An Idaho judge on Wednesday delayed the start of Chad Daybell’s murder trial and extended his wife Lori Vallow’s mental health treatment for another 180 days.
Both Vallow and Daybell have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and other charges in the deaths of 7- year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, Vallow’s children from previous husbands.
The children disappeared in September 2019, shortly before Daybell’s wife Tammy Daybell died mysteriously and Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow were married, as CrimeOnline previously reported. Their bodies were found buried on Daybell’s property in June 2020.
Chad Daybell is also accused of killing Tammy Daybell.
Judge Steven Boyce ruled Vallow unfit to stand trial several months ago and ordered her into treatment. At a hearing last week, Boyce said doctors had requested an extension of her treatment, but he asked for more detailed information about her progress before making a ruling.
“Based on the progress report the court has received and the information from the Department of Health and Welfare, the court does find and determine at this time that, pursuant to Idaho Code 18-212, the defendant Ms. Vallow is still not competent to proceed with the proceedings in this case,” Boyce said in court on Wednesday, according to KTVB.
Vallow did not appear at the hearing.
Daybell was set to go to trial on November 8, but Boyce vacated that date and said that a new date would be set after a change of venue hearing on October 5 and 6, Fox13 reported. Daybell, who appeared at the Zoom hearing alongside his attorney, previously waived his right to a speedy trial, and Boyce noted that the sheer number of motions filed in the case made it “impractical” to begin in two months, KTVB said.
“That’s just the reality of where we are in this process,” he said. “I know there is a lot of discovery and probably significant motions that need to be heard.”
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