The attorneys are meeting with Judge Boyce in chambers.

8:28 a.m. There are likely 50-60 people in the gallery today – one of the busiest days we have seen. Larry Woodcock is here. Rex Conner, Lori Vallow’s uncle, is also here.

8:25 a.m. We are back in the courtroom for day 18 of Chad Daybell’s trial. He’s in a light blue shirt with a red tie. He is seated next to John Prior. At the prosecution table – Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood, Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake, Fremont County Dep. Prosecutor Rocky Wixom and Special Prosecutor Ingrid Batey.