Lori Vallow Daybell again found competent to stand trial

ST. ANTHONY, Idaho — For a second time, Lori Vallow Daybell has been found competent and fit to stand trial for the murders of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan.

Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, are being tried together as co-conspirators for the deaths of JJ and Tylee, along with the death of Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s former wife.

Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce first ordered a stay in the case against Vallow Daybell on May 27, 2021, when she was found not competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation.

Judge bars cameras from Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial

Her legal team, in court records, called her mental health “extremely complex and fragile.” Last April, Boyce issued an order that said Vallow was competent for trial and a trial date was set for January.

In October, Vallow Daybell’s trial was again paused after defense attorneys raised concerns about her competency.

According to court documents, Vallow Daybell was found competent to stand trial at a hearing on Nov. 9, and October’s stay on the case was lifted on Tuesday.

Details surrounding Daybell’s mental health and reasons for the monthlong pause in the case are sealed.

Lori and Chad Daybell will be tried together for murders, in January

The order says the trial will be rescheduled. Boyce previously declined a motion to separate the Daybells’ trials, saying that having the trials together would be efficient and economic and avoid possible inconsistent verdicts.

The Idaho Supreme Court ordered the trial be transferred from the Seventh Judicial District, which covers most of southeastern Idaho, to the Fourth Judicial District, which includes Boise — the state capital and Ada County seat — after Chad Daybell’s lawyers argued he wouldn’t receive a fair trial in Fremont County, near Rexburg.

Here are the charges Vallow Daybell is currently facing:

• JJ Vallow — first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit destruction, conceal or alter evidence
• Tylee Ryan — first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit destruction, conceal or alter evidence
• Tylee and JJ — solicitation, resisting and/or obstructing an officer, contempt
• Tammy Daybell — conspiracy to commit murder
• Grand theft

Chad Daybell was indicted on the same charges, in addition to one count of first-degree murder related to the death of Tammy Daybell, his previous wife.

The Daybells could face the death penalty if convicted on the first-degree murder charges.

Both could face the death penalty if convicted.

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See more of KSL TV’s coverage of the case here.