Chad Daybell Trial Liveblog Day 2: Detective describes finding children’s bodies
BOISE, Idaho (ABC4) — The second day of the Chad Daybell murder trial brought more grisly testimony from an Idaho detective who found the bodies of 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan.
Rexburg Detective Ray Hermosillo again took the stand Thursday, describing to the court in graphic detail how the children’s bodies were dug up from Daybell’s property in east Idaho. He had begun his testimony on Wednesday as the state’s first witness.
PREVIOUS STORY Chad Daybell Trial Day 1 Recap: Opening statements, detective takes stand
Hermosillo told the court that JJ Vallow was found under a burn pit, in a trash bag, wrapped in layers of duct tape, wearing pajamas and a nighttime diaper. Tylee was found in what was supposed to be a pet cemetery. Her dismembered remains were discovered burned and charred inside of a melted plastic bucket.
Hermosillo said the stench of the decomposing bodies was so odious that excavation crews had to take turns digging out the bodies. “The smell was so bad we could only work for a few minutes,” he said.
The detective noted that he recognized JJ Vallow for the first time when he saw him on the autopsy table. However, when Tylee’s charred remains were brought in, he said the medical examiner said there was nothing to be done with what remained of the teenager.
While the trial is being live streamed by the court in Ada County, Idaho, the images of the children’s bodies were not broadcast due to their graphic nature.
In Thursday’s afternoon session, John Prior, Daybell’s attorney, cross-examined Hermosillo, looking for holes in his testimony.
Prior questioned him about an incident where Tammy Daybell called police after someone attempted to fire what she believed to be a paintball gun toward her. However, Hermosillo said he believed that it was not a paintball gun and Chad Daybell was connected to the incident.
Hermosillo spoke about online searches made by Alex Cox, Lori Vallow Daybell’s brother.
“The night that Tammy Daybell was shot, it was a cold evening, and Google searches were how to make an AR-15 in cold weather,” he said.
Judge Boyce said jury selection moved faster than anticipated and the next witness was not present. Court was dismissed for the week to begin again on Monday at 8:30 a.m.
Daybell, 55, is facing charges of murder, fraud, and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the deaths of JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan, and his former wife, Tammy Daybell. Last year, the mother of the two children, Lori Vallow Daybell, received a life sentence without parole for the killings.
CONTEXT Who’s who in the triple-murder trial of Chad Daybell
During the opening statements, prosecutors said that Chad Daybell and Vallow Daybell justified the three killings with doomsday religious beliefs, 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.
Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the trial is expected to take more than two months. Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Daybell is convicted.
In the defense’s opening statements, Chad Daybell’s attorney tried to paint Lori Vallow as a manipulator pulling the strings, adding that her brother, Alex Cox, was her “protector,” willing to do anything in her defense. Daybell’s attorney said that before his client met Lori Vallow the only infractions on his record were traffic tickets.
The Associated Press has contributed to this story.
As we will throughout the trial, a liveblog of the day’s events will be found below, and a live stream from the courtroom will be found at the top of this post:
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