Idaho jury convicts Chad Daybell of killing wife and girlfriend's children

Chad Daybell convicted of murder in wife and girlfriend's children deaths. Jury to decide death penalty. Bizarre claims and affairs involved.

An Idaho jury has found Chad Daybell guilty of murder in the deaths of his wife and his girlfriend's two youngest children, concluding a lengthy investigation filled with strange claims of zombie children, apocalyptic prophecies, and illicit affairs. The verdict, reached after six hours of jury deliberations, marked the end of a complex trial that spanned nearly two months.

Prosecutors charged Daybell and his wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, with multiple counts of murder, conspiracy, and grand theft in connection with the deaths of Vallow Daybell's two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, in September 2019. They were also charged in connection with the October 2019 death of Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell.

The case began in September 2019 when the two children were reported missing, leading to a search that spanned several states. Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell were having an affair when both of their spouses died unexpectedly. Vallow Daybell's husband was shot to death by her brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019, who claimed it was self-defense and was not charged.

Nearly a year after the children went missing, their remains were found buried on Chad Daybell's property in eastern Idaho. Investigators later determined both children died in September 2019. Prosecutors say Cox conspired with Chad Daybell and Vallow Daybell in all three deaths, but Cox died of natural causes during the investigation and was never charged.

Prosecutors argued that Daybell manipulated Vallow Daybell and her brother into helping with the plan, creating an apocalyptic belief system that justified the killings. Daybell claimed to be a leader of "The Church of the Firstborn" and said he could determine if someone had become a "zombie." Witnesses for both sides confirmed the affair between Chad Daybell and Vallow Daybell.

The penalty phase of the trial will now begin, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for Daybell. The defense will attempt to provide mitigating circumstances to show that a lighter sentence is more appropriate. The case has captivated the nation with its bizarre twists and turns, leaving many questioning the depths of human depravity and the lengths people will go to for their beliefs.