Current:Home > ScamsChad Daybell sentenced to death for murdering first wife, stepchildren in 'doomsday' case -VitalWealth Strategies
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for murdering first wife, stepchildren in 'doomsday' case
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:07:06
Convicted murderer Chad Daybell was sentenced to death in Idaho on Saturday, two days after he was found guilty for the killings of his first wife and two stepchildren in a case that included bizarre "doomsday" religious beliefs.
Prosecutors said they were seeking the death penalty because of the "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel" factors in the murders of Joshua "JJ" Vallow, who was 7; and Tylee Ryan, who was 16 when she was last seen; and Tammy Daybell, 49. Jurors agreed and said they found Daybell demonstrated "utter disregard for human life" and would be a continued threat to society.
"The court is directed that the defendant would be sentenced to death on those counts," said Judge Steven Boyce.
Daybell did not display any emotion as he listened to the court clerk read the jury's decision, and declined when offered the chance to speak in court. He was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for each of two counts of insurance fraud.
"We are pleased with the outcome, and that justice has been served for the victims in this case," Fremont County prosecutor Lindsey Blake said after the death penalty was handed down.
Kay Woodcock, JJ Vallow's grandmother who had custody of the boy before he was adopted by Lori Vallow Daybell and her former husband, said in a victim impact statement that JJ would have celebrated his 12th birthday this week.
"I never got enough of him. Now I've had all I will for the rest of my life, and only have memories," Woodcock said in court. "There were so many lives he touched that feel the immense pain and loss of him being gone."
The children were last seen in September 2019, and a massive search spanning multiple states drew national attention later that year. Their bodies were found on Daybell's property in Idaho months later, and he was also charged in connection of the death of his first wife who died under "suspicious circumstances" in October 2019.
The children's mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole last summer for first-degree murder and conspiracy in both children’s deaths, conspiracy to commit the murder of Tammy Daybell, and an additional 10 years for grand theft. The death penalty was not on the table for the children's mother.
Investigators and witnesses close to Daybell testified about his and Vallow Daybell's beliefs the children had become "zombies" and that the couple was on a mission to rid the world of zombies as part of what they called the "Church of the Firstborn."
The couple got married just weeks after his former wife’s death, causing suspicion about the circumstances of her death, which was previously thought to be due to natural causes. Vallow Daybell's previous husband, Charles Vallow, was also shot and killed by her brother Alex Cox in Arizona where the family lived at the time earlier in 2019. Cox claimed he killed Vallow in self-defense, and Cox was never charged before he died in December 2020, The Associated Press reported.
veryGood! (24687)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Jets QB Aaron Rodgers was 'heartbroken,' thought career might be over after tearing Achilles
- 'Sound of Freedom' success boosts Angel Studios' confidence: 'We're flipping the script'
- ‘Forever chemicals’ are found in water sources around New Mexico, studies find
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- 'The View' crew evacuates after kitchen grease fire breaks out on 'Tamron Hall' set
- Greenhouse gases are rocketing to record levels – highest in at least 800,000 years
- ISIS stadium threat puts UEFA Champions League soccer teams on alert for quarterfinals
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- 'Sound of Freedom' success boosts Angel Studios' confidence: 'We're flipping the script'
Ranking
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Biden awards $830 million to toughen nation’s infrastructure against climate change
- Smudges on your TV? Make your own DIY screen cleaner with just two items
- Your Dogs Will Give Loungefly's Disney-Themed Pet Accessories a 5-Paw Rating
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Biden administration moves to force thousands more gun dealers to run background checks
- Terminally ill father shot son's ex-wife, her husband during Vegas custody hearing, reports say
- Millions across Gulf Coast face more severe weather, flooding, possible tornadoes
Recommendation
What to watch: O Jolie night
Recall effort targeting Republican leader in Wisconsin expected to fail
Oakland’s airport considers adding ‘San Francisco’ to its name. San Francisco isn’t happy about it
Man pleads not guilty to terrorism charge in alleged church attack plan in support of Islamic State
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Got kids? Here’s what to know about filing your 2023 taxes
There's a new apple hybrid that's both 'firm and tasty.' And the public gets to name it
Stocks tumble as hot inflation numbers douse hopes of June interest rate cut