Article Author:
Associated Press
Rebecca Boone
Boise, Idaho (AP) — Lawyer for mother charged with murdering children and trying to steal social security benefits in Idaho Asked a judge to remand the case to a grand jury on Tuesday because they say the indictment is misleading.
Lori Valor Daybell and husband Chad Daybell have been accused of murder, conspiracy and theft in connection with the deaths of 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Valor and her 17-year-old Tyree Ryan. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and could face the death penalty if convicted.
At a hearing in the town of St. Anthony in eastern Idaho, Vallow Daybell's attorney said the conspiracy charges were strangely framed and confused the jury. said it was likely to.
Her one of the conspiracy charges was that the couple murdered Barrow's Davell daughter and planned to steal social security benefits her child was receiving because her father died. because the prosecutor said that Another conspiracy charge involves the same allegations but is related to the death of her son. It was remanded and the indictment was fine-tuned.
"The conspiracy to commit murder and the conspiracy to commit grand theft are two separate conspiracies," said defense attorney John Thomas. "It would be confusing if the jury could decide which elements were satisfied when and to what extent."
Otherwise, this The case would be "fundamentally unfair," Thomas said.
"I'm not saying the jury wasn't sophisticated enough to solve the problem, but I've been his lawyer for 20 years and this particular accusation baffles me." I did," he said.
Prosecutor Rob Wood told the court that the conspiracy charge was not at all confusing and merely detailed a "criminal agreement."
"One was to kill Tyree Ryan and steal social security money allotted to her. It was to steal and collect the security fund," Wood said. "We believe the jury will find that there was this agreement, that we agreed to commit these two crimes." rice field. During the hour-long proceedings, Vallow Daybell frowned most of the time, but at other moments she was smiling. At times she appeared to laugh or ridicule the prosecutor's legal arguments.
Idaho law enforcement officials launched an investigation into the Dabell family after the extended family reported missing children in November 2019. Meanwhile, police said the couple lied about the children's whereabouts. Their bodies were later found buried on Chad Daybell's property in rural Idaho.
Chad and Lori his Davell married just two weeks after his ex-wife Tammy Davell died suddenly. Tammy Daybell's death was initially reported to be of natural causes, but investigators exhumed her body after becoming suspicious when Chad Daybell soon remarried.
Lori Vallow Daybell has also been charged with attempted murder in Arizona in connection with the death of her ex-husband. Charles Barrow was shot dead by Lori Daybell's brother, Alex Cox. Cox later died of what police said was of natural causes.
With the Idaho case pending, the Arizona proceedings are on hold and Mr. Barrow Daybell is not scheduled to defend in the Arizona case.
