BOISE, Idaho — Week three of the trial of the State of Idaho vs. Chad Daybell started with retired F.B.I. Agent Doug Hart on the witness stand. After testimony from the former agent, Lori Vallow's son Colby Ryan took the stand, describing the last moments he shared with his siblings Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow.
- Agent Hart went through thousands of text messages
- Focused on texts specifically between Chad and Lori Vallow
- Defense Attorney John Prior questioned Hart about his interpretation of the messages
RECAP: The Trial of Chad Daybell Day 8
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Agent Hart shared a number of text messages between Chad and Lori Vallow. Hart said he went through thousands of texts between Chad and Lori Vallow. Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake kept asking Agent Hart in his opinion what did the messages between the two really mean. Agent Hart said Lori and Chad had a disagreement over his planned family vacation. Lori said she deeply missed him and needed to be with him.
Here’s how Chad responded to one such message. “Oh honey, that is so crushing. I feel so destroyed inside. You know my love for you is deep and real. I want change. I’m constantly begging for change. I want you, nothing else matters. But I’m hindering your life, you deserve better, I love you so intensely.”
Chad’s wife Tammy was still alive at the time. Prosecutor Blake asked Agent Hart was there any indication Chad wanted a divorce. He said no, not from that string of messages.
Defense Attorney John Prior questioned Hart about his interpretation of the messages, specifically about Chad assigning light and dark numbers to people. “ So there’s no text message saying we should kill the kids and live happy ever after is there? I would disagree contextually I think that’s the meaning of those texts you’re interpreting those the way you want, right, those texts talks about the deaths of JJ and Tylee talks about the death percentage and both ended being murdered. So if that's context then that’s the conclusion I draw yes.” Prior added that other people were assigned dark numbers, and they didn’t die.
