BOISE, Idaho — Warning: This story may contain graphic content that may be disturbing to some readers.
Counting jury selection that began April 3 and wrapped up April 7, the trial of Lori Vallow, aka Lori Vallow Daybell, is in its ninth day. Court adjourned early Wednesday due to a death in the family of a lead prosecutor, who is back at the courthouse today.
Cameras are not allowed in the courtroom, but KTVB investigative and courts reporter Alexandra Duggan is there, bringing updates below:
3:31 p.m.: A 15-minute audio recording from Lori Vallow's iCloud account, "Lori4Style," is presented as evidence -- it depicts Chad Daybell giving Alex Cox, Lori Vallow's brother, a patriarchal blessing. Lori Vallow is present for this blessing, which according to the testifying officer Nathan Duncan, is not one that Daybell would've been permitted to give.
Duncan said from what he knows of the LDS church, Daybell did not hold the authority to provide that blessing. It is only reserved for people of high power within the church to give.
Daybell is heard clearly sniffling, telling Cox he is a "true warrior" who is meant to protect goddesses and others against evil. "They'll look to you as a hero," Daybell said.
“You will be able to be in an eternal family with eternal children… The glory will continue for you Al, on and on through eternity," Daybell said. He tells Cox in the recording that his spirit will eventually leave his body and he will be welcomed by Christ.
"You have 9 angels assigned to you now," Daybell said. "I know you will stay faithful. You have a great mission."
Alex Cox later dies of natural causes two weeks after this blessing.
Court adjourns for the day.
3:11 p.m.: Jury hears sound of Chad Daybell calling a mortuary in Chandler, Arizona, the night that Charles Vallow dies. He tells the person on the other line his name is Chad Daybal and says he's from Iowa.
He said he is looking to send the remains to Louisiana, where Charles Vallow is from, and inquires how much that will cost.
2:03 p.m.: Duncan responded to the shooting of Charles Vallow on July 11, 2019. Lori Vallow has been indicted in this shooting for conspiracy to commit murder.
Alex Cox, Lori Vallow's brother, told police he shot Charles Vallow twice in the chest in self defense during a heated argument. He called 911 a little over 40 minutes after Charles Vallow died while Lori Vallow took the kids to Burger King and Walgreens.
Duncan said there was little blood coming from the gunshot wounds, and this was odd, because Cox told the dispatcher on the 911 call that he did CPR.
Duncan says typically -- from his experience -- people with wounds excrete more blood when CPR is administered because the heart is being pumped, circulating blood.
1:51 p.m.: Det. Nathan Duncan with the Chandler Police Department in Arizona is next up on the stand. Chandler, Arizona is where the Vallows lived, and where Lori Vallow's husband Charles Vallow was shot by Alex Cox -- Lori Vallow's brother -- on July 11, 2019.
Judge gives jury more instructions. Evidence will be introduced that is apart of other alleged crimes, but is not to influence this specific case. It's purely to establish motive and behavior, the judge says. This is likely a segway into the death of Charles Vallow.
Duncan became the lead investigator on the Charles Vallow case after the previous one was promoted.
1:15 p.m.: Gibb originally said she lied to police after the Daybell and Vallow couple told her JJ was fine and not to pick up the phone if law enforcement called. She first said that JJ was with her, but then Vallow came to pick him up. This was untrue.
"I was uncomfortable, didn't know what to believe," Gibb said.
The phone call Gibb recorded with Vallow on Dec. 9, 2019 was to hopefully show people she wasn't involved in JJ's disappearance and to find out where JJ was.
"So this call was self-serving?" Thomas asked. "It was multi-serving," she replied.
Gibb tells the prosecution later she pressed Vallow over the phone because she wanted to know the whereabouts of JJ and Vallow would know.
"Why did you think Lori would know?" Lindsey Blake, the lead prosecutor, asked.
"Lori would've known because that's her son," Gibb said.
11:33 a.m.: Defense asks for the state's key witness, Melanie Gibb, to have her testimony completely stricken from the record because she met with prosecutors on Zoom last month to go over her testimony.
The state says this is normal and no new information was released. Judge Steven Boyce denies the motion, and John Thomas, Vallow's attorney, continues cross examination.
He asks Gibb, "When you went over your testimony with Blake, were you as forgetful as you were today?”
“Yes," she replies.
10:58 a.m.: The night JJ was last seen, Melanie Gibb was staying at Lori Vallow's home with her and Chad Daybell. Gibb said she woke up to speak to Vallow and went to her door, but it was locked. Gibb was staying in both Tylee and JJ's room at the time, but neither child were there at that point, Gibb said.
Gibb asked Vallow if she knew Tammy Daybell died. Vallow said she knew about it through other people.
Gibb asked what happened. She said Lori told her Tammy Daybell had a "dark entity in her and (Chad and Lori) had to do what they could to get that spirit out of her."
10:20 a.m.: During audio recording between Melanie Gibb and Lori Vallow from Dec. 9, 2019, Chad Daybell gets on the phone and says Tammy was getting weaker and her heart was failing. The officer yesterday told the jury that Tammy Daybell was in perfect health. "All these conspiracy theories make me sick to my stomach," Chad Daybell says on the phone.
Vallow and Gibb are arguing about scriptures. Gibb said Vallow has been deceived. Vallow says God has her back. Gibb said if God had her back, JJ wouldn't be missing.
Vallow tells Gibb she knows where JJ is, and that he is "happy and safe."
Gibb says Vallow's behavior is not Christ-like. Vallow replies on the phone, "My salvation is not in trouble."
Gibb says she has a gut feeling something doesn't feel right. Vallow later tells her, "Well I'm sorry you feel that way."
10:02 a.m.: We are about to listen to the audio recording between Melanie Gibb and Lori Vallow in December.
Earlier, Gibb said Lori told her Charles Vallow hadn't died yet "because Satan interfered with the plan." Lori told Gibb once her and Chad's spouses passed away, she and Chad could be together. Gibb said Lori told her the "dark" people — those possessed by an evil spirit — were Charles Vallow, Brandon Boudreaux, Adam Cox, Lori's dad, Tylee, Kay Woodcock, and then JJ.
Gibb said Lori told her JJ Vallow was possessed by an evil spirit in September 2019, which is the month the children disappeared. Gibb indicated Lori had multiple phones, and one phone solely to communicate with Chad Daybell. Gibb said she traveled to visit Lori in Rexburg in mid-September 2019. Lori told Gibb that "Tylee was at BYU" and she had "moved her into the dorms with some female friends."
Gibb testifies that Lori later told her that JJ had an evil spirit in him because Chad told her about it. Melanie Gibb was with Lori when JJ was last seen on Sept. 22, 2019. Alex Cox was carrying the boy upstairs. Gibb said she did not see JJ the next day. Gibb testifies that Lori told Gibb to "just take random pictures of kids at the movie theater" in order to lie to police about where JJ was. Gibb thought JJ was with Kay Woodcock, but Kay was the one who requested the welfare check. "I felt very weird and uncomfortable," Gibb said.
9:07 a.m.: Gibb is talking about how Lori and Chad Daybell believed they were the leaders of the 144,000 — a group referenced in scripture that would be here during the return of Christ and do multiple missions. Within weeks of meeting Chad, Lori began talking about this, Gibb said.
8:56 a.m.: Gibb is recalling how Lori and Chad met at the religious conference in Utah: "Very friendly to each other, talking a lot... There was attraction in the beginning." Gibb said Lori indicated she and Chad discussed marriage in past lives. "She shared with me what he told her, that they had been married another time period."
8:41 a.m.: Melanie Gibb is the state's first witness today. Lindsey Blake is on direct. Gibb says Tylee seemed "upset" at Lori most of the time. Their relationship was tense. Gibb said Lori seemed to care a lot about JJ, but as time went on, the connection wasn't as strong. "Lori was distracted a lot," Gibb said.
8:39 a.m.: Prosecutor Lindsey Blake is here. She had a death in the family yesterday. Most people have also seen Melanie Gibb (Lori's friend) in the building. Lori told police that JJ was with Gibb when police came looking for him. She also testified at Chad Daybell's preliminary hearing.
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