Chad Daybell’s murder trial thrown into chaos as key mistake could lead to case against ‘cult prophet’ being dismissed
A clerical error in the amended indictment could lead to the dismissal of one of the murder charges in Chad Daybell’s murder trial.
Judge Steven Boyce pointed out the error after the state rested on Thursday after six weeks of testimony.
Daybell, 55, is on trial for the 2019 murders of his former wife Tammy, and Lori Vallow’s children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ, seven. The children were found buried in Daybell’s Idaho backyard nine months after they went missing in September 2019.
The indictment, which was amended on 20 February 2024, listed JJ Vallow’s death as being between September 8-9, 2019.
Judge Boyce told the court that JJ was “clearly alive on those days.”
JJ was last seen alive on 22 September, based on evidence. It’s believed Tylee was killed between September 8-9, 2019.
An indictment filed on 25 May 2021 lists the dates as the 22nd and 23rd of September of 2019, but those were changed with the amended indictment filed in February.
Attorney Lindsey Blake said they were unaware of the error and asked the judge to give them until Monday to review it.
Daybell’s attorney John Prior argued that the prosecution had plenty of time and had already rested its case.
Judge Boyce dismissed the court, giving the attorneys two hours to prepare arguments on the matter. They will return to the court later this afternoon.
The error was spotted when Prior, asked for a “directed verdict” on the murder charges of Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, arguing that there was not enough evidence to show that Daybell was involved in their deaths. The judge found insufficient evidence to make a ruling on that motion.
Prosecutors say Daybell and conspired with Vallow’s late brother Alex Cox to carry out the murders as part of their doomsday cult beliefs and that Daybell’s “desire for sex, power, and money” led to the murders. But his defence attorney claims he was manipulated by Vallow, whom he married on a beach in Hawaii just two weeks after his wife Tammy died.
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