On day one of testimony, the prosecution and Vallow Daybell gave their opening statements to the jury. The state also called three witnesses.
PHOENIX — Day two of testimony in convicted murderer Lori Vallow Daybell’s latest trial in Arizona started Tuesday.
She’s accused of conspiring with her brother to kill her former husband, Charles Vallow. She pleaded not guilty and is representing herself at trial.
On day one of testimony, the prosecution and Vallow Daybell gave their opening statements to the jury. The state also called three witnesses: two Chandler police officers and one Chandler firefighter, who all responded to the shooting of Charles Vallow.
We will be providing live updates throughout the day.
LATEST UPDATES:
4:20 PM – Vallow Daybell asks if Coons observed her brother during a walkthrough of the home. The prosecution issues a slew of hearsay objections that the judge sustains.
“I’m trying to understand, your Honor,” Lori tells the judge. “What the witness said is not relevant?”
4:01 PM – Vallow Daybell starts her cross-examination of Coons. She asks about the timeline for processing the scene. Then, she turns to guns.
She asks Coons if he takes classes about guns. He confirms he’s had classes and that he’s also an instructor. Lori asks him if it’s common to teach to shoot to “center mass.” He says yes. She asks if it’s common to teach “two to center mass,” which he says is not common and not what he teaches. Her brother is accused of shooting Charles Vallow twice.
3:52 PM – The state says they have no other questions for Coons. Lori Vallow Daybell asks for a few minutes to confer with her advisory counsel before cross-examination. Lori said she wasn’t sure they would have time today because this is “an important cross” and she doesn’t want to be interrupted. The judge said she has more than a half hour and she should get started. She asks for a sidebar.
3:48 PM – Coons testifies that he believes Charles Vallow was lying on the floor when he was shot in the abdomen, according to the evidence.
3:32 PM – Coons also testifies about going through the rest of the house looking for blood and evidence. He said he didn’t see blood in other rooms of the home, other than a smear of blood in the kitchen faucet and around where Charles Vallow’s body was. During her opening statements, Kay pointed out that Cox didn’t have any blood in the house to support his claim of self-defense.
3:18 PM – Court is back in session. Prosecutor Treena Kay is asking retired Chandler PD Detective Daniel Coons about the crime scene. He testifies about a handgun investigators found and the scene.
2:58 PM – Court is in afternoon recess. Testimony will continue in about 15 minutes.
2:57 PM – The state continues to introduce evidence about the crime scene, including more photos, pieces of floor/baseboard struck by bullets, and the bat. Coons appears to be comfortable testifying. He speaks loudly and clearly and looks at the jury when he speaks.
2:31 PM – The prosecutor continues showing photos from the scene of the shooting, including photos of Charles Vallow’s body on a floor inside the home.
2:22 PM – Vallow Daybell makes an objection about photos being shown to the jury. She said they weren’t introduced into evidence. The judge is taking time to review. He ultimately allows all photos to be introduced. They appear to be crime scene photos from the home where the shooting occurred.
2:18 PM – Lori Vallow Daybell is talking with her investigator and writing on a yellow legal pad as Coons testifies. Prosecutor Treena Kay looks back at Vallow Daybell at one point.
2:05 PM – Coons testifies to being one of the officers who responded to Lori Vallow Daybell’s home when Charles Vallow was shot. He’s talking about crime scene photos and using a tool called a LizardQ that helps with different angles. The jury is being shown some photos from the scene.
1:38 PM – Jury is brought back in and the prosecutor calls her next witness, Daniel Coons with the Chandler Police Department. There was a delay bringing the jury in over debate whether Coons could be considered an expert in his testimony. The court was also advised that one of the jurors could have been on his phone during this morning’s testimony. That juror was brought in and said he wasn’t searching anything or doing anything inappropriate.
12:19 PM – They are talking about Lori Vallow Daybell’s latest motion to dismiss, claiming the state did not provide her with a full extraction of records from Charles Vallow’s phone.
12:14 PM – Trial is in recess for lunch. The jurors are let out. Both sides hang back to talk with judge about motion Vallow Daybell filed. Testimony will continue at 1:30 PM local time.
12:02 PM – Kay confirms with Keller that there is more than one way to tell if CPR had been performed. She finishes her redirect and the judge notices jury questions. They go into a sidebar to review the questions.
11:58 AM – Vallow Daybell asks Keller if he knew for a fact that CPR had not been given to Charles Vallow before he arrived. He said no. Lori concludes her cross-examination. Prosecutor Treena Kay asks some follow-up questions on redirect.
11:51 AM – State finishes asking Keller questions. Lori starts her cross-examination. She asks Keller what “staging” is and appeared to giggle as she asks.
11:49 AM – Keller identifies Lori at the defendant table as someone he saw when he responded to the shooting of Charles Vallow. He testifies that he overheard Lori talking with police officers about not getting invited to a pool party because of all the commotion at the house when first responders were on scene. Prosecutor continues to ask him about CPR and he said he didn’t think anyone performed CPR prior to them and that Charles Vallow was dead when they got to the scene.
11:20 AM – Prosecutor Treena Kay calls her next witness: Kent Keller, recently retired Captain with the Chandler Fire Department. He was still with the department in 2019 when the Vallow shooting occurred.
11:14 AM – Vallow Daybell asks Cowden about the “crack” you get when starting CPR. She asked if someone without experience might not get the “crack.” He said it’s possible. The context behind this from our reporting is the state’s allegation that Alex Cox, her brother, never performed CPR after he shot Charles Vallow. Vallow Daybell ends her cross-examination and the prosecution starts on redirect.
10:39 AM – Lori Vallow Daybell begins cross examination of Scott Cowden with the Chandler Fire Department. She’s asking him about providing CPR to her then husband Charles Vallow.
10:37 AM – After a sidebar, the judge said they are dismissing juror #4. That brings us down to two alternates after another juror was dismissed yesterday.
10:26 AM – Court is back in session. Lori Vallow Daybell comes into the courtroom wearing dark pants and a blue jacket. Some of Lori’s legal team isn’t here and she said “apparently they are running behind.” They go into a sidebar to discuss a juror issue.
8:22 AM – Members of the public and media are lined up outside the courtroom to get in. Testimony is set to start up again at 10:30 AM local time. We are expecting to start with Lori Vallow Daybell’s cross-examination of a Chandler firefighter.
CASE BACKGROUND:
Vallow Daybell was already convicted in Idaho for murdering her children, Tylee and JJ. She was also convicted for her role in the death of Tammy Daybell, her current husband Chad Daybell’s first wife.
Chad Daybell was also convicted in Idaho for murdering Lori’s children and his first wife, Tammy. He was sentenced to death in that state.
Vallow Daybell was extradited to Arizona after her convictions in Idaho in 2023.
Her brother, Alex Cox, can’t be charged in this case because he died in December 2019 before charges were brought in court.
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