BOISE, Idaho — Friday's testimony in the Chad Daybell murder trial started where it ended on Thursday with Melanie Gibb on the witness stand.
- Melanie Gibb was back on the stand on Friday.
- Defense Attorney John Prior grilled Gibb over her recollection of events.
- Retired F.B.I. Agent Douglas Hart talked in detail about a thread of texts between Chad and Lori Vallow.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Gibb is an acquaintance of both Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell. During cross-examination, Defense Attorney John Prior questioned Gibb about a recorded phone call Gibb made to Lori and Chad in December of 2019.
Prior asked. "Miss Gibb you and Lori know the truth about what happened to JJ Vallow on September 23rd of 2019? No. How about the 22nd of September? No. Isn't it true Lori was being vague because Chad was on the phone call and she didn't want Chad to know that you were going to talk about the murder of JJ Vallow? I have no idea what her agenda was."
During re-direct prosecutors asked Gibb who was responsible for labeling somebody light or dark.
"Who would label somebody dark or zombie? Chad. And once someone was labeled a zombie or dark what was going to happen to their body as Chad and Lori taught it? If they could cast the evil spirit out of the body they would naturally die. So if some one was dark or zombie they were going to die? Yes, well, maybe, well not everybody they knew."
Retired F.B.I. Agent Doug Hart was the F.B.I. supervisor in the case. He was asked by the prosecution about Chad’s role in this complicated murder case. Was it Lori and Chad people in their inner circle went to? Hart said from all the emails he had looked at it was clear it pointed towards one person. “It establishes that the individuals in this group look to Chad Daybell as the supposed visionary who will give them these types of information. And in these requests, Chad responds? Correct.”
Doug Hart is expected to start on the witness stand when the trial gets underway Monday morning.
