Trial begins in sensationalized ‘doomsday’ triple murder case
BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho man charged with three murders in an unusual doomsday-focused case crafted an alternate reality so that he could fulfill “his desire for sex, money and power,” a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday morning.
“When he had a chance at what he considered his rightful destiny, he made sure no person and no law would stand in his way,” prosecutor Rob Wood said.
Chad Daybell, 55, is facing charges of 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, Vallow Daybell, received a life sentence without parole for the killings.
Prosecutors say the couple justified the three killings by creating a detailed and apocalyptic belief system, part of an elaborate scheme to eliminate any obstacles to their relationship and to obtain money from survivor benefits and life insurance. Vallow Daybell referred to her two youngest kids as zombies, one friend testified during her trial.
“The evidence will show that this was a convenient narrative,” Wood told jurors. “This narrative gave them the pretext to remove people from this world for their own good.”
Daybell’s defense attorney John Prior presented a different picture to jurors — noting that Chad Daybell was a religious person but suggesting that his belief in things like premonitions were fairly mainstream. Prior also explained to jurors that Lori Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, had a violent history. He had previously been convicted of attacking Vallow Daybell’s third husband, and he shot and killed her fourth husband.
“Whenever there was a problem with Lori Vallow, Alex Cox ran to the rescue,” Prior said in opening statements.
Daybell’s attorney also argued that his client lived a normal, faith-focused life before he met Lori Vallow Daybell, who he said showered Daybell with attention.