BOISE, Idaho — On the 17th day of Chad Daybell's trial, the court heard testimony from several of Lori Vallow's family members. Her niece, Melani Pawlowski, testified about the beliefs held by Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell. Ian Pawlowski, Melani's current husband, also testified.
Their testimony came after testimony from FBI agent Steve Daniels, who testified a great deal about the evidence recovery plans that took place on June 9, 2020 - the day the children's bodies were found on Chad Daybell's property.
After the Pawlowskis' testimony lasted most of the day, Monday's court date ended with Ian Pawlowski exiting the witness stand, and the state is now ready to call their next witness.
In Chad Daybell's trial last week, the court heard a plethora of testimony from various sources, putting together the pieces of what happened in 2019 that resulted in the deaths of Tammy Daybell, Chad's first wife, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, Lori Vallow's two children.
On Friday, May 3, Detective David Stubbs took the stand. He worked for the Rexburg Police Department, and gave testimony about phone data and information. Also on Friday, FBI Agent Steve Daniels took the stand as well. His testimony was long, still continuing on Monday, as he discusses finding human remains on the Daybell property on June 9, 2020.
On the 15th day of the Chad Daybell trial, the court heard testimony from Kay Woodcock, JJ Vallow's grandmother, as well as from Chad Daybell's sister-in-law Heather Daybell, and from retired Rexburg PD detective David Stubbs.
During Kay Woodcock's testimony, she recounted details about hiring a private investigator, she also talks about the last time she talked to JJ Vallow. She talked about how Lori Vallow was making it challenging to talk to JJ and seemed controlling.
Heather Daybell also took the stand last week. Heather is Matt Daybell's wife, Chad's brother. Heather testified about Chad's religious beliefs and how they differed from the church they attended, the LDS church. Chad's beliefs surrounded the end of times, which is different than the traditional LDS belief system.
The trial is expected to last another two to four weeks.
Live Updates:
3:29 p.m.: Warren testifies about Tylee Ryan's health history. She was a relatively healthy teenager, with a few bouts of pancreatitis and cystic ovaries. Otherwise, she was healthy. Wood takes note of the time, Judge Boyce decides to adjourn for the day. Court will readjourn at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
3:22 p.m.: They move on to talking about Tylee Ryan's autopsy. That autopsy lasted a while, about a week. It took so long because of the condition of her body. Her body came to the medical examiner in multiple bags, without an intact body. The medical examiner and staff had to determine what was what, with a lengthy report attached. Based on the autopsy, Warren believes the cause of death for Tylee Ryan to be homicide by unspecified means. With the suspicious circumstances surrounding the body's location when found and the concealed evidence, this helps qualify the death as a homicide by unspecified means. Prior and Daybell whisper back and forth with each other.
3:10 p.m.: Warren testifies about the autopsy of JJ Vallow. He had pajamas and a disposable diaper on. He was wrapped in plastic bags, bound in duct tape on his arms and legs. They collected evidence, like hand and nail swabs. Based on the evidence that Warren found on JJ, there were no signs of disease. There were some chemicals in his system, such as caffeine and a tea byproduct, which was of no concern to Warren. There was also sign of GHB - which can be prescribed for insomnia or used recreationally, sometimes known as date-rape drug. Warren cannot rule one way or another as to how it came into JJ Vallow's system.
3:04 p.m.: Wood asks about Warren's qualifications, which are vast. He is an adjunct professor, published author in the field of pathology and has worked in the field for years. He talks about the different manners of death.
2:53 p.m.: More casting is discussed. If a casting was successful, the body would naturally die, said Pastenes. Tammy Daybell was deemed dark, or possessed. So was JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. All three of these people are dead. Finally, Pastenes testimony has concluded. She is under subpoena with defense, so she will most likely retake the stand at a later date. The state calls another witness. The witness is the medical examiner for the State of Idaho, and is considered an expert witness. Rob Wood from prosecution asks Garth Warren what his profession is. He is pathologist in Ada County.
2:42 p.m.: After a series of sustained objections, cross examination drags on. Prior is being argumentative, and is asking the same questions as prosecution, which results in more objections. After a few more questions, Prior ends cross examination. Lindsey Blake will be handling redirect. She asks Pastenes if she met with prosecution before taking the witness stand, and if it impacted her testimony. Pastenes says she did meet with prosecution, but has not influenced any of her testimony. Pastenes then testifies to many different interviews with law enforcement, which she said she was open and honest at.
2:34 p.m.: After the motion is heard, there is a short standing break, then the jury is brought back in. Prior takes up the podium and asks the court reporter to read back the last question. After she does, Prior asks about Pastenes' interview with police in 2020. Det. Hermosillo interviewed Pastenes. Det. Hermosillo is an officer with the Rexburg Police Department. In the interview, it is seen that Pastenes and the officers are getting together to discuss Pastenes stories she's told police. According to Prior, Pastenes was meeting with police to make her testimony more credible. There were a lot of inconsistencies in Pastenes retelling of events to police.
2:21 p.m.: Prior asks for a sidebar and Judge Boyce allows for it. Counsel steps aside. There is another evidentiary issue, so Judge Boyce asks the jury to step outside for 10-15 minutes. Judge Boyce emphasizes that this should be quick.
2:06 p.m.: Pastenes testifies more about her religious beliefs, and how Pastenes became Lori Vallow's protector. When meditating/praying, Pastenes heard angels telling her that Pastenes was to protect Lori Vallow. Emails from Lori Vallow's account are read by the witness, who sent the email to Vallow.
1:42 p.m.: Prior asks about the conferences that Pastenes attended that Daybell also attended. Then, they change the topic to portals. Pastenes tells the court she doesn't know much about the portals, but learned through Daybell and Vallow. Again, the diagram that Lori Vallow drew up on the back of a receipt is shown. There's a 1-6 scale on the paper, which is the light scale - or good scale. There's also a dark scale, where there is also a 1-6 scale, with the highest being the worst of the worst. Another diagram, the one Pastenes drew up, is shown again in court. In the diagram shown, light scales go up with goodness. It is the reverse for the dark scale.
1:31 p.m.: Prior is taking his time reading through documents, as the jury still waits to be brought in. After a few moments, the jury is brought in, with all 17 present. One jury dropped last week due to illness, but there is still alternates so court can proceed with the 17 jurors. Cross examination continues, as Prior asks Pastenes about religious castings.
1:12 p.m.: Court is back from lunch. Without the jury present, John Prior enters an exhibit into the court. It's the same video that was an evidentiary debate before lunch. There will be three excerpts that are played in court. They're allowing this to refresh Zulema Pastenes' memory. Pastenes was on the stand before lunch, and is unclear how much longer she'll be on the stand. The jury still hasn't been brought in. Prior is trying to impeach the witness.
11:47 a.m.: Lunch recess begins now, with court returning at 1 p.m. for more testimony from Zulema Pastenes. However, an evidentiary issue is brought up. Outside of the jury, they discuss if this witness can identify the exhibit without showing it in it's entirety. It's an October 2, 2020 recording of Pastenes talking to Rexburg PD. It's a several hour long recording, but the part that Prior wants to play is about casting, and the death of a body after a proper casting. In the video, it is shown that Pastenes is sitting next to her attorney, Garrett Smith, and two law enforcement officers. The evidence issue has been discuss, and counsel is now going to their lunch break.
11:39 a.m.: At one point, Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow had told Pastenes that she could control the weather. She even practiced the ability, despite it not being true. While practicing, she would imagine things in her mind. She was never successful, she claims. Now they talk about casting, if the casting was unsuccessful, the demon was still in the body. If the casting was successful, the body would die, according to Chad and Lori. A brief sidebar takes place.
11:30 a.m.: Pastenes claims she's "too trusting" of a person, which allowed her to believe a lot of the religious views from Daybell and Vallow. Pastenes trusted and believed them at the time. Prior brings up that Pastenes has an immunity agreement with prosecution. Her attorney, who also represents the Pawlowski's, is present in the courtroom today. Later in testimony, it is revealed the it was Lori who was pursuing Chad, with her being known as the aggressor by Pastenes.
11:24 a.m.: Pastenes testifies further about meeting Melanie Gibb and Lori Vallow. Pastenes met both of these women through church. Pastenes now discusses meeting Daybell at a conference in 2018, where she talked to him briefly while buying some of his books. It was a Preparing the People conference, a religious conference that discusses the end of times, and how to prepare for it.
11:13 a.m.: Direct examination concludes. Pastenes remains on the stand for cross examination. John Prior, the defense attorney, talks about the 144,000 - a religious belief that some religions share, but Daybell's views differed greatly from the mainstream views of the topic. They also discuss the 7 Gatherers, with seven of Daybell's friends filling those roles.
11:09 a.m.: They discuss the passing of Alex Cox. He died on Dec. 12, 2019. Before he passed, he got a call from Daybell and Vallow, saying that Tammy Daybell was being exhumed. Pastenes felt that was odd, why would Chad and Lori call Alex to tell him that? Pastenes then asked Alex if he was tied to the death of Tammy at all. He said no. After the phone call, his demeanor changed quite a bit. He went from talking and joking, to quiet and somber. He made a comment that night, where he believed he'd be Vallow and Daybell's fall guy.
10:54 a.m.: Talk of the attempted shooting of Tammy Daybell comes up. On that night, Pastenes did not see him. Alex Cox, who reportedly was the one who shot at Tammy, and Pastenes talked that night, but about cars. Later on, Pastenes got a call from Lori Vallow telling Pastenes that Tammy had passed. Lori Vallow and Pastenes talked about Tammy's death a bit, with Lori stating that Daybell and Vallow had received information from angels, to do a proper casting to finally cast out a demon in Tammy Daybell. Vallow believed that the casting of Tammy was the reason she died. The day after Tammy's funeral, Chad moved into Lori's apartment.
10:47 a.m.: JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were both identified by Daybell and Lori Vallow as being dark, or being a zombie. Despite Chad giving "dark" scores to Vallow's two children, all of his biological children were considered light. On a document shown in court, it shows who in the Daybell and Vallow's lives were light and dark. At the time the document was made, JJ Vallow was considered light, meaning good. Also on the document, the names James and Helena show up - a biblical reference. Daybell claimed to be James the Less in another life, with Helena being his wife. Under the names James and Helena were seven children, which one of them was identified as Melani Pawlowski.
10:40 a.m.: Court is back on the record for the rest of the morning. Pastenes remains on the stand and the jurors are brought back in. Blessings from Chad Daybell are brought up by prosecutor Lindsey Blake. Part of the blessing was that Pastenes was to move to Rexburg, despite not having a job or house there. Pastenes told Chad and Lori that she wouldn't do it, but Chad and Lori said that Melani Pawlowski had plenty of money. However, Pawlowski was unaware her money would be funding multiple people. A document is handed to Pastenes, they are images. It's information from Chad's laptop and also in Lori's apartment. They are teachings of their beliefs.
10:12 a.m.: Mid-morning break takes place now, and court will be back in session in 20 minutes.
9:44 a.m.: Another page from Pastenes' journal is shown. This shows the order of castings, and the order of priesthood in the belief system that Daybell held. Later on, Pastenes learned of Charles Vallow's passing. Lori Vallow asked Pastenes to come to her house the day after Charles Vallow passed away. Lori Vallow appeared somber, but not sad, according to Pastenes. It was Pastenes' husband Alex Cox that shot and killed Charles Vallow. But when asked if he was okay by Pastenes, Cox said that Charles Vallow was a bad spirit. That day, Lori and Chad were sitting on each other, being flirty. Tammy Daybell was still alive at this point.
9:34 a.m.: Testimony continues, as Pastenes talks about the casting they did on Charles Vallow, or removing the evil spirits from him. No physical touch was done to Charles Vallow. Lori Vallow would reach out to Chad Daybell to verify if the casting was done correctly or not, and after the first casting of Charles, Lori called Chad. Chad said the casting was successful, but later on it was deemed that Charles was bad again. At the second casting of Charles Vallow, Alex Cox was present.
9:11 a.m.: Pastenes' journal is admitted to the court and some entries are shown in court. Later on in testimony, Vallow shares a diagram with Pastenes that was similar to the one previously shown in court. This Vallow-made diagram is shown to Pastenes. Vallow made the diagram on the receipt of their lunch. The diagram discusses the five worlds and the ratings of light and dark. From the bottom up, you become a "1" in the spirit world, then you become a "2" when you're born for the first time, "3" is for your second iteration on Earth. According to Vallow, there were billions in the 1 and 2 categories, but only thousands in the 3 category. As the numbers progressed to 5, with decimals, the number of people in the category shrank, with only a mere couple hundrend in the 4.2 light category.
9:00 a.m.: Pastenes continues to testify as she discusses Chad Daybell's religious teachings. She testifies about his ability to read people's past lives. Daybell wanted to give Pastenes a reading of her past lives, and she agreed. He also rated her light and darkness - she got a 4.2 light result from Daybell. A document is summited to the court, it's a document Pastenes made about the religious beliefs Daybell and Vallow held. The document is shown in court and is showing realms of creation, different worlds that people can come to, etc. Based on this document, Pastenes testifies that Chad Daybell believed at some points that he was the brother of Christ, and in another life, was the Holy Ghost himself. This was new information to Pastenes, not like any other teachings she's experienced, but at the time was open to learning more.
8:47 a.m.: Pastenes testifies about Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell meeting for the first time. They were flirty, despite both being married at the time. On their way home from the conference, Lori Vallow asked the women with her to look up scriptures for her. They were specific scriptures, with Lori Vallow telling her friends that Chad Daybell had told her that in her previous life, she was married to him. He claimed to be James the Less.
8:40 a.m.: Judge Steven Boyce calls court to order and has the jury brought in for the 18th day of Chad Daybell's trial. The state calls their next witness, Zulema Pastenes, who is Alex Cox's wife. Pastenes has known Lori Vallow since 2018, where they met at Melanie Gibb's house. Pastenes knew Melanie Gibb before Lori Vallow. The women traveled to a conference together in 2018. Pastenes met Alex Cox in Nov. in 2018, and Pastenes met Chad Daybell just a few months before that, at that conference the women all attended.
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