Photo: Ada County Sheriff's Office
Following his conviction for the murder of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and her two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and seven-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, Chad Daybell now faces the possibility of the death penalty. An Idaho jury found Daybell guilty on all charges, including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and insurance fraud.
The sentencing phase of the trial began immediately after the verdict was delivered, with Judge Steven Boyce providing preliminary instructions to the jury. The same jury that decided on Daybell's guilt will also determine his sentence.
The children's bodies were discovered on Daybell's property months after they were last seen. The case gained national attention after JJ was reported missing by his grandparents in 2019.
During the trial, which began in early April, the jury heard from over 75 witnesses. Prosecutors argued that Daybell and his current wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, conspired to commit the murders for "money, power, and sex," justifying their actions with doomsday-focused religious beliefs.
Daybell's defense attorney, John Prior, argued that the children's late uncle, Alex Cox, was responsible for the murders. Two of Daybell's adult children testified in his defense, maintaining their father's innocence.
Lori Vallow Daybell was convicted of murder in 2023 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. She is currently in Arizona facing charges related to the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, who was shot by Cox in 2019.