Chad Daybell Trial: Prosecution's opening statements.

The trial Chad Daybell started today. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder as well as three counts of conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of Tammy Daybell, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow along with Grand Theft and insurance fraud.

Rob Wood gave the opening statement for the prosecution. "Two dead children buried in the defendant Chad Daybell's backyard." Wood began.

He talked about how in September of 2018 Tylee and JJ have been buried in Chad's backyard followed by his wife Tammy found dead in their bed the following month. He said that just seventeen days later Chad was photographed laughing and dancing on a beach in Hawaii at his wedding to Lori Vallow, a woman who is his mistress and the mother of Tylee and JJ.

Wood said that Chad made sure no person and no law could stand in his way. Wood said that Chad's desire for sex money and power led him to pursue those ambitions and this pursuit led to the deaths of his wife Lori's two innocent children.

Wood talked about how Chad was an author who wrote books about the apocalypse. He said that Chad was a seemingly ordinary man who craves significance. He worked in journalism, and he worked as a sextant in a graveyard.

Wood said that Chad met Tammy in 1990 at Brigham Young University. They settled down in Utah and had five children. He said that Tammy was a full-time homemaker and her love for her family was boundless.

Wood talked about how Tammy and Chad had a small publishing company which Tammy supported in many ways. They moved to Idaho where Tammy became a beloved school librarian. She was devoted to service, her community and her faith.

Wood then started talking about Lori Vallow. He said she was a homemaker from Arizona.

She was married to her fourth husband Charles Vallow and was the mother the Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow.

He said that Tylee was a normal vibrant teenage girl who loved her friends her jeep Chipotle and her little brother JJ. And JJ was a 7-year-old boy on the autism spectrum who required extensive special care and loved his sister.

Wood: "You'll hear about a pivotal date Set in motion the deaths of Tammy, Tylee and JJ."

He said that date was October 26th, 2018, the day that Chad and Lori met at a religious conference in St. George, Utah. When they met, they were both still married to other spouses.

Wood talked about how even though Chad and Lori were married to other people they started an affair.

He said that Chad's own text messages would prove that in his thirst for sex, power and money, Chad created an alternate reality where they called themselves James and Elaina. Names that Chad claimed were from past lives. Wood said that the text messages between Chad and Lori would show their lust and plans love. That Chad said that he was happier with Lori than he had been in the last 50 years and how he was captivated by Lori's appearance and spoke about their sexual encounters on many occasions.

Wood said, "More than anything else Chad's obsession with Lori was rooted in her adoration for him." He said Chad called her and exalted goddess who came back to Earth for a special mission. Part of that mission was for them to be together and to get rid of obstacles. Wood said those obstacles were Tyee and JJ and Tammy. He said that any who opposed Chad and Lori were labeled as dark spirits or even zombies.

Wood said that the evidence would show this was a convenient narrative to dehumanize people who stood in their way. That this narrative gave them the pretext to remove people from this world for their good.

Wood talked about how Lori and Chad preached that only through spiritual intervention sometimes called casting, burning or even death that these dark spirits would be cleansed.

Then Wood talked about Lori's brother Alex Cox. He called Alex a devoted brother and said that Chad and Lori manipulated Alex through promises of spiritual rewards.

He said that after the deaths of Tylee JJ and Tammy, Chad gave Alex a blessing in which Chad told Alex that his earned the privilege to be in their religious group.

Wood said that there were text messages between Lorri and Chad talking about how Alex could implicate them. He also said that shortly before Alex died On December 12th, 2019, he had told his wife Zulema, who is set to testify, that he was afraid he was going to be a Chad and Lori's fall guy.

He then talked about how Lori's husband Charles was labeled dark by Chad and then was shot and killed by Alex in Arizona. He said that Lori stood to gain one million dollars or so she thought. She didn't know that the beneficiary of Charles is 1-million-dollar life insurance policy was no longer her she would find that out later. Wood said that when Lori found out that she wasn't the beneficiary she text Chad "I'll still get the $4,000 a month from SS," Chad text back, "It will be interesting to see if it got changed after he had two bullets in his chest."

Wood then talked about how Tylee who was last seen on September 8th, 2019, was also granted dark and a zombie and her charred and dismembered remains were found buried on Chad's property.

He said without the $1 million in benefits to support them Lori illegally cashed Tylee's monthly Social Security check which had been provided after the death of Tylee's father, who was Lori's third husband.

Wood said that according to Chad JJ was also possessed. After he was labeled a dark entity, his life tragically came to an end as well. Later his bound body was found buried in Chad's backyard too. JJ had been suffocated. While JJ was missing Lori continued to cash his Social Security benefits which was provided from Charles's death.

Wood described Tammy as a vivacious, happy mother who was another individual labeled as a dark spirit to be removed. He said that on October 9th, 2019, Tammy reported that she was shot at with what she thought was a paintball gun at night by a man wearing all black. Just ten days later, on October 19th, she died in her own home with Chad present and soon after he had increased the value of her life insurance to more than $400,000. He said that Chad hurried and cashed in Tammy's life insurance policy and then began looking at condos in Hawaii with Lori. He said that the court would see the rental application that he put in for a couple without kids. Wood said that medical examiners would come to the conclusion that Tammy's death was a homicide. Wood said, "You will hear from multiple witnesses that Chad predicted multiple times that Tammy would die an early death."

He said that 17 days after Tammy's death, Chad and Lori got married and celebrated on a beach in Hawaii. He talked about how Chad and Lori were preparing their wedding before Tammy died such as Lori had shopped for wedding rings.

Wood said that two things led law enforcement to Chad and Lori's door.

He said that on October 2nd, 2019, Lori's nephew in law Brandon Boudreaux was shot at in Arizona from someone in what he believed to be Tylee's Jeep. Law enforcement investigating the shooting in Arizona contacted law enforcement in Idaho to look for Alex and to look for Tylee's Jeep. The Jeep was later found in Idaho.

He said that meanwhile JJ's grandmother hadn't seen him in months and was concerned so she asked the police for help. The police found Lorie in Rexburg Idaho and did a welfare a check at her apartment on November 26th, 2019. Wood said that when the police asked Chad about Lorie, he first said that he didn't know her very well.

He said that lies by Lorrie to police about J J's whereabouts, then the move to Hawaii, and Lori's unwillingness to present her children to law enforcement to prove their well-being led to her arrest and extradition.

Wood said as Lorrie continued to fail to produce her children to law enforcement, law enforcement kept investigating the children's disappearances.

He then talked about the raccoon text that Chad had sent Tammy on September 9th, 2019, which was the day after the last known public appearance of Tylee. He said that the court would hear from the FBI agent that found a message that this text was longer than the messages that Chad usually sent Tammy. Woods said that in the text to Tammy Chad said that he had an unusual morning that he had shot a raccoon and buried it in what they call the pet cemetery and that he had a fire on the property where he burned some limbs.

Wood said that when law enforcement went to Chads property the following June, they didn't find a raccoon they found Tylee's burnt remains buried in the pet cemetery and they found JJ buried nearby under a tree by a pond.

Rob then stated a timeline of important events in the case.

• October 26, 2018- Chad and Lori meet in St George UT 
• July 11th, 2019- Lori's husband Charles was shot and killed by Lori's brother Alex Cox. 
• Between August 31st and September 1st, 2019- Lori, Alex, Tylee and JJ moved to Rexburg ID just a few miles south of Chad's home.
• September 8th, 2019- Tylee's last known sighting. 
• September 9th, 2019- The raccoon text Chad sent to Tammy.
• September 22nd, 2019- JJ's last known sighting.
• October 2nd, 2019- The attempted homicide of Brandon Boudreaux in Arizona.
• October 9th, 2019- Tammy was shot at.
• October 19th, 2019- Tammy's death.
• 17 days later- Chad and Lori married in Hawaii.
• November 26, 2019- Law enforcement did a welfare check looking for JJ in Rexburg Idaho.
• November 26th and 27th- Chad and Lori leave town.
• June 9th, 2020- Tylee and J J's remains were found on Chad's property.

Wood said that there would be many people testifying some experts and some people that knew Chad he also recited the charges.

Wood ended his opening statement with this line "Members of the jury...your verdict will be the ink that writes the final chapter of this tragic saga." 

Dylan Rounds Body Found

Dylan Rounds, a young man who went missing nearly two years ago, has been the focus of an extensive search. His skeletal remains were recently discovered in a remote area of northwestern Utah. Here are the key details:

Disappearance: Dylan Rounds was last seen on Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Montello, Nevada, where he stopped at the Saddle-Sore Bar for a meal. Two days later, on Saturday, May 28, 2022, he spoke with his maternal grandmother on the phone.

Farm Owner: Dylan owned a farm in Lucin, Utah, which he purchased with his grandfather in 2019. He spent most nights living in his camper on the farm.

Suspect: James Brenner, who had been “squatting” near Dylan’s property, emerged as a suspect. Brenner had a criminal history and was found to possess firearms and black powder.

Charges: On March 3, 2023, James Brenner was charged with “criminal homicide,” “aggravated murder,” and “abuse or desecration of a human body” in connection with Dylan Rounds’ case.

Wrap Sheet: Chad Daybell

 

Jasmine Morris and Demetrius Broadnax were shot and killed at a night club.

 

On October 20th, 2013, at around 3 a.m. 21-year-old Jasmine Morris and 27-year-old Demetrius Broadnax were at the Homewood After Hours Club at the intersection of Kelly Street and North Homewood Avenue in Pennsylvania when their dancing was interrupted by gunfire. 

Officers were patrolling the area when they noticed several people running from the club. Two women approached the officers and stated they had been shot. The officers were then approached by the club’s owner who said there were two other people shot inside. 

The officers then found Jasmine and Demetrius on the ground and unresponsive. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other people also went to local hospitals with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Jasmine's friend Tiffany Hopkins was dancing with her when she was shot and killed. 

"She was saying, 'Dance with me,' and just fell in my arms, just fell, because we were twerking and she just fell and she said, 'Tiff, I got hit. I got hit," Hopkins said.

Jasmine leaves behind two boys and a girl.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Homicide Unit at (412)-323-7161.

Bobby Moore was killed by a gang.

 

25-year-old Bobby Moore was fatally wounded in South Chicago on Monday evening of October 27th, 2014.

It was around 7:40 p.m., Bobby was standing on a sidewalk with a group of friends in the 8300 block of South Kingston Avenue when someone got out of a dark vehicle and began firing shots.

He was taken to Advocate Christ Hospital after being shot in his neck and chest. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

No one is in custody for the shooting, which was gang related.

Lance Braxton was shot and killed while playing dice.

36-year-old Lance Braxton was fatally shot on October 8, 2015, while playing dice at the 5800 block in his Austin neighborhood of West Chicago. The incident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. when at least two other people walked up and started shooting. Lance and another 36-year-old man were both shot and were driven to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. Unfortunately, Lance succumbed to his injuries 30 minutes later.

His case remains unsolved.

Security guard Raymond Murray murdered in front of his home.

25-year-old Raymond Lionheart Murray was a kindhearted person who had no problems with anyone. He graduated from Kenwood High School in 2007 and then attended St. Augustine University in Raleigh, N.C., for two years on a band scholarship in which he played the trombone. He returned home to Chicago in 2009 to take care of his mother, a registered nurse, after her health began to decline.

Ray had been employed as a certified armed security guard at a Chicago Housing Authority complex. On his way home from work at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 2nd, 2014, Ray was shot and killed in the 7800-block of South Jeffrey Boulevard. Someone in a dark-colored car opened fire on Ray. He died at the scene and relatives say his wallet and phone, along with his licensed handgun, were missing.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Chicago Police Department at (312) 746-6000.

Palmer was murdered. Can you help bring his killers to justice?

Palmer Ocilee Walthour was born on April 18, 1984, to Izabella Dowels and Willie Walthour Sr.

Just before 6:30 a.m. on October 10th, 2015, at a Citgo gas station on South Orange Trail near Apopka in Orlando, Florida, deputies found Palmer with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital and put on life support where he died 3 days later.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.

 

Cynthia V. Johnson was murdered while standing up for others.

 "That smile, it's just magical. I think and I'm blessed with that smile. That's why I know she's looking down. She's smiling at me right now." -Ashley Tuggle.

Cynthia V. Johnson had a great smile and radiated strength. She moved to Louisville from Richmond, Virginia to start over. In October of 2012 she had sober for a year and made it her mission to encourage other women who were fighting the same battle.

On the evening of Monday, October 9th, 2012, Cynthia along with her daughter Ashley were accompanied by a group of women and headed to church. The group just left a store and were on 39th Street and Broadway they were approached by a group of men who took one of the women's phones and then punched her in the mouth. Cynthia stood up and said that they didn't have to hit the lady. They then shot Cynthia and ran.

"Anyone you talk to about my mother will let you know that she saved them. She gave them strength to continue to keep moving forward. Please bring my mother's death to justice. I'm left alone out here."-Ashley Tuggle.

If you have any information that could help their investigation call (502) 574-LMPD.

Foul Play or Runaway? The disappearances of David Williams, Steven Anderson and Kenneth Schweighart.

DAVID EDWARD WILLIAMS was born on Tuesday, October 9th, 1962, in New Lisbon, New Jersey.

STEVEN EUGENE ANDERSON was born on March 25th, 1957, in Westville New Jersey.

On April 7th, 1975, 12-year-old David and 17-year-old Steven were roommates at the New Lisbon State School for Retarded Males.

New Lisbon State School for Retarded Males is now called the New Lisbon Developmental Center. It was surrounded nearly 1800 acres of woods. It was uncomfortably overcrowded and had many shades of abuse and neglect. There were roaches in food and mice droppings and lice in the cottages. There have been kids violently abused. One of the latest cases was back in 2011 when James Hollis Jr. arrived at a nearby hospital from the New Lisbon Developmental Center with a body temperature was 84 degrees. His left hip and several ribs were broken, and he was unable to stand. He ended up succumbed to his injuries and died.  His death was ruled that hypothermia, complicated by the neglected hip fracture resulted in his death.

In 2003, a federal report documented 4,400 potentially harmful incidents that went on at the facility. Which included 242 classified as major because they involved broken limbs or cuts requiring stitches. As a result, the center was monitored until about August 2009.

According to a 2001 report by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services detailed deficiencies at the center, notably understaffing. That same year, there were also two fatalities that were ruled accidental and two that were classified as homicides.

David and Steven were last spotted around 4:15 pm on April 7th, 1975, walking towards their home on campus after they played on a nearby ball field with some of the staff members. 

David was last seen wearing a dark-colored polo shirt, a small blue corduroy jacket, striped pants and a protective seizure helmet. He is mentally disabled and has epileptic seizures. He is required to take daily medications, and he did not have his medicine with him when he vanished. At the time of his disappearance, he was a black, 5ft 113pound male with black hair and brown eyes. David had previously fractured his left femur. 

This is a composite of David that was made back in 2018.

Steven was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue pants and a blue hooded jacket. Steven is moderately mentally disabled. He has trouble communicating and isn't capable of caring for himself. At the time of his disappearance, he was a Caucasian 5ft7 to 5ft 9, 141pound male with brown hair and hazel/blue eyes. Steven's upper front tooth was chipped and has chicken pox scars on his abdomen. He fractured his right clavicle as a child. His nickname is Teeve.

This is a composite of Steven made back in 2018.

David and Steven weren't the only residents of the facility to go missing. 

Kenneth Arthur Schweighart was born on June 25th, 1935, to Charles Sr. and Anna Schweighart. He had lived at the facility for approximately four years. He was last seen campus at 11:45 a.m. on March 2, 1982. He was last seen wearing a green checkered shirt, a blue jacket and blue pants. He is nonviolent with a mildly mentally disability and has an IQ of 58. At the time of his disappearance, he was a Caucasian male with graying brown hair, blue or brown eyes and may have had a scar on his forehead.

If you have any information, please call the New Jersey Human Services Police 609-633-1935.