Death penalty still an option for Lori Vallow’s husband, Chad Daybell, judge rules

PHOENIX - A judge ordered that the death penalty is still on the table for the husband of so-called "doomsday mom" Lori Vallow.

Two motions by Chad Daybell were officially denied by the court on Dec. 19.

Daybell is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Vallow’s children who once lived in the East Valley.

Seven-year-old JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan were found dead in Daybell’s backyard in east Idaho in June 2020 after missing for several months.

Daybell is also accused of murdering his first wife Tammy Daybell.

Chad Daybell (left) and Lori Vallow (right)

MORE: Lori Vallow: 'Doomsday Mom' enters not guilty plea in Arizona arraignment

His lawyer motioned for the judge to strike the death penalty based on the fact that prosecutors said Lori Vallow was more culpable in the murders.

Vallow did not face the death penalty and was found guilty of murdering her kids.

The penalty was removed for her as a sanction for late disclosure of discovery.

The judge said deciding on Daybell’s culpability before trial would impact the jury and predetermine facts about the case.

Daybell’s second motion argued that he faces a more severe punishment for waiving his right to a speedy trial.

Daybell and Vallow’s cases were severed after she decided not to waive her right. Daybell’s trial is set for April 1, 2024.

The court said it was Daybell's choice to motion for severance and get a continuance on trial to better prepare.

Meanwhile, Vallow was extradited from an Idaho prison and is in a Maricopa County jail facing murder conspiracy charges in her fourth husband’s death and the alleged attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband.