Chad Daybell trial: Shocking phone call played between Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell
PHOENIX - New evidence in the Chad Daybell murder trial was presented against the Idaho man accused of killing two Arizona kids and his first wife.
The children's mother, Lori Vallow was found guilty in the case after her trial last year.
Chad Daybell trial: Bizarre phone call revealed
Prosecutors played a phone call recorded the day before investigators discovered the bodies of Lori Vallow's children in Chad Daybell's backyard. The bizarre call revealed a seemingly coded conversation between Vallow who was in jail and Daybell, discussing plans and otherworldly text messages. FOX 10's Justin Lum has more.
The new evidence, a bizarre phone conversation between Daybell and Vallow, was heard for the first time in court.
What was heard in the phone call?
Chad Daybell and his wife Lori Vallow on the phone speaking religiously and then in code, discussing a plan that never came to fruition.
It was recorded on June 8, 2020 from a jailhouse phone, the day before authorities discovered the remains of seven-year-old JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan.
At the time, Vallow was accused of child abandonment.
"Before the second coming, the Lord had ordained for us to begin the millennial day within Zion while war and chaos reigned everywhere else," Vallow could be heard saying.
Daybell replied that new Jerusalem would grow "exponentially."
"They're doing all they can to destroy one of the key families, but they're not going to," Daybell says.
Were other people discussed during the call?
The self-proclaimed "Doomsday Prophet" then tells his wife he's been texting with her brother Alex Cox.
"Through our investigation we learned that Alex Cox often went by Ray Lamar," Ray Hermosillo of the Rexburg Police said on the witness stand.
Cox, an alleged co-conspirator in the triple-murder case had been dead for six months.
"He did want me to say he misses you," Daybell said to Vallow in the call.
Did Vallow and Daybell discuss real-world events?
Vallow and Daybell began to talk about a blueprint or project with Daybell asking about getting a quote for "filling it with sand." It was unclear if they were talking in code.
"But there's other things in the project when I'm going back over it that I could have easily done or been inspired to do to avoid a lot of the issues that were gonna come up with that," Vallow says.
"It's a marvelous plan," said Chad.
"How do you know so?" Lori asked.
"How do I know? It's been shown to me honey. You just are spectacular, and the Lord is going to use those talents. You're on earth on earth on this time for that purpose," Daybell says.
Daybell's defense responds
The attorney for Daybell questioned the detective who listened to the call, noting that JJ, Tylee and Tammy Daybell had all died before the call took place.
"So there wasn't - from your knowledge in this - some nefarious plan to kill or murder anyone, was it?" he asked.
"It was in furtherance of the plan from our investigation," Hermosillo replied.
What's next in this case?
The prosecution has now called 67 witnesses to the stand.
Judge Steven Boyce suggested that the state could rest its case on May 16 after calling another witness.
The defense would then get its turn to call on witnesses.