A mother accused in the triple murder of her as well as her new husbandB次元官网网址檚 previous wife was willing to B次元官网网址渞emove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants,B次元官网网址� a prosecutor told jurors Monday morning.

B次元官网网址淭he defendant used money, power and sex to get what she wanted,B次元官网网址� Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Black said. B次元官网网址淚t didnB次元官网网址檛 matter what it was.B次元官网网址�

Prosecutors charged Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, with multiple counts of in connection with the deaths of Vallow DaybellB次元官网网址檚 two youngest children: 7-year-old Joshua B次元官网网址淛JB次元官网网址� Vallow and big sister Tylee Ryan, who was last seen a few days before her 17th birthday in 2019. Prosecutors also charged the couple in connection with the October 2019 death of Chad DaybellB次元官网网址檚 late wife, Tammy Daybell.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, but are being tried separately. Chad DaybellB次元官网网址檚 trial is still months away. Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The children were missing for months before in Chad DaybellB次元官网网址檚 eastern Idaho yard, Blake told jurors.

B次元官网网址淐harred remains, thatB次元官网网址檚 what was left of Tylee,B次元官网网址� the prosecutor said, showing jurors a photo of human remains partially uncovered in a patch of dirt. B次元官网网址淵ou will hear it explained as a mass of bone and tissue. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what was left of this beautiful young woman.B次元官网网址�

JJB次元官网网址檚 body was wrapped in trash bags and duct tape, Blake said B次元官网网址� the tape binding his arms in front of him and wrapping around his head.

The kids and Chad DaybellB次元官网网址檚 previous wife Tammy Daybell were all killed because they stood in the way of the coupleB次元官网网址檚 relationship, Blake said.

B次元官网网址淩emember, the defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,B次元官网网址� Blake said.

Defense attorney Jim Archibald presented jurors with a far different picture, describing Vallow Daybell as a B次元官网网址渒ind and loving mother to her childrenB次元官网网址� who happened to have a particular interest in religion and Biblical prophesies involving the end of the world.

B次元官网网址淪ome people care less about Biblical prophesies, some people care a lot about it,B次元官网网址� Archibald said. B次元官网网址淭hankfully in this country, we get to worship as we choose.B次元官网网址�

Vallow Daybell is presumed innocent, Archibald reminded jurors, and said the criminal charges themselves B次元官网网址� which accuse Vallow Daybell of either directing, encouraging, assisting or participating in the murders B次元官网网址� show that prosecutors donB次元官网网址檛 really know what happened in the case.

B次元官网网址淒id she kill, or did she assist, or did she encourage, or did she direct? They arenB次元官网网址檛 sure,B次元官网网址� Archibald said.

Archibald also said Vallow DaybellB次元官网网址檚 religious beliefs only began to change after she met Chad Daybell, a religious author whose fictional books focused on the apocalypse and were loosely based on the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But Blake said those beliefs veered toward the extreme, with the couple saying people were B次元官网网址渄arkB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址渓ight,B次元官网网址� telling friends and acquaintances that B次元官网网址渄arkB次元官网网址� people had been taken over by evil spirits. They eventually began teaching friends that once those evil spirits were strong enough, the person became a B次元官网网址渮ombie,B次元官网网址� and the only way to free that personB次元官网网址檚 soul was by killing them.

Friends of Vallow Daybell will testify that she said the children and Tammy Daybell were B次元官网网址渄arkB次元官网网址� before their deaths, Blake said. At least one friend told police that Vallow Daybell called both children B次元官网网址渮ombiesB次元官网网址� before they disappeared, according to police records.

B次元官网网址淭he common theme was the body has to be destroyed,B次元官网网址� Blake said. B次元官网网址淭he defendant and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions to others B次元官网网址� their actions from affair to murder.B次元官网网址�

JJ VallowB次元官网网址檚 grandmother, Kay Woodcock, was the first witness to take the stand after opening arguments. She cried after Madison County prosecutor Rob Wood showed her a photo of JJ taken when he was around 5 or 6 years old, sitting in a vehicle wearing a seatbelt.

B次元官网网址淭hat is my beautiful grandson, JJ,B次元官网网址� she said.

Woodcock said Vallow Daybell was once a B次元官网网址渄oting mother,B次元官网网址� but her opinion of the defendant changed after Charles Vallow filed for divorce in early 2019. After Charles Vallow died, once-regular phone calls and visits with JJ dropped off, she said.

She only had contact with JJ three times after his father died, Woodcock said, in short FaceTime video calls. The last call happened the month before JJ was last seen alive, she said. It only was about 35 seconds long.

B次元官网网址淗e just said, B次元官网网址楬i Mama, hi Papa,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Woodcock said, referring to JJB次元官网网址檚 nicknames for his grandparents. B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址橤otta go, Mama. Gotta go, Papa. Bye!B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Woodcock eventually contacted law enforcement agencies and asked them to do a welfare check on JJ. When police couldnB次元官网网址檛 find either of the kids, they opened a missing persons case.

Rexburg Police started investigating in November 2019. During that period, police say the couple lied about the childrenB次元官网网址檚 whereabouts.

Prosecutors say the couple planned to use life insurance money from Tammy DaybellB次元官网网址檚 death, and that Vallow Daybell kept collecting and spending the childrenB次元官网网址檚 social security and survivor benefits after they died. TyleeB次元官网网址檚 father died after he and Vallow Daybell divorced years earlier. JJB次元官网网址檚 father Charles Vallow B次元官网网址� who Vallow Daybell was married to when she met Chad Daybell B次元官网网址� was shot and killed by Vallow DaybellB次元官网网址檚 brother, Alex Cox.

Vallow Daybell is charged in Arizona in connection with Charles VallowB次元官网网址檚 death, but yet to enter a plea. Cox, who told police the shooting was in self-defense, died a few months after the shooting and was never charged.

The couple married two weeks after Chad DaybellB次元官网网址檚 previous wife died unexpectedly. An autopsy showed that Tammy Daybell was killed by asphyxiation, Blake said Monday.

The couple had eliminated B次元官网网址渁ny and every obstacle that was in their way of getting exactly what they wanted,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址擱ebecca Boone, The Associated Press