An Idaho jury reached a verdict Saturday that sentenced a man to death, two days after he was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in the 2019 murders of his first wife and his current wife’s two children, sealing the case. which is of interest because of the couple’s “doomsday” religious beliefs.
Jurors took more than a day to deliberate in a special sentencing proceeding in the case against Chad Daybell, 55, in Ada County District Court in Boise, Idaho.
As the clerk read the jury’s verdict on Saturday, Mr. Daybell sat expressionless at the defense table.
Judge Steven W. Boyce, of the Seventh Judicial District, noted after Friday’s verdict that prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.
On Friday, relatives of the victims delivered statements, often struggling for words.
Prosecutors said the death penalty was justified, citing aggravating factors. They argue that crimes are particularly “heinous, atrocious or cruel”; that Mr. Daybell was motivated by a desire for remuneration; and he continues to represent a danger to society.
Lindsey Blake, prosecuting, described Mr. Daybell’s extreme religious claims of having visions that could determine whether someone was “dark” or “possessed,” in which case “the body must be destroyed or dead.”
What she wants, she said, is to pursue a new life with her husband who, after collecting life insurance and other payments for rent on the beach, has “no earthly obstacles.”
Mr Daybell’s lawyer, John Prior, asked the jurors to consider the reasons behind the original charges and see whether his client was accused of promoting religious beliefs and was not motivated by money, or whether he was the only suspect in connection with the murder.
Although jurors believed he had killed his first wife, Mr. Prior said, “that does not reach the level of malice and evil” for a death penalty case.
Some relatives spoke of their immeasurable loss, pausing to regain their composure.
“My sister has been ripped out of our lives,” said Samantha Gwilliam, the sister of Mr. Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell.
He should not meet a violent end, but should doting on grandchildren and take care of animals and smile, Ms. Gwilliam added.
“I will grieve for him for the rest of my life,” he said. “I speak for them now because they need a voice.”
On Thursday, Mr. Daybell remained expressionless as he heard guilty verdicts on three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception, one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and two counts of insurance fraud.
Prosecutors filed charges in 2021 against Mr. Daybell and his wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, in the death of Joshua Vallow, 7, known as JJ; and Tylee Ryan, 16. Mr. Daybell is also charged with murder in the death of his former partner, Tammy Daybell.
Mr. Daybell and Ms. Vallow Daybell, now 50, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In May last year, Ms. Vallow Daybell was found guilty of murder in the death of her two children and conspiring to kill her ex-husband. He was sentenced in July to three consecutive terms in prison without parole.
The couple’s religious beliefs drew the attention of prosecutors and the public for their potential role in the case. According to the indictment, the couple “advocated and taught religious beliefs to justify” the children’s deaths.
One of the prosecutors, Robert H. Wood, said the killing showed “a complete disregard for human life”.
Mr. before, the defense lawyer, explained that Mr. Daybell grew up in a small town in Utah and was married for 29 years, raised five children, before the “trajectory” of life changed to “chaos” after meeting his future wife.
“The bomb Lori Vallow dropped on Chad Daybell’s life,” he added, “changed the course of his life. This is not where we’re going.
Relatives of the children and Tammy Daybell spoke of the pain they felt and mourned the lost potential.
Matthew Douglas, Tammy Daybell’s brother, said she was the “emotional heart and glue of the brothers.” Annie Cushing, her aunt, describes memories of surprise hugs from JJ and Tylee’s sweetness. “This defendant stole everything,” said Ms. Cushing.
Mrs. Vallow Daybell is referred to as “Mother of the Apocalypse” in the title and in the Lifetime documentary of that name. Mr. Daybell has written a novel with an apocalypse theme, and he and Ms. Vallow Daybell is associated with an entity called Preparing a People, which prepares its followers for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, according to the website.
The couple married in 2019, shortly after his wife, Tammy Daybell, was found dead at their home in Idaho. At first, he died of natural causes, but after his children Ms. Vallow disappeared, authorities began an investigation that extended beyond the re-examination of her death. An autopsy later revealed the cause of the suffocation.
Tammy Daybell’s death occurred about a month after Mr. Daybell increased the amount of coverage on his life insurance policy for her.
In February 2020, Ms. Vallow Daybell was arrested in Hawaii after authorities said she did not cooperate in the search for her missing children, whose bodies were found later that year on Mr. Daybell’s property in Idaho. He was arrested and charged with concealing evidence.
Emmett Lindner contribute reports.
