‘A healing process’: Juror from Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial writing books about case to help children in need

BOISE, Idaho (ABC4) — As Chad Daybell’s trial continues, a man named Tom Evans sits in the gallery every day to watch. Evans was a juror in Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial. He told ABC4 that he wants to take something horrible and make something good out of it, so he is writing a couple of books about the two trials in hopes of raising money for children in need.

Outside the Ada County Courthouse, Evans recounted his time as a juror during Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial. “(It was) really heavy and dark. A lot of responsibility,” he said.

A complete timeline for the Daybell, Vallow murders

Evans explained that for weeks after the trial was over, people would constantly tell him that he was different, that the trial had changed him, made him aloof and cold.

“It’s like you’re in shock and you just don’t realize,” he said. “At some point I did realize and that is when I started to heal, I guess.”

To continue healing, he decided to write a book. 

“I really wanted to tell the story because, like I said, it started out being really dark and everything about it was bad,” he said. “By the time it was over, I was so proud of everything.”

He explained that he was proud of the police, the witnesses who came forward, his fellow jurors, and the court system. He emphasized that Vallow Daybell being found guilty of the murders of her two young children is an example of the justice system at its best. 

He was profoundly affected by the details surrounding the death of Vallow Daybell’s two children.

“So, I thought even though I’m not an author, I thought I’m going to tell this story, and I’m going to donate the money I make on it to something that’s going to help children,” he stated. “That was my small way, very small way, of getting something good out of it.”

Evans plans to donate the proceeds from the books to Hope House in Marsing, Idaho. 

“It’s an organization that takes in children from anywhere in the world and they provide a home and an education,” he added.

Chad Daybell Trial Day 7: No sorrow over death of Lori Vallow’s husband, texts show

According to Evans, the book about his time as a juror is ready to go to print. However, it cannot be released until after Chad Daybell’s trial is over. Evans is attending Chad Daybell’s trial to gather information for a second book about the case.

While writing books on the case is healing for him, Evans told ABC4 that he hopes Daybell’s trial brings comfort to the victims’ families. 

“They’ve gone through a lot, way more than anybody should ever have to go through,” he said. “Hopefully this is a little bit of a healing process for them as well.”

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