And new at 10 tonight's sound
from inside the courtroom,
we begin with continuing coverage on
the Lori Valo de Bell murder trial,
the first day of testimony.
After a week spent seating a jury,
prosecutors and defense attorneys laid
out their cases with opening statements,
and the prosecution called its first
couple of witnesses to the stand.
Morgan Romero was at the ADA
County Courthouse all day today,
and she brings us the biggest takeaways
money, power, sex.
The powerful words the prosecution used
to describe this case in court Monday.
They claim Lori Valo Daybell would
do anything to get what she wanted
and would remove any obstacles
that stood in her way. It's
been four years. Can y'all believe
that was all about where the kids?
Where are the kids, where are the kids?
And now it's about justice.
Justice for JJ Valo, Ty Lee,
Ryan, Tammy daybell.
And others connected to Lori Valo
de Bell who've lost their lives.
We want a fair and honest verdict,
whichever way it goes.
Seeing Lori Facetoface on
Monday was stressful for JJ's
grandfather, Larry Woodcock.
She looked away rather quickly.
I I just wanted to to look in her eyes.
At this point, I'm not even asking why her?
Why would never be justification.
And so for that. You know,
I I saw what I wanted to see.
Monday started with opening statements.
Attorneys laying out their case
for the first time, outlining what
they say their evidence will prove.
Money, power and sex.
That's what this case is about.
The defendant, Lori Valo de Bell,
used money, power and sex.
Or the promise of those things.
To get what she wanted.
What she wanted was money,
power and sex. It
didn't matter what obstacle she had
to remove to get what she wanted.
It didn't matter if the obstacle
was a thing or a person,
and if it was a person,
it didn't matter who
the prosecution claimed.
Valo used her religious beliefs and
teachings to justify her affair with
Chad de Bell and the alleged murders.
The spirit could be so evil that the
person actually becomes a zombie.
You can't cast a zombie out,
but a common theme was the
body had to be destroyed.
Then both sides questioned witnesses on the
stand and prosecutors presented evidence.
Some of what we saw and heard
today was sensitive and graphic.
The prosecution showed photos
of how Laurie's adopted son, JJ,
was found in a shallow grave wrapped
in garbage bags with duct tape.
Her daughter Ty Lee's body was burned.
Prosecutors also revealed for
the first time Chad's wife,
Tammy died by asphyxiation
and their opening statements.
Valo's defense said when there's
a lack of evidence,
jurors should find someone not
guilty and it's on the state to prove
guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cases again can be solved.
With evidence, they can be solved.
With lack of evidence
and when there's lack of evidence,
the law calls it not guilty.
They also told the jury Lori
has an alibi for the deaths
of her children and Tammy.
She claims she wasn't in the
places where they were killed.
The evidence will show that Lori
was a dutiful wife to Charles Valo.
They both were tarred.
He hit the office and she at home.
She was a kind and loving
mother to her children.
The evidence will show she had a
particular interest in religion
in the end of times as something
spoken of in the Holy Bible.
The prosecution called Larry's wife,
JJ's grandma Kay Woodcock,
as its first witness after her
brother and Laurie's husband,
Charles Vallow died in 2019.
Kay testified that she became
worried about JJ because, quote,
Laurie didn't want him anymore.
In October of 2019,
the Woodcock said they hired a private
investigator because they hadn't
heard from JJ since early August
and they didn't know where he was.
Kay said she met with Rexburg police
in January 2020 as police were
looking for missing JJ and Tylie.
The woodcocks were the ones who sounded
the alarm with the media, not Laurie.
The state also called Brandon
Boudreau to the stand,
the exhusband of Laurie's niece,
Melanie, he became emotional at
times when talking about the kids.
Laurie and Melanie are close and part
of the same extreme religious group.
Brandon testified that he was
shot at on October 2nd, 2019.
As we've reported,
he thinks Laurie's brother Alex Cox
did it and was driving Ty Lee's Jeep.
This was after Ty Lee died.
The prosecution said Brandon's
case got law enforcement looking
into Chad and Laurie and actively
searching for Ty Lee and JJ.
They say it shows Laurie's scheme
to get rid of people who stood
in the way of her life with Chad.
Prosecutors also presented evidence Monday,
including JJ and Ty Lee's birth certificates,
JJ's adoption certificate from
when the VALOS adopted him,
a picture of Ty Lee,
and a picture K took of JJ she
choked up when looking it over,
calling him her beautiful grandson.
This is not just about Ty Lee and JJ.
This is about Charles and
Tammy and and and others,
and we know who those others are.
So it's, you know, it's important.
It's important for me,
for myself and for K that we
all remember everybody in this.
Larry says he plans to be here every day
unless the good Lord's got something
else that I need to do for him. Yeah.
And will continue pursuing
justice. I'm the biggest
advocate of 12 jurors and
and a fair and honest.
Judicial system and I think
we've got it, I really do.
And and let's just continue
that that this part,
this will continue this way and that
everybody is just speak the truth.
That's all it's all about.
Balo's trial will pick back up
here at the ADA County Courthouse
at 8:30 Tuesday morning.
The prosecution will call another witness,
Rexburg police lead Detective Ray or Macio,
reporting in Boise, Morgan Romero,
Idaho's News Channel 7.
And just a reminder,
you can listen to the entire
opening statements on our website,
ktb.com, or you can find it
on our KTVB YouTube channel.
Of course, you can catch all new
inside the courtroom on KTVB plus
ktvb.com and KTVB's YouTube page.
You can hear directly from our
reporters who are in the courtroom
on new details as the trial develops
over these next several months,
and you want to get live updates on the
trial throughout the day sent to your phone.
Our reporters again will be at
the courthouse every day for the
next couple of months or however
long the proceedings last.
For all of our coverage,
just scan the QR code that is on your
screen or check out our website ktvb.com.
Of course,
the KTVB app has information as well,
as well as KTVB plus.