(CN) — The mother of a self-proclaimed doomsday prophet testified Thursday about meeting her her son’s new wife, Lori Vallow, and learning that Vallow’s daughter had already died as early as November 2019.
The testimony from Sheila Daybell arrived 15 days into the murder trial of her 55-year-old son, Chad Daybell, who faces several counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, grand theft by deception and insurance fraud. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
Daybell’s charges stem from a bizarre series of events involving his religious doomsday writings and the 2019 deaths of his former wife and the two youngest children of Vallow, his current wife.
Vallow, 50, was convicted of murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges arising from the same deaths in 2023. The victims were Tammy Daybell, 49, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow.
Vallow is now serving three life sentences without parole and faces additional murder charges in the death of her former husband, Charles Vallow, and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, Vallow's niece's former husband.
Since Daybell’s trial began in early April, several witnesses from Vallow’s trial have testified again at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. On Thursday, Daybell’s mother offered a fresh perspective.
Special Prosecutor Ingrid Batey specifically questioned Sheila about a Nov. 13, 2019, dinner she attended with her husband at a Texas Roadhouse in Idaho. According to Sheila, it was the first time she had met Vallow or learned that her son had already remarried — and only a month after Tammy’s death.
“Were you surprised?” Batey asked.
“Yeah,” Sheila responded.
Batey then asked whether Daybell or Vallow told her anything about Vallow’s previous marriages or children. Sheila recalled that Vallow shared most of this information, such as that her previous husband — who Vallow’s brother shot to death months before — had recently died of a heart attack.
“She said she had a daughter that had died,” Sheila said, later adding that Vallow never mentioned having a young son.
The timing of this dinner occurred nearly two months after the last known sighting of Vallow’s daughter Tylee on Sept. 8, 2019. Vallow’s adopted son, JJ, was last seen alive on Sept. 23, 2019, in Rexburg, Idaho. Both of the children’s bodies were found buried in Daybell’s backyard on June 9, 2020.
Daybell's sister-in-law, Heather Daybell, also testified Thursday, describing how she thought his account of Tammy’s death had been scripted and that his shifts between smiles and tears at the funeral were strange.
She also said that she never wanted Daybell to bring his so-called religious prophecies to local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, adding that she had warned certain church members of his unusual teachings and that some of Daybell’s family members had accused her of being a “pot stirrer” in response to her concerns.
At one point, Fremont County deputy prosecuting attorney Rocky Wixom asked Heather why she didn’t believe in Daybell’s doomsday visions.
“Because in the belief system I had at the time, in the LDS church, just some average person doesn’t get information specific like that to share with others in my belief,” Heather said. “In my belief at the time, we had a prophet of the church that would let us know if we needed to do anything to prepare for something like that. So, in my understanding and how I had been taught, it wouldn’t come through someone like Chad.”
JJ Vallow’s grandmother, Kay Woodstock, also testified on Thursday alongside Sugar Salem School District employee Angela Yancey and retired Rexburg detective David Stubbs. Witness testimonies will continue Friday.
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