West
Chad Daybell verdict: Jury finds doomsday author guilty of murdering Lori Vallow's kids, his first wife
An Idaho jury on Thursday found Chad Daybell, husband of so-called “cult mom” Lori Vallow, guilty of murdering two of her children and his first wife in 2019.
The jury convicted Daybell on all counts, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, insurance fraud and grand theft.
Daybell, 55, and Vallow, 50, are at the center of multiple murder cases involving not only Vallow’s two children but both her and Daybell’s deceased ex-spouses. Last year, a Fremont County jury found Vallow guilty on multiple counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, for the 2019 disappearances and deaths of 7-year-old J.J. Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, with help from her husband.
The pair also conspired to kill Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s first wife, in October 2019. They were initially scheduled to have a joint trial, but Daybell’s defense attorneys got a separate trial for the self-published author in 2022, citing “mutually antagonistic defenses” between the two cases.
CHAD DAYBELL TRIAL: LORI VALLOW’S HUSBAND SEEKS DIFFERENT OUTCOME FROM ‘CULT MOM’ OVER KIDS’ KILLINGS
The trial of Daybell, charged with the deaths of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children, was set to begin in Idaho on Monday, April 1, 2024. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP)
But prosecutors have argued in both Vallow’s and Daybell’s cases that the desire for “money, power and sex” is what drove the duo to kill Vallow’s two children and Daybell’s first wife. Vallow and Daybell also stole J.J. and Tylee’s Social Security benefits between Oct. 1, 2019, when they disappeared, and Jan. 22, 2020, after they were murdered.
The two children were found dead in shallow graves on Chad Daybell’s Rexburg, Idaho, property in June 2020, months after they disappeared from their home in September 2019. The 16-year-old’s remains were burned while the 7-year-old was bound in duct tape.
LORI VALLOW TRIAL: ‘CULT MOM’ SENTENCED IN MURDERS OF 2 OF HER CHILDREN, HUSBAND’S FIRST WIFE
Lori Vallow Daybell sits during her sentencing hearing at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, on July 31, 2023. (Tony Blakeslee/EastIdahoNews.com via AP)
The Ada County coroner testified that J.J. died of asphyxiation by a plastic bag and Tylee died of homicide by unknown means due to the fact that her remains were dismembered and badly burned before they were buried.
After their children disappeared, Vallow and Daybell ran off to Hawaii to get married. Authorities arrested Vallow in February 2020 and Daybell in June 2020.
LORI VALLOW TRIAL: HEAR ‘CULT MOM’ AND HER SISTER SPEAK AFTER VALLOW’S CHILDREN FOUND DEAD
Lori and Chad Daybell were accused of killing 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old J.J. Vallow in 2019. (Rexberg Police Department)
Despite prosecutors’ emphasis on money, power and sex, there is a cult-like, religious undertone to the couple’s criminal behavior. They met in 2018 at a religious conference where they bonded over their apocalyptic beliefs and the idea that they had been married in a past life, as FOX 10 Phoenix first reported.
They referred to each other as biblical figures named James and Elena and discussed their beliefs that people can have light or dark spirits – some so dark that they could be considered zombies who needed to be removed from Earth, prosecutors said, according to FOX 10.
LORI VALLOW TRIAL: IDAHO CORONER REVEALS JJ VALLOW AND TYLEE RYAN’S CAUSE OF DEATH
Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell are accused of killing Vallow’s two kids and Daybell’s first wife. (Facebook and Tony Blakeslee/East Idaho News)
Daybell has written several apocalyptic novels based loosely on Mormon theology. Both were involved in a group that promotes preparedness for the biblical end times.
Vallow was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on five separate counts in July.
HAWAII POLICE SERVE SUBPOENA TO BIKINI-CLAD LORI VALLOW RELAXING POOLSIDE: VIDEO
During her sentencing in August 2023, Vallow told the courtroom that her deceased children were “happy” and “busy.”
WATCH:
“I have had many communications with Jesus Christ, savior of this world, and our heavenly parents. I have had many angelic visitors have come and communicated with me and even manifested themselves to me because of these communications,” Vallow said at the time. “I know for a fact that my children are happy and busy in the spirit world. Because of my communications with my friend, Tammy Daybell, I know that she is also very happy and extremely busy.”
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She added that she has “always mourned the loss” of her “loved ones” and has “lost many in this mortal world” with whom she believes she is still in communication in the spirit world.
Kauai Police Department footage shows officers handing Lori Vallow a subpoena while she sits poolside in January 2020. (Kauai Police Department/FOX 10)
Judge Steven Boyce later told Vallow that she has “mental health issues.” Her current diagnosis from February states that Vallow suffers from a “delusional disorder” mixed with “hyper-religiosity” and a “continuous and unspecified personality disorder” with narcissistic features.
“You removed your children from their home in Arizona, alienated them from friends and family… and you brought them here to murder them. You had so many other options.… You chose the most evil and destructive path possible,” Judge Steven Boyce said during Vallow’s sentencing hearing. “I don’t think to this day you have any remorse for the effort and heartache you caused.”
Officials extradited Vallow to Arizona, where she faces one first-degree murder charge and one premeditated first-degree murder charge in Maricopa County, in November 2023.
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San Francisco, CA
Jury deadlocked on 2 counts for Golden Gate Bridge pro-Palestinian protesters
A jury in San Francisco returned to a packed courtroom Thursday morning to tell a judge that it was deadlocked on two counts in the case against seven pro-Palestinian protesters who shut down traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in 2024 to denounce U.S. aid to Israel in the Israel-Hamas war.
The jury indicated that it could likely reach a decision on one of the deadlocked counts, but the other it could not. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teresa Caffese asked the jury to resume deliberations on one of the two deadlocked counts.
“Why don’t I send you back, and then we’ll go from there,” Caffese said.
Six of the protesters who chained themselves together on vehicles on the bridge and a protester who was designated to communicate with authorities are each facing eight to nine charges of felony conspiracy and false imprisonment.
The seven defendants sat in the courtroom with anticipation for a verdict, wearing keffiyehs around their necks. Dozens of their supporters packed the courtroom to the brim.
The jury reached unanimous decisions on the rest of the counts. It did not indicate which two counts it was deadlocked on.
Supporters of the seven protesters said that a verdict on the rest of the counts is expected to be read out sometime Thursday.
Denver, CO
Where to Celebrate the 4th of July in Denver This Weekend – 303 Magazine
The Fourth of July weekend is one of the biggest celebrations of the summer, and Denver is delivering a packed lineup of events for every kind of adventurer. Whether you’re looking to watch fireworks light up the Colorado sky, catch a live concert at Red Rocks, enjoy rooftop parties, indulge in seasonal food and drinks or explore the city’s thriving arts and culture scene, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Independence Day.
Here’s your guide to the best music, food, fireworks, nightlife, arts, and cultural events happening across Denver this Fourth of July weekend.
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Read: Best Rooftops to Watch 4th of July Fireworks + Sip Cocktails in Denver
Read: The Ultimate 4th of July Outdoor Colorado Music Guide
FASHION EVENTS
MUSIC EVENTS
Read: The Ultimate 4th of July Outdoor Colorado Music Guide
FOOD EVENTS
Read: Best Rooftops to Watch 4th of July Fireworks + Sip Cocktails in Denver
LIFESTYLE EVENTS
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Whether you’re dancing at a concert, enjoying a garden dinner, cheering on your favorite soccer team or exploring a new exhibition, Denver offers plenty of ways to fill your 4th of July weekend calendar. Gather your friends, support local businesses, and discover something new around the city.
Seattle, WA
COUNTDOWN: Two days until West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade! Here’s the newest info
Just two days until hundreds of West Seattle’s youngest residents will parade through the streets of North Admiral with their families, as the Admiral Neighborhood Association again presents the West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade. We’ve checked in with parade coordinators for the newest info:
>Gina Topp (SPS School Board President, Admiral resident, and owner of Mission Cantina) will kick off the parade.
–Kavya Bhatkar (age 10), a School of Rock student, will sing the anthem.
-Title sponsors for the parade are: Neighborhood Naturopathic and Primary Care and Holy Rosary.
-Food available for purchase including:
Seattle Pops
West Seattle Grounds
Where Ya at Matt
Empanadas El Pachi
La La Lemonade
Seattle Sorbet
Hawk Dogs
Sugar & Spoon
The parade starts at 10 am Saturday from 45th SW and SW Sunset, heads west on Sunset for a bit, turns south and then east, ending at Hamilton Viewpoint Park for a post-parade celebration with sack races, activity booths, the aforementioned food/treat vendors, and if they’re not called away to an emergency, an SFD truck to see. No RSVP or registration required to be in the parade – just show up (non-motorized bikes, trikes, scooters, strollers, etc., welcome, or just walk).
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