Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho — Chad Daybell will appear before Judge Faren Eddins for a second day Tuesday as his preliminary hearing continues.
Proceedings are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. in the Fremont County Courthouse and will be streamed lived on EastIdahoNews.com. Daybell is charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence, and two felony counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.
On Monday, Rexburg Police detectives, the Brigham Young University-Idaho Student Dean and Melanie Gibb, a close friend, offered testimony. Tuesday’s hearing will begin with Gibb back on the stand as Daybell’s attorney, John Prior, begins his cross-examination.
Daybell was escorted into court wearing a bulletproof vest and handcuffs. Dressed in a white shirt and tie, he showed very little emotion although he did smile occasionally during proceedings.
The purpose of the hearing is for Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood to convince Eddins that Daybell likely committed the crimes he’s accused of. Wood has subpoenaed several people to testify, including FBI Special Agent Benjamin Dean, FBI Special Agent Steven Daniels, FBI Special Agent Gary Lyu and Rylene Nowlin, an employee with Idaho State Police Forensic Services.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Eddins will decide whether Daybell’s case should be bound over, or advanced, from magistrate court to district court. If that happens, a district judge will be assigned, an arraignment will be scheduled and the case will eventually go before a jury.
Daybell was arrested June 9 after the remains of Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, were found buried on his property. His wife, Lori Daybell, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Fremont County Monday, Aug. 10 on two felony charges of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence.
EastIdahoNews.com will provide numerous updates on this story throughout the day as the hearing progresses.
