Day 2: Pool of jurors, asked about media coverage, gets smaller for Lori Daybell trial

After roughly nine hours of jury selection in the Lori Vallow Daybell trial Monday, dozens of people — potential jurors and reporters alike — returned to the Ada County Courthouse.

Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce, Vallow Daybell’s defense team and the prosecution were expected to go through several more rounds of jury groups Tuesday. Roughly 15-person groups were asked questions by the attorneys and Boyce to eliminate any jurors who might have a conflict or bias.

The process will continue until 42 vetted potential jurors have made their way through jury selection, a prosecution spokesperson previously said. So far, 30 people have been selected.

When 42 possible jurors have been selected, they will go through another round of the jury selection process until the two sides decide on 12 jurors and six alternates.

The other potential jurors will be dismissed. About 1,800 people were asked to fill out a 20-page questionnaire before the jury selection process, also known as voir dire, began. A court spokesperson declined to provide the number of jurors who were called to the courthouse this week.

Most people were excused from jury duty Monday because of the length of the trial and personal obligations, such as work, vacation or taking care of a sick loved one.

Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell — whose trial date has not been set — have been charged with first-degree murders in the deaths of her two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon “JJ” Vallow, and three counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Chad Daybell was accused of first-degree murder in the death of his former wife, Tammy Daybell.

Vallow Daybell was also charged with conspiring to kill her former husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona.

READ MORE: Lori Vallow Daybell’s murder trial begins Monday in Boise. Here’s what you should know.

5:30 P.M. — 30 potential jurors selected

A few more jurors squeezed through the jury selection process.

A total of 12 potential jurors went through the process in the sixth group. Six were immediately dismissed because of time constraints and media coverage.

“We need to find jurors who don’t know that much about the case,” Boyce said.

After going through the individual jury process, only one other juror was excused because of previous media coverage.

“My immediate assumption was that she did something,” Juror No. 119 said about reading the initial media coverage. “How do you — as a mom — not know where your kids are?”

The juror was dismissed because of familiarity with the media coverage and concerns brought by the defense about her job. The female juror worked in the medical field and worried about patients’ access to appointments if she missed work for eight to 10 weeks.

The jury selection process will resume Wednesday morning as the prosecution and defense continue their search for 42 potential jurors — 30 of whom have been selected. Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood said he’d like to only deal with two jury pools Wednesday instead of three.

“I felt very rushed today,” Wood said.

Boyce acknowledged Wood’s concerns but said he plans to call three panels Wednesday. The defense said they didn’t feel rushed.

3 P.M. — 3 jurors make it through fifth small group

A total of three jurors made it through the latest small group of 15 people. Three jurors were dismissed during the individual jury selection process because of their prior knowledge of the case or media coverage.

After nearly two full days of jury selection and five small groups of roughly 15 people, the prosecution and defense have selected 25 potential jurors. Boyce is expected to call in another small group, which will be the final group called Tuesday.

2 P.M. — Fifth jury pool group brought in; 9 jurors already dismissed

The next jury pool was brought in, and eight of the 15 jurors were quickly dismissed. The jurors were all dismissed because of media coverage and “hardship” concerns, which have often been because the length of the trial would interfere with their work or other personal issues.

Within a few minutes, another juror said he was concerned about his knowledge of the case. He said his wife told him about the case after she learned he’d been called for jury duty.

He was dismissed. There are now six potential jurors left in this group.

12:30 P.M. — ‘I’m not really a true crime fan’: 3 jurors excused because of media coverage

Juror No. 818 typically watches the nightly news. But once she was called for jury selection, her routine was put on pause.

The female juror said that while she wasn’t overly familiar with the Vallow Daybell case, she knew a few details — like the name of Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox.

After over an hour of individual jury selection, three of the remaining eight jurors were dismissed because they knew information about the case through the media. Juror No. 818 was one of the jurors excused.

That part of the jury selection process was sealed Monday. Jurors were initially asked about their prior knowledge of the case in private, as part of the process that involved sensitive questions. But after reporters’ complained that questions about jurors’ prior knowledge of the case shouldn’t be shielded, the court made the questioning about prior knowledge public.

A female juror, identified as No. 401, said she remembered hearing about the case initially but didn’t think she heard about it since 2020. She was excused because of her prior knowledge of the case.

“It’s daunting,” the juror said, when she realized which case she’d been called for jury duty.

Juror No. 536, who made it through the first round of the jury selection process, said she only knew about the case because a friend had told her about it, but that she hadn’t done her own research.

“I’m not really a true crime fan — I try to avoid all that if I can — but here we are,” Juror No. 536 said. She wasn’t excused.

The prosecution and defense were left with five jurors from the latest small group, with a total of 22 potential jurors who have been reviewed.

10:30 A.M. — Prosecution asks about religious beliefs and testimony; another juror excused

Attorney Rachel Smith, a Missouri-based attorney who is working with the prosecution, asked the remaining nine jurors if they’d have a problem listening to testimony from witnesses who have different religious beliefs.

Both Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held fringe beliefs that the end of the world was coming in July 2020, according to several news reports.

All of the jurors said they could remain impartial.

Smith also asked a juror, who is an author, whether she was familiar with Chad Daybell’s religious books. The juror said she wasn’t aware of the books.

Another juror, who had a past traumatic experience, said he was concerned about his ability to remain neutral, especially since sensitive pieces of evidence — such as autopsy photos — are expected to be presented. He was excused.

Now, the group is down to eight jurors.

9:45 A.M. — A ‘possibility of sequestration’

Roughly 30 minutes into the jury selection process, six jurors out of 15 were excused for various reasons that included work concerns, financial hardship, and inability to get time off.

A male juror, identified as Juror No. 615, told Boyce that he’d have a hard time serving on the jury as he was the primary caregiver to his daughter, who has a disability. Boyce and the attorneys allowed the juror to be excused, especially since there is still “a possibility of sequestration.”

Boyce in a January order denied the prosecution’s request to immediately sequester the jury at the beginning of the jury trial. To sequester a jury, jurors are typically required to stay in a hotel without access to the news, phone calls or Internet.

“I believe adequate steps can be put into place to not require sequestration during the course of the trial, and the court will take those steps very seriously,” Boyce said during a January hearing, according to East Idaho News.

Check this story for live updates on Vallow Daybell’s trial.