Chad Daybell not called to testify in murder trial, defense rests
May 23, 2024, 9:47 AM | Updated: Jun 5, 2024, 4:40 pm
Chad Daybell is seen during his preliminary hearing in Fremont County on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. (Post Register/ John Roark, POOL)
(Post Register/ John Roark, POOL)
BOISE, Idaho — The defense team for Chad Daybell said Thursday that Daybell would not take the stand, KSL.com’s Collin Leonard reported live from the courtroom.
Daybell is on trial for the murder of his wife Tammy Daybell and the murders of his current wife, Lori Vallow Daybell’s children; Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow.
Vallow Daybell was convicted of the children’s murders in 2023. She was also convicted of conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell.
The defense called Eric J. Bartelink, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology at California State University, Chico, to testify Thursday.
Bartelink testified about Tylee Ryan’s bones, which were found on the property of Chad Daybell in 2020.
Following Bartelink’s testimony, the defense said Daybell would not testify.
Prosecutors will now call back a few witnesses in a rebuttal.
That’s expected to take about two days. And it likely means that jury instruction and deliberation will begin sometime next week.
There will be no court on Friday, or Monday for the Memorial Day holiday.
