This week’s takeaways from the Chad Daybell murder trial
BOISE, Idaho (ABC4) — The first full week of Chad Daybell’s murder trial came to an end Friday afternoon, but the trial will resume next week.
Chad Daybell is being tried for the murder of Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow — the two children of Lori Vallow, his wife who was sentenced to life in prison in 2023. Daybell is also on trial for the murder of his former wife Tammy.
ABC4.com offers daily updates on the trial, but if you missed a day or two this week, here is a brief summary of some of the key takeaways presented in court this week.
LEARN MORE: A complete timeline for the Daybell, Vallow murders
Rituals, zombies and a lack of sorrow
One of Lori’s close friends, Melanie Gibb, testified on the stand. Gibb said Chad labeled people as “dark,” and people with that label were later referred to as zombies. Gibb said Daybell was the only one who could tell if someone was a zombie.
According to Gibb, Daybell told those close to him that Tammy, JJ and Tylee were zombies — shortly before they died or disappeared.
Gibb said Chad and Lori believed that, after performing rituals to cast out dark spirits, a person’s body would naturally die if another spirit didn’t take its place.
Furthermore, a former FBI agent testified about text messages exchanged between Chad and Lori. The two were exchanging messages about their marriages in past lives and how they would be together again, even while Tammy was still alive.
The agent said neither Chad nor Lori showed signs of sorrow after the death of Lori’s husband Charles. Instead, they were more upset that his $1 million life insurance policy went to his sister.
MORE DETAILS: Chad Daybell Trial Day 7: No sorrow over death of Lori Vallow’s husband, texts show
‘Bodies possessed’: Daybell’s search history revealed
On Tuesday, prosecutors questioned FBI Tactical Specialist Nicole Heideman, who was tasked with reviewing web searches on accounts belonging to both Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow.
Information revealed Daybell reportedly searched for things like “malachite” and “bodies possessed after original occupant dies.”
Heideman said possession was a common thread throughout the investigation, with some of the names being searched being being aliases of Chad, Lori and victims associated with the case.
Daybell also reportedly searched for wind direction the day before he allegedly burned and buried the body of Tylee Ryan. Vallow’s search history reportedly showed inquiries regarding child life insurance and wedding dresses in Hawaii, among other topics.
MORE DETAILS: Chad Daybell Trial Day 4: Live stream and updates as trial continues
‘Previous lives together’: Friend shares story of how Chad and Lori met
Lori’s friend, Melanie Gibb, said Chad and Lori met at a conference in Southern Utah in 2018.
Gibb said she knew both Chad and Lori were married to other people at the time they met, but said, “They seemed to be attracted to each other.”
Gibb said she was told by Lori and the she and Chad were planning to be “resealed like they had been in previous lives together,” and that Lori often turned to Chad for advice. Through Chad, Gibb said Lori learned more about spiritual possession and “castings” to remove evil spirits.
Gibb said she became suspicious after the disappearance of JJ and confronted Lori about it, especially after police were told that JJ was with Gibb.
Gibb also said she was told that Tammy (Chad’s former wife) was becoming suspicious of Lori and Chad, but before Tammy died, Lori said Tammy was supposed to continue her mission on the other side of the veil (meaning after she died).
‘No pets or children’: Realtor letter, financial records
In November 2019 — just days after the death of Chad’s previous wife Tammy Daybell — Chad and Lori flew to Hawaii to get married.
Court exhibits show Chad sent a letter to a realtor about a property, and in the letter, he said he and Lori had “no pets or children.” At the time the email was sent, prosecutors highlighted the fact that investigators were still searching for Tylee and JJ.
Within days of Tylee’s death, records show Lori emptied her daughter’s account, and had previously moved Tylee’s social security deposits into her own.
Travel records also showed Lori traveled to Missouri with her niece, and Lori used Tylee’s phone, despite there being no record of Tylee traveling with them.
Lori was also receiving Social Security benefits after the death behalf of herself and JJ after the death of her husband Charles Vallow.
A forensic accountant with the FBI testified that Daybell sent money to his children when investigators searched his property for the first time and when the investigation into the missing children was announced.
On the day the bodies of Tylee and JJ were found, Daybell reportedly sent a total of $26,000 to three of his children.
MORE DETAILS: Chad Daybell Trial, Day 5: State uses financial records to establish murder timeline
Daybell gave a ‘patriarchal blessing’ to Lori’s brother
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a “patriarchal blessing” is said to “contain personal counsel from the Lord.”
This type of blessing is given by a church leader with a specific title and status — a title and status that Chad Daybell did not have. However, he gave a “blessing” to Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, and a recording of it was presented in an exhibit.
In the recording, Daybell said, “I want to begin by opening up the portals of time and going back to your previous creations in which you lived.”
The blessing was administered about a month before Cox died.
MORE DETAILS: Chad Daybell Trial Day 4: Live stream and updates as trial continues
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