BOISE, Idaho AP β 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.
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 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. Daybell's defense attorney John Prior presented a different picture to jurors β noting that Chad Daybell was a religious person but suggesting that his belief in things like premonitions were fairly mainstream.
He had previously been convicted of attacking Vallow Daybell's third husband, and he shot and killed her fourth husband. 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.
His legal team described her as a "beautiful, vivacious person" who drew Daybell into an extramarital relationship. Daybell's attorney also said he would present several experts in DNA, forensics and pathology who would testify that it's impossible to determine what caused Tammy Daybell's death and that none of Chad Daybell's DNA was found with the children's bodies.
