Chad Daybell Trial Day 4: Live stream and updates as trial continues

BOISE, Idaho (ABC4) — The murder trial for Chad Daybell entered Day 4 on Tuesday, April 16.

On Monday, prosecutors questioned detectives about the day the bodies of Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, were found on Daybell’s property. Detectives recounted Daybell’s behavior painting the picture that he knew he was caught that day. Daybell’s defense, however, argued he was naturally nervous because over two dozen law enforcement officers were combing his property.

The issue of Tammy Daybell’s death was also discussed with the prosecution asking for clarification on why her body was exhumed, despite her cause of death being ruled as “natural.” Detectives said she had no “serious medical conditions” though the defense challenged that her family had a history of heart issues.

CONTEXT: Timeline of Daybell case

PREVIOUS: Day 3: Detectives testify about Daybell’s behavior when bodies were found

As the trial continues on Day 4, ABC4 will provide live updates at each court recess below. The trial will also be streamed live in the video player above.

Search history of accounts tied to Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow

The day started with prosecutor Lindsey Blake continuing her questioning of FBI Tactical Specialist Nicole Heideman. Heideman testified part of her job was reviewing web searches for Google accounts belonging to Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow between October 2018 and January 2020. At the time of her searches, the children were still considered missing.

A summary of web search activity from an account tied to Chad Daybell was displayed showing he allegedly searched for various information including “Ned Snider” as well as zodiac compatibility, “malachite,” and “bodies possessed after original occupant dies.”

Heideman said the concept of possession is prevalent throughout the investigation and often aliases were associated not only with Chad and Lori but with victims of the case. For instance, Heideman said Ned was often an alias associated with Lori’s husband, Charles Vallow, who was shot and killed in Arizona in 2019.

The searches also reportedly showed Chad Daybell had searched for wind direction the day before he allegedly burned and buried the body of Tylee Ryan.

Defense attorney John Prior argued that Chad Daybell may not have been the only one with access to the account as he said four people lived with Daybell. He challenged that on the day of JJ Vallow’s death, not only had Chad and Lori been around him but Melanie Gibb and David Warrick were also around.

Heideman said she wasn’t responsible for the search warrants and that as far as she knew there were no criminal investigations into Gibb or Warrick.

Prior further argued the searches may have been the result of Daybell attempting to hide his affair with Lori, as his wife, Tammy Daybell, was still alive at the time. He also said Daybell had a history of searching a variety of names and topics, which Heideman agreed was true.

The searches for malachite wedding bands and various names, including Ned Snider, Prior said, could have been a result of a plan to marry the woman he was having an affair with and curiosity about something he recently heard of. Heideman clarified the name “Ned Snider” stood out as it was directly connected to other evidence in the case.

Meanwhile, the search history for Lori Vallow showed searches for child life insurance, how to remove a rear seat in a Jeep Wrangler, news from Gilbert, Ariz. and wedding dresses in Kauai, Hawaii.

Heideman said there was no life insurance on JJ Vallow nor Tylee Ryan and a Jeep Wrangler was used in the attempted murder of of Brandon Boudreaux, Lori’s former nephew-in-law. While the prosecution said this was a connection, Prior said Chad Daybell has not been criminally implicated in the attempted murder of Brandon and there were no searches by Chad on how to remove the seat.

Prior indicated Lori Vallow had gone to Hawaii with several friends, including Audrey Barattiero and Melanie Boudreaux. He asked Heideman if she was aware that they were looking for wedding dresses for Audrey, to which Heideman replied that she was not.

Heideman later told prosecutor Lindsey Blake that she was not aware that Audrey was married or even engaged at the time.

Heideman then stepped down and Blake called up the state’s next witness, Detective Nathan Duncan with the Chandler Police Department in Chandler, Ariz.

The investigation into Charles Vallow’s death

Detective Duncan began his testimony by explaining his role in the investigation regarding Charles Vallow’s death. On the day Charles Vallow died, Duncan responded and would later take over the case full-time in 2020.

Duncan said Alex Cox, Lori Vallow’s brother, had called 911 reporting to have shot Charles “in self-defense.” Duncan recounted responding to the scene and finding Charles’ body in a sparsely furnished living room.

Duncan said there were two bullet casings found on the scene. One bullet was found on the east side of the room and an ident was found in the flooring, which he said was consistent with a bullet strike.

“The first shot would have been shot in his chest … the second shot would have been while he was lying down on the ground,” said Duncan. Crediting his experience, Duncan said he expected there to be more blood, especially if Cox had performed CPR as he claimed. Duncan also said Charles Vallow had several scrapes and abrasions consistent with a struggle.

After the mid-morning break, prosecutors presented a letter allegedly sent from Charles addressed Chad about his stay in Arizona and a book Charles had been working on.

In the letter, “Charles” asked Chad to assist as a ghostwriter, inviting him back to Arizona to help and signing off the letter with “with admiration.” Duncan testified that he found evidence that the letter was “fictitious” and not written by Charles and was where he first suspected Lori was having an affair with Chad.

Prosecutor Lindsey Blake then showed text messages where Charles confronted Lori about her affair, threatening to contact Tammy Daybell about the affair. In the text messages, Charles told Lori she was “evil. Period.”

Duncan said Charles did send Tammy Daybell emails confirming that Chad and Lori were having an affair, asking her to reply to him. Duncan said there was no indication Tammy saw or received those emails. Charles then contacted Chad, blaming everything on him and asking him to explain how his behavior was “in any way appropriate.”

Duncan said his investigation showed Charles told Lori he would be going to Idaho to confront Tammy in person. Lori replied saying Tammy was her “friend” and that “she wouldn’t see him.” Duncan said his investigation did not indicate Lori and Tammy were friends but he did find several exchanges between Lori and Chad.

On Oct. 19, 2019, the day Tammy passed away, a woman named Nicole reportedly messaged Lori confirming Tammy had died. Lori replied back saying she was in Hawaii and asked about what happened. Nicole told her Tammy “woke up in the night, threw up, collapsed, and passed away.” Melanie Gibb, Lori’s niece, messaged Lori later that day saying she heard about Tammy, to which Lori responded “Hello What?”

Prosecutors then presented text messages sent between Lori and her brother, Alex Cox, two days before Charles Vallows died. In the first text, Lori said, “So the plot thickens. Call me when you can.” Later in the day, she told him he needed to stay close and that “they” were planning an intervention. She said, “Thank you for standing by me. It’s all coming to a head this week. I will be like Nephi I am told! And so will you.”

Seven days after Charles’ death, Lori reportedly texted Chad saying she was not the beneficiary of Charles’ insurance policy.

“It’s a spear through my heart,” she wrote. “Who do you think he changed it to? Brandon? Or probably Kay?” Chad replied calling the news “terrible” but that he loves Lori. He later wrote saying, “It will be interesting if it got changed after he had two bullets in his chest.” Duncan testified that he wasn’t sure if the details of Charles’ death were publicly released at that time.

Lori later told Chad that Charles changed his policy in March, three months before he died. She said it was likely “Ned” who changed it before they “got rid of him.” She said she still got $4,000 a month from social security. Next, prosecutors presented a text where Chad likened himself to a “grown-up version of Harry Potter.”

“…who has to live with the Dudleys in his little space under the stairs,” Chad wrote. “Every few weeks I get to escape and have amazing adventures with my Goddess lover, but then I have to return to my place under the stairs, feeling trapped. But I sense permanent freedom is coming.”

Duncan confirmed this text was sent two weeks after Charles had died while Tammy was still alive.

Next, prosecutors asked Duncan about messages taken from a phone belonging to Zulema Pastenes, a former member of Chad and Lori’s religious group. Duncan explained that Pastenes was a friend of Lori’s and she later married Alex Cox.

In the messages, Pastenes told Lori she was given instructions to “rip, tar or burn the aura of Hiplos to let the body energy out.” Chad later sent a message to Pastenes saying he was grateful for her help with Hiplos saying “It’s crazy about Charles, but such a relief.” Duncan said he never saw any indication of grief in the messages he reviewed.

Prosecutors then questioned Duncan about an email sent to Chad from a “Karen Walker” and a Yahoo account called “kkwalker.” The email asks Chad to come to Texas to talk about his book in front of 400 kids. The email offered Chad a flight and a place to stay, which he later accepted. The account was linked to Lori and sent from a location in Texas where Lori was staying. Duncan said he wasn’t sure if Chad actually went to Texas or not.

Finally, before court adjourned for a lunch break, prosecutors presented a phone call Chad Daybell made to Valley of the Sun Mortuary. In the call, Chad identifies himself as “Chad Dabel,” the nephew of “John Myron Dabel.” He tells the operator he is calling for the “ballpark price” of a simple cremation and to have the remains sent to family in Louisiana. He was told the price would be about $2,000 to which he said he would call around to a few other funeral homes and the call ended.

At the end of the call, court broke for lunch.

Motion Hearing

The afternoon session started with a motion hearing regarding the manner of texts between prosecutor Rob Wood and future witness Melanie Gibb. It was ruled Wood would not be called as a witness and a motion to exclude the exhibit with the texts was denied. Judge Boyce said he will watch carefully if the messages are of relevance to the testimony of Gibb.

Chad Daybell’s Patriarchal Blessing to Alex Cox

The jurors were then brought back in for testimony, with Lindsey Blake continuing her cross-examination of Detective Duncan. Blake asked Duncan if he found a “patriarchal blessing” when he looked through Lori’s I-Cloud accounts. The patriarchal blessing was administered from Chad Daybell to Alex Cox, and a recording of it was presented in an exhibit.

In the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, patriarchal blessings are described as “inspired direction from the Lord,” which Duncan said are usually given by a stake patriarch, a calling Chad Daybell didn’t hold, meaning he was unauthorized to do so.

In the blessing, Chad tells Alex he is a part of the Church of the Firstborn and acknowledges Alex helping him and Lori in ways that can never be repaid.

“I want to begin by opening up the portals of time and going back to your previous creations in which you lived…I see you on your third creation as a valiant warrior fighting for truth and righteousness, always seeking to do what is right,” Daybell said.

Daybell said that Alex was selected by the savior in later creations to protect his sister.

“You have a special bond even from the premortal world, you connected there and as she grew in power, you were right there beside her always with a humble heart. You both always were so humble.”

Daybell’s voice grew emotional in the recording as he continued the blessing, telling Alex he is destined to be a powerful servant, with a willingness to save souls, who will bless others and “raise their vibrations.”

He also said that after many years of service, and as the second coming approaches, Alex will know when it’s time to move to the other side.

Blake asked Duncan what parts stood out to him, he included this detail about Alex knowing when he would move on, as well as the date the blessing was read, Nov. 24, 2019, about a month before Alex died.

“The other thing that stood out was at the beginning when he mentions that Alex is part of the Church of the Firstborn, that stood out to me, and third talking about how he helped us more than we can repay him,” Duncan said.

Duncan said to his knowledge, that the Church of the Firstborn is something not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In a cross-examination, Duncan and Prior spoke about details of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the detective saying he was born and raised in the church. Prior said that the Church of the Firstborn is found in a book from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called the Doctrine and Covenants.

Prior also asked Duncan if he was suggesting that Chad Daybell giving Alex Cox a patriarchal blessing meant he was involved in killing Charles Vallow. Duncan said no.

Prior asked Duncan if it is a crime for a patriarchal blessing to be given in Maricopa County even if unqualified, Duncan said it is not.

Prior then questioned Duncan about Chad Daybell not being criminally accused in the case of Charles Vallow. Prior asked Duncan if he thought if Daybell was guilty, Duncan said he recommended charges be filed for Chad Daybell in connection to Charles Vallow’s death.

After Duncan left the witness stand, both the prosecution and defense said they do not plan on calling him back again.

Social Security Payments

The final witness for the day was Social Security Agent Mark Saari, who said he was involved in the case to investigate if any Social Security fraud was involved.

He explained that Tylee Ryan received a monthly Social Security payment because her father, Joseph Ryan, died in 2018. Lori Vallow received the payments as Tylee was a minor.

JJ Vallow also received Social Security following the death of his father Charles Vallow in July 2019. Lori received Social Security payments since she was married to Charles when he died.

Saari said that Tylee received $1,859 a month, JJ, $1,951 a month and Lori also $1,951 a month.

Saari explained that the benefits were halted for Tylee when her agent could not determine her whereabouts, as well as Lori and JJ’s when an agent could not determine his whereabouts.

Saari said Lori did not report changes that she was required to, such as JJ missing, her marrying Chad Daybell, and moving to Hawaii.

Prior asked Saari if Chad had any obligation to report changes for these payments, to which Saari said if someone is aware there’s a violation and doesn’t report them, there could be a problem.

Court will continue Wednesday morning with a new witness.

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