Jury begins deliberations following fiery, tearful closing arguments in Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial
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Lori Vallow Daybell is on trial in Maricopa County, Arizona, on one charge of conspiracy to commit the murder of Brandon Boudreaux, her former nephew-in-law. Nate Eaton is live in the courtroom with updates. Please excuse any typos. Times listed below are in Mountain Standard Time, so they are an hour behind Idaho. (Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time.) The most recent updates are at the top.
2:59 p.m. Jurors are going home. We will be back at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
2:45 p.m. We are in recess.
2:44 p.m. If a guilty verdict comes back, the state intends to have an aggravating phase. During the last trial, Lori waived the aggravating phase. Lori objects to the phase. She says if the court is going to go forward with it, she will stipulate to it.
2:43 p.m. We will have a 20-25 minute warning when the verdict is ready. Judge advises everyone to remain close to the courthouse.
2:42 p.m. Judge’s staff is sworn in to protect the jury. The jurors are excused to begin deliberations.
2:40 p.m. Judge will now call the numbers of the three alternate jurors. The admonition still applies to them. Judge thanks the alternates. The clerk draws numbers. Juror numbers 3, 16, and 7 are the alternates.
2:39 p.m. Treena again mentions that Lori held on to Alex’s phone for days while he was gone for days without the back tire and without the rear seat. “That is part of the plan. That is the assisting, that is the promoting, that is the conspiracy that this defendant wants you to pretend doesn’t exist. We don’t need words. We have actions. They are obvious. And they’re done by this defendant and her co-conspirators. Regardless of how many people want to cry up here. This is not evidence. The evidence shows this defendant is guilty. I ask you to find her guilty.” Nothing further.
2:38 p.m. Treena says the four of them – Lori, Chad, Alex and Melani – all worked together. This case “screams to you a conspiracy by this defendant, Chad Daybell, Melani Boudreaux and Alex Cox. Everything they did leading up until Oct. 2 shows you a way to cover up and prepare for the murder of Brandon Boudreaux.”
2:36 p.m. Treena says the defendant would have you believe that Brandon was working with law enforcement to “get her.” She tries to present “innocence and sadness and family history. She agains misrepresents what was shown you at trial. She ignores the facts and evidence of a very obvious long plan. A plan that started when she began meddling in Melani and Brandon’s marriage. When that marriage was finally ending, she continued to help her neice Melani.” Treena says Melani is the subject of multiple investigations.
2:35 p.m. Lori says the things this family has been through is a tragedy. After six years, it’s time to heal. Lori has nothing further. Treena will now rebuttal.
2:33 p.m. Lori says she has nothing to gain by having Brandon heard. She says Brandon has worked with law enforcement for six years to go after her. Treena objects. Judge sustains. Lori says the jurors did not see an agreement and they did not hear an agreement. Lori says if there was an agreement, the state would have shown it to the jurors. “There was no agreement,” she says. Lori says we have all experienced tragedies in our lives and naturally people want someone to blame. She says her brother is no longer here and can’t be asked about that day. Lori says there were things presented in this case that she did not know. Treena objects and asks to strike. Judge sustains. Judge tells Lori she can not testify.
2:31 p.m. Lori starts to cry and says Brandon decided she was responsible for his failing marriage. Lori says she supported Melani when she suffered tragedy as a young child. Lori says the text Brandon wrote was he would never stop until she is responsible. “Well here we are six years later and I’m charged with conspiracy to commit first degree murder.” Lori says there was no agreement between her and Alex. She says she loved Alex. Treena objects to testimony. Judge sustains. Lori says there was no agreement between her and Melani. Objection. Judge sustains. Treena asks judge to strike everything Lori has said. Judge admonishes Lori.
2:28 p.m. Lori approaches the podium. It’s hard to hear her. Lori says when we experience tragedy we can grow stronger from the experience. Lori says the jury has watched her under pressure and under attack. Treena objects. Judge sustains and tells Lori to move the microphone closer. She is still very soft-spoken. Lori says so much more was going on and the law prevents her from talking about it. Treena objects. Judge sustains. Lori says there have been opinions formed by strangers. She says there is no defense from what a person did not do or participate in. She says there is no evidence that has committed a crime. “I’m not defensive. I’m not angry. Nobody has all the pieces to this puzzle. Like most families, this is complex.” There is no agreement, no plan, no game, she says. She says she is no stranger to tragedy and the breaking up of a family is a tragedy.
2:26 p.m. “Brandon Boudreaux knew who was involved,” Treena says. “The defendant has tried to explain away” the evidence. “Don’t fall for the defendant’s questions when the evidence shows what occurred. This defendant conspired with her brother and others to try and kill Brandon Boudreaux. The state asks you to look at all the eveidence and find the defendant guilty.” Treena is done. Total time around 45 minutes.
2:25 p.m. Another defense – Melani did it? Treena: “I’m not here to tell you Melani wasn’t involved. But this defendant was involved. She thought she could help Melani by killing off her soon-to-be ex-husband.” Another defense – not responsible for what my brother Alex did in my Jeep? Treena mentions buying the burner phoneat Walmart, Google searches, removing spare tire, taking the Jeep to Arizona and other events.
2:23 p.m. Treena brings up defenses Lori presented. First – that there was no shooting. Treena responds there was a bullet hole in his car, there were fragments of the bullet, the glass was damaged, Brandon called 911 out of breath and in fear, the Ring camera caught the gunshot. “There was a shooting,” Treena says.
2:22 p.m. Treena tells the jurors to look at all the evidence and look at the actions of everyone involved.
