Man given death penalty for killing his wife and his girlfriend’s 2 children

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho jury unanimously agreed Saturday that convicted murderer Chad Daybell deserves the death penalty for murdering his wife and his girlfriend’s two young children, a sentence that puts end to a grim case that began in 2019 with the search for two missing children.

Wearing a shirt and tie, Daybell, 55, sat with his hands in his lap at the defense table. He showed no emotion upon learning that he will face the death penalty for the murders of Tammy Daybell, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, and 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow.

When the judge asked if he wanted to make a statement, Daybell declined.

Jurors found him guilty Thursday and decided on the death penalty after deliberating for just over a day.

The children’s mother is Lori Vallow Daybell, whom Chad Daybell married shortly after his wife’s death. Vallow Daybell was convicted last year of all three murders and is now awaiting trial in Arizona, charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. Charles Vallow was JJ’s father.

The case began in 2019, when a family member called the police. Investigators soon realized that both children were missing, and a multi-state search was launched. Almost a year later, his remains were found buried on Chad Daybell’s property. Tylee’s DNA was later found on a pick and shovel in a shed on the property, and JJ’s body was wrapped in trash bags and duct tape, according to prosecutors.

During a nearly two-month trial, prosecutors alleged that Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote fiction about the end of the world, promoted unusual spiritual beliefs, such as apocalyptic prophecies and tales of possession by evil spirits, to justify the murders.