Triple-murder trial of Chad Daybell begins with claims about zombies and doomsday plot
BOISE, Idaho– Opening statements are expected Wednesday in the trial of an Idaho man accused of killing his wife and his then-girlfriend’s two youngest children in an unusual case rooted in extremist religious beliefs.
Chad Daybell, 55, is charged with first-degree murder, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit murder and grand theft in connection with the deaths of Tammy Daybell, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Last year, their mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, was given a life sentence without parole for the murders.
Prosecutors say the couple justified the three killings with doomsday beliefs, part of an elaborate scheme to remove all obstacles to their relationship and obtain money from survivor benefits and life insurance. Vallow Daybell called her two youngest children zombies, a friend testified at her trial.
Chad Daybell was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and self-published fiction loosely based on its teachings.
In the fall of 2019, he attempted to fraudulently collect on his deceased wife’s life insurance policy, and Vallow Daybell continued to collect Social Security benefits from both children after they died.
Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and the trial is expected to last more than two months. Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Daybell is convicted.
The grim story began in the fall of 2019, when family members reported the two children missing and law enforcement officials launched a search that spanned several states. The ensuing investigation took some unexpected turns.
Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell were having an affair when both of their husbands died unexpectedly, investigators said. Vallow Daybell’s husband was shot and killed by her brother in Arizona in July 2019; The brother told police it was in self-defense.
A few months later, in October 2019, Tammy Daybell died. Chad Daybell initially told police she suffered from an illness and died in her sleep, but an autopsy later determined she died of asphyxiation. Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell married just two weeks after Tammy Daybell died, surprising family members and raising suspicions among authorities.
Friends later told investigators that Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell believed they had been reincarnated and were tasked with gathering people before a Biblical apocalypse.