‘Doomsday prophet’ sentenced to death for murder of his wife and two children

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A jury in Idaho has unanimously agreed that the “doomsday prophet’ Chad Daybell should get the death penalty for the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children.The 55-year-old was emotionless as he was told he would face the death penalty for the murders of Tammy Daybell, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow.The mum of the children is Lori Vallow Daybell, whom Chad Daybell married shortly after his wife’s death.Last year, Vallow Daybell was convicted of the three murders and is now awaiting trial in Arizona, charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, who was JJ’s father.The case started in 2019, when a family member called the cops and investigators soon realised both children were missing and a multi-state search ensued.Nearly a year later, their remains were found buried on Chad Daybell’s property, and Tylee’s DNA was later found on a pickaxe and shovel in a shed on the property, while JJ’s body was wrapped in rubbish bags and duct tape, prosecutors said.During a nearly two-month trial, prosecutors said Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-laced fiction, promoted an unusual set of spiritual beliefs, including apocalyptic prophecies and tales of possession by evil spirits in order to justify the killings.Daybell’s defence attorney John Prior argued during the trial that there was not enough evidence to tie Daybell to the killings, and suggested Vallow Daybell’s older brother Alex Cox was the culprit.Mr Cox died in late 2019 and was never charged.

Vallow Daybell was convicted last year and sentenced to life in prison without parole.During the sentencing hearing, Mr Prior asked the jurors to judge Daybell