LIVE UPDATES: Jury begins deliberations following fiery, tearful closing arguments in Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial

Lori Vallow Daybell is on trial in Maricopa County, Arizona, on one charge of conspiracy to commit the murder of Brandon Boudreaux, her former nephew-in-law. Nate Eaton is live in the courtroom with updates. Please excuse any typos. Times listed below are in Mountain Standard Time, so they are an hour behind Idaho. (Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time.) The most recent updates are at the top.

2:59 p.m. Jurors are going home. We will be back at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

2:45 p.m. We are in recess.

2:44 p.m. If a guilty verdict comes back, the state intends to have an aggravating phase. During the last trial, Lori waived the aggravating phase. Lori objects to the phase. She says if the court is going to go forward with it, she will stipulate to it.

2:43 p.m. We will have a 20-25 minute warning when the verdict is ready. Judge advises everyone to remain close to the courthouse.

2:42 p.m. Judge’s staff is sworn in to protect the jury. The jurors are excused to begin deliberations.

2:40 p.m. Judge will now call the numbers of the three alternate jurors. The admonition still applies to them. Judge thanks the alternates. The clerk draws numbers. Juror numbers 3, 16, and 7 are the alternates.

2:39 p.m. Treena again mentions that Lori held on to Alex’s phone for days while he was gone for days without the back tire and without the rear seat. “That is part of the plan. That is the assisting, that is the promoting, that is the conspiracy that this defendant wants you to pretend doesn’t exist. We don’t need words. We have actions. They are obvious. And they’re done by this defendant and her co-conspirators. Regardless of how many people want to cry up here. This is not evidence. The evidence shows this defendant is guilty. I ask you to find her guilty.” Nothing further.

2:38 p.m. Treena says the four of them – Lori, Chad, Alex and Melani – all worked together. This case “screams to you a conspiracy by this defendant, Chad Daybell, Melani Boudreaux and Alex Cox. Everything they did leading up until Oct. 2 shows you a way to cover up and prepare for the murder of Brandon Boudreaux.”

2:36 p.m. Treena says the defendant would have you believe that Brandon was working with law enforcement to “get her.” She tries to present “innocence and sadness and family history. She agains misrepresents what was shown you at trial. She ignores the facts and evidence of a very obvious long plan. A plan that started when she began meddling in Melani and Brandon’s marriage. When that marriage was finally ending, she continued to help her neice Melani.” Treena says Melani is the subject of multiple investigations.

2:35 p.m. Lori says the things this family has been through is a tragedy. After six years, it’s time to heal. Lori has nothing further. Treena will now rebuttal.

2:33 p.m. Lori says she has nothing to gain by having Brandon heard. She says Brandon has worked with law enforcement for six years to go after her. Treena objects. Judge sustains. Lori says the jurors did not see an agreement and they did not hear an agreement. Lori says if there was an agreement, the state would have shown it to the jurors. “There was no agreement,” she says. Lori says we have all experienced tragedies in our lives and naturally people want someone to blame. She says her brother is no longer here and can’t be asked about that day. Lori says there were things presented in this case that she did not know. Treena objects and asks to strike. Judge sustains. Judge tells Lori she can not testify.

2:31 p.m. Lori starts to cry and says Brandon decided she was responsible for his failing marriage. Lori says she supported Melani when she suffered tragedy as a young child. Lori says the text Brandon wrote was he would never stop until she is responsible. “Well here we are six years later and I’m charged with conspiracy to commit first degree murder.” Lori says there was no agreement between her and Alex. She says she loved Alex. Treena objects to testimony. Judge sustains. Lori says there was no agreement between her and Melani. Objection. Judge sustains. Treena asks judge to strike everything Lori has said. Judge admonishes Lori.

2:28 p.m. Lori approaches the podium. It’s hard to hear her. Lori says when we experience tragedy we can grow stronger from the experience. Lori says the jury has watched her under pressure and under attack. Treena objects. Judge sustains and tells Lori to move the microphone closer. She is still very soft-spoken. Lori says so much more was going on and the law prevents her from talking about it. Treena objects. Judge sustains. Lori says there have been opinions formed by strangers. She says there is no defense from what a person did not do or participate in. She says there is no evidence that has committed a crime. “I’m not defensive. I’m not angry. Nobody has all the pieces to this puzzle. Like most families, this is complex.” There is no agreement, no plan, no game, she says. She says she is no stranger to tragedy and the breaking up of a family is a tragedy.

2:26 p.m. “Brandon Boudreaux knew who was involved,” Treena says. “The defendant has tried to explain away” the evidence. “Don’t fall for the defendant’s questions when the evidence shows what occurred. This defendant conspired with her brother and others to try and kill Brandon Boudreaux. The state asks you to look at all the eveidence and find the defendant guilty.” Treena is done. Total time around 45 minutes.

2:25 p.m. Another defense – Melani did it? Treena: “I’m not here to tell you Melani wasn’t involved. But this defendant was involved. She thought she could help Melani by killing off her soon-to-be ex-husband.” Another defense – not responsible for what my brother Alex did in my Jeep? Treena mentions buying the burner phoneat Walmart, Google searches, removing spare tire, taking the Jeep to Arizona and other events.

2:23 p.m. Treena brings up defenses Lori presented. First – that there was no shooting. Treena responds there was a bullet hole in his car, there were fragments of the bullet, the glass was damaged, Brandon called 911 out of breath and in fear, the Ring camera caught the gunshot. “There was a shooting,” Treena says.

2:22 p.m. Treena tells the jurors to look at all the evidence and look at the actions of everyone involved.

2:21 p.m. Treena says this defendant started helping in the conspiracy when Alex went to buy the burner phone. When she took off the tire, rented a storage unit, put it in there, kept her brother’s cell phone when he went to Arizona, when she made the fake call between the calls. “That is the aiding and the promoting done by this defendant. That is her acts.”

2:20 p.m. Conspiracy means the parties agreed to engage in the conduct. It does not mean that the coconspirators must be successful. Treena now explains premeditation.

2:18 p.m. In determining whether a conspiracy exists, you should consider the actions and statements of all the alleged participants, Treena says. You can be a member of a conspiracy without full knowledge of all the details.

2:16 p.m. Treena explains the difference between circumstantial and direct evidence. Direct evidence is testimony of a witness who saw, heard or otherwise sensed an event. Now Treena explains the crime – conspiracy to commit first degree murder.

2:14 p.m. Treena transitions into jury instructions. She explains that the state has the burden of proof and it must be proof beyond a reasonable doubt – “proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant’s guilt.” Proof beyond a reasonable doubt it not proof beyond all doubt, Treena says.

2:12 p.m. On Oct. 3, the Jeep is back in Idaho by 3:54 p.m. Alex and Lori both do online searches for Brandon, Gilbert Arizona news, etc. Treena shows a slide that says gunshot residue was found in the Jeep and DNA was on the steering wheel, seat belt buckle and gear shift.

2:11 p.m. Treena shows video of Chad and Lori putting the tire and seat into the storage unit. “You can actually see Chad rolling the tire in. Why is this important? This defendant helped take the tire and seat out of her Jeep to make it available for her brother to take a gun down to Arizona to shoot at her niece’s soon-to-be ex-husband. That’s what we’re talking about when we talk about conspiracy.”

2:10 p.m. Treena shows the glass panel on the ground of Brandon’s driveway. On Oct. 2 at 2:11 p.m. Alex is searching for directions to Holbrook. That same day, at 1:28 p.m. Idaho time, Chad and Lori are putting the tire and seat into the storage unit.

2:09 p.m. Treena addresses Lori’s arguments about the colors of the Jeep that Lori has made a big deal about. She shows different photos of the Jeep that look a little different based on lighting, etc. She says they all have the same license plate.

2:07 p.m. Treena plays the video of the neighbor’s Ring camera that caught the car driving into the neighborhood followed by a loud BANG. Several people in the courtroom jump.

2:04 p.m. The neighbor noticed it had a Texas plate. Meanwhile, Alex’s phone calls Lori’s phone in Idaho on a fake 24-minute call, Treena says. This is one hour before the shooting. Brandon returns home at 9:13 a.m. Alex has been waiting for almost two hours. The jurors see a photo of the Tesla in the driveway and crime scene tape.

2:02 p.m. The next morning, Alex Googled the address for Brandon’s home again. The burner phone is utilizing cell phone towers near Melani Boudreaux’s home. Calls are made with Chad Daybell. On Oct. 2, Brandon leaves the house, drops his older kids at school. Meets Melani at a park to drop off their youngest. Brandon goes and works out. A neighbor notices a parked Jeep Wrangler next to Brandon’s driveway and it looked unusual.

2 p.m. Treena shows images from the storage unit on Oct. 1. We see Lori getting in and out of the car by herself. We see the Google searches on Alex’s phone for Brandon’s address. Then he searched for directions to the location. “Melani and Brandon have a very set schedule and they know Brandon is going to drop off the kids and meet Melani to pass off their youngest.”

1:59 p.m. Treena says Lori helped her brother by renting a storage unit on Oct. 1. Lori takes Alex’s phone to the storage unit. “She’s providing her alibi because they don’t know the TracFone is signed into his Google account.”

1:58 p.m. On Oct. 1, a license plate reader in Holbrook, Arizona, captures the Jeep without Texas plates driving without a tire on the back. The burner phone calls one person – “this defendant’s husband. Chad Daybell.” A receipt from Los Favoritos is recovered from inside the Jeep in Idaho. Treena says we know the Jeep is down there. “As much as the defendant wants to talk about colors or whatever, her Jeep was in Mesa. We can stop pretending that didn’t happen.”

1:57 p.m. At 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 30, Lori searches how to remove the back seat of a Jeep Wrangler. “She’s helping him make it more comfortable so he can lie in wait in the back,” Treena says. The tire is removed from the Jeep. Sometime that evening, Alex leaves Idaho and moves toward Gilbert. A license plate reader outside of Rexburg catches the Texas plate on camera.

1:56 p.m. “Why would anyone ever take someone’s cell phone and carry it around with them? Why would you make phone calls between each other? To ensure it looks like Alex Cox is still in Idaho,” Treena says. She then reminds the jury that Alex had a burner phone. We see the timeline of Sept. 30 when Alex’s device goes from his apartment to Lori’s apartment until he returns from Arizona on Oct. 3.

1:54 p.m. On Sept. 26, Brandon has the kids at his rental house. Melani flew to Idaho that day to be with Alex and Lori. On Sept. 27 and 28, Alex goes to the shooting range and Googles Ballistic Trajectory Calculator. Alex has to fire out the back of a Jeep at a moving car, Treena says.

1:53 p.m. As Alex is buying the phone, Lori is on the phone talking with Melani. Alex’s burner phone was only used for one trip – from Idaho to Arizona. Treena shows a slide displaying the cell phone activity. All of the jurors are looking straight ahead at the screen and Treena.

1:51 p.m. Alex goes shooting in Rexburg and on the same day, searches for a tint shop in Idaho Falls (Sept. 23, 2019). Two days later, he gets directions to Dan’s Window Tinting shop in Rexburg. They spent $200 to have darker tint put on Lori’s Jeep. “Why would you spend that money on a vehicle that’s not even your primary car? Because you need a vehicle that you can hide in and shoot out the back window from.” The same day, Alex gets the burner phone from Walmart in Idaho Falls. He activates the device.

1:49 p.m. In September, Brandon moved into a rental and Melani moved into a rental. A few days before Brandon moved, he gave Melani his new address. Treena reminds the jury that Melani referred to Lori as a “mom figure.” Only a small number of other people knew Brandon’s address. Brandon moved in earlier than planned because his soon-to-be ex-wife was going out of town. “Melani knows the address, the planned is already started and Alex is shooting for places to shoot.”

1:48 p.m. On July 11, 2019, there was an incident in Chandler with Lori and Alex. Lori had a 2018 Jeep Wrangler in her garage with Texas plates. Alex also had a vehicle parked in the driveway. In August 2019, Lori emails Blue Sky Property about renting a unit in Idaho. She fills out a rental agreement and lists her Jeep and the Nissan Rogue as her vehicles. Alex is her emergency contact and Melani is her reference. Lori Googles a site in the same complex.

1:46 p.m. Treena’s first slide says June 2019 – June 25. The day Melani and Brandon had a fight. Melani accuses Brandon that he hacked into Lori’s computer, that Brandon was gay and that he was trying to take away Lori’s temple recommend away. Brandon heard these things from Charles, who told Brandon Lori was telling Melani lies and trying to ruin his marriage.

1:45 p.m. Treena explains that much of the planning and premeditation occurred in Idaho. She wants to go through and present a timeline “to show how it all fits together. To show you how all of this evidence points to one conclusion – that this defendant was involved in the conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.”

1:44 p.m. Brandon heard a loud BANG when the bullet struck near his head. He drove off and called 911 in a panic, Treena recalls. “This defendant’s co-conspirator also drove off – to try and escape…immediately calling this defendant’s soon-to-be-husband Chad Daybell and Googling a way to get back to Idaho Falls through backroads,” Treena says.

1:42 p.m. Treena approaches the podium and has a PowerPoint. “Who would want to kill you? That is the question Officer Marianne Robb asked Brandon when she first arrived. That’s the question Det. Pillar asked. Brandon gave them both two names: Lori VAllow, the woman seated over here, and Alexander Cox.” Brandon told them about the incident in July. He told them the Jeep used in the shooting had Texas plates. The Jeep was parked unusually close to his driveway.

1:41 p.m. Jurors cannot conduct any research on the case. Twelve jurors must agree on the verdict. Juror instructions are done. Treena will now give her closing argument.

1:40 p.m. If any of the jurors have questions for the judge or want to communicate with him, they should fill out the form. It must be communicated in writing and must be signed by the juror. The judge will consider the note and consult with the parties. He will then respond.

1:39 p.m. Judge tells the jury they are in charge of their schedule. They are to discuss the case and deliberate with each other – nobody else. The admonition remains in effect when they are not in the jury room.

1:38 p.m. Judge tells the jury to pick a foreperson. Their opinion is not more important than other jurors. The foreperson is to make sure everyone is present during deliberations, and the discussions should be open for everyone to express their views. All members must agree unanimously on the verdict.

1:37 p.m. Judge continues to reach jury instructions. All of the jurors appear to be following along with their own copy of the instructions.

1:34 p.m. One may become a member of a conspiracy without having full knowledge of the conspiracy, Beresky says.

1:33 p.m. The state doesn’t have to prove motive, but motive can be considered when determining their verdict. Judge reads the charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree: The defendant agreed with Alex Cox to commit first-degree murder.

1:32 p.m. Defendant’s decision not to produce evidence is not an indication of her guilt. Jurors should consider all the evidence to determine whether the defendant committed the act voluntarily.

1:31 p.m. Jurors should not worry about the punishment if the defendant is found guilty. That’s for the judge to decide.

1:30 p.m. Defendant is not required to produce any evidence. State must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendant is not required to testify. It was her decision. Because she did not testify, they can not hold that against her.

1:29 p.m. Judge tells jurors to consider all of the evidence. The testimony of a law enforcement officer is not to be considered more than any other witness. Expert opinion should be judged just as any other testimony.

1:28 p.m. Judge says defendant’s decision to represent herself should not be considered. He says in a few minutes, the prosecutor and defense will give their closing arguments. What they say is not evidence.

1:27 p.m. Judge says some of the exhibits have portions deleted from them for legal reasons. He tells them not to speculate or worry why they were deleted. “You must not think the defendant is guilty just because of the charge,” Beresky says.

1:26 p.m. Judge explains that if there was an objection and it was sustained, jurors must not consider it. If testimony was stricken from the record, jurors should not consider it. Judge says not to concern themselves with how he ruled on objections or evidence.

1:25 p.m. Judge tells jury they should not guess about any facts or be worried about the judge’s opinions of the facts. He says they are to determine the facts.

1:23 p.m. Jury is back in the room. Lori says the defense rests. Judge asks assistant to hand out jury instructions.

1:21 p.m. Judge says the state has presented a compelling case that Alex traveled to Gilbert in an attempt to kill Brandon. He says there is other evidence that shows Lori was aware of Alex’s plans. Judge denies Lori’s request.

1:21 p.m. Treena says there was substantial evidence to prove Lori conspired with Alex to commit the crime. She rented a storage unit, she Googled how to remove a rear seat and she created an alibi by having their phones interact while he was in Arizona.

1:19 p.m. Beresky is on the bench. Lori is asking for Rule 20. She says the court must acquit her and there was no evidence that proved she conspired. Lori says the only evidence presented is she was placing items in a storage unit and she did some Google searches. She says there is not substantial evidence and the state did not prove it.

1:18 p.m. There are surveillance cameras that capture many angles of the courtroom and will likely show if someone is taking a photo. The two people who were asked to leave are back in their seats.

1:17 p.m. The judge’s assistant just asked two people to leave the courtroom. She is now addressing the gallery and says if you are seen taking photos, you will not only be escorted out of the courtroom but you will be escorted out of the building.

1:12 p.m. Back in the courtroom. The bailiff just told everyone in the audience that if they take any photos, they will be removed from the courtroom. He said he heard people were taking pictures this morning while the undercover FBI agent was on the stand.

12:09 p.m. Beresky says after lunch, Lori will read her rule 20 motion. Jury will then come in and judge will ask Lori if she is reading. He will read jury instructions and go straight into closing arguments.

12:07 p.m. Beresky is reviewing the proposed jury instructions with both parties. Asking if there any objections on each page. So far there aren’t any. After lunch, we expect Lori to rest. The judge will then read the instructions to the jury.

12:06 p.m. Judge dismisses the jury. Lori says she doesn’t plan to call witnesses or testify. Judge wants to go over jury instructions now. He starts reading them. Asks if there are any objections.

12:03 p.m. Treena has nothing further. Jurors have no questions. Witness is excused. Treena says at this time, the state is going to rest.

12:02 p.m. Treena asks if the homerjmaximus account logged into the TracFone. Yes. She asks other clarifying questions about the radius of cell phone activity in and around Walmart in Idaho Falls.

12:01 p.m. Treena asks if anything about the records appeared to be unauthentic or modified. He says no. He is using the data and showing us what it says.

12 noon Ballance says if there isn’t a location record, he can’t map it. Lori has nothing further. Treena will now re-direct.

11:57 a.m. Lori asks if a phone is static and not moving, will it be reporting anything? He says it depends. If it’s stationery, it may not report as much versus a moving phone. He says the phone must be on and Google location history must be activated.

11:55 a.m. Lori asks if Gmail or Verizon giving him information that there was no movement of the device from one apartment to another. He says it’s based off the Google location history of the device. Lori asks if a phone was driving around, would it show all the movement? He says it depends on the Google location records and if it’s enabled.

11:53 a.m. Lori asks what Verizon’s cell phone tower radius is. He says coverage areas depends on how many users there are and the coverage area of a tower is usually between one tower and the tower closest to it.

11:52 a.m. Lori asks, “If you don’t have your location on, are you able to track where things are or is it only if you connect to Wifi?” He says it depends on your phone and your app. You can turn location off your apps. It all depends on how you’ve set up your location sharing.

11:48 a.m. Lori asks for clarification about the night her phone was in Idaho Falls and Alex’s was at Walmart in Idaho Falls. She asks if the phones could connect to Walmart’s Wi-Fi. He says it doesn’t need to connect to the wifi. She asks if he has the ability to track someone walking around Walmart. He says you could potentially estimate depending on the record you have that is specific to the device.

11:47 a.m. He says there is no way you can say definitively that the phones were at the different apartments with just the cell phone records, but the Google location history is much more specific.

11:45 a.m. Lori asks a question about the meters of a sector. He says it’s degrees, not meters. He talks about the different sectors on top of each tower. The sector can then give you the degrees. Lori asks how far apart the two apartments were in Rexburg. He says it’s been a while since he’s been there, but they are relatively close.

11:42 a.m. Lori asks about Oct. 3 at 2:15 p.m. when a device was at the Self Storage Plus. She asks if that was the TracFone. It was not, it was Alex’s other device. Lori asks if the TracFone ever gave a location in Rexburg after Oct. 3. He says no. She asks the last time it did. It was Oct. 2 in Utah in the evening hours. Lori asks where in Utah. It was southeast of Salt Lake City.

11:41 a.m. Lori says you can’t pinpoint where a person is. He says he can track the device – not the person. Lori says if you have a TracFone and anyone else had it, it would look like you were in that place. Ballance says the device would report the location information and that’s the data he could collect.

11:40 a.m. Lori asks if it’s typical for people to have their email associated with multiple devices. He says this day in age, yes. It depends on the individual. “If you have an ipad, a laptop, a phone, and you connect all those to your Google account – it’s not unusual,” he says.

11:38 a.m. Lori asks if he would have more information if he had the actual phone versus the data from the phone company. He says yes, having the physical phone could give more information.

11:37 a.m. Lori asks again if he got the files via email. He believes it was a messaging transfer platform. Lori asks if he doesn’t know who sent the files, how does he know they are authentic? He says he was mapping records as he received them. She asks if there’s a way to know if they were altered before he got the files. He does not.

11:36 a.m. Lori asks Ballance if he got his information from Google. He says those records were obtained by a Rexburg police investigative team. She asks how he got the records. He believes it was email. There are options to electronically send large files.

11:34 a.m. Lori asks about multiple devices being connected to the same Google account. Ballance says if location information is turned on on each device, there would be a location history record. You can filter out the devices.

11:33 a.m. Lori approaches the podium and says she has a couple questions. “Let’s say you have three phones associated to your Gmail account and all of your locations are on, what would it be tracking?” He says the columns have device tags and they differentiate each individual device. You can filter out different devices.

11:31 a.m. On Oct. 3 between 2:20 p.m. and 2:22 p.m., Lori’s phone received calls from Chad’s phone. The TracFone was never used again after Oct. 2. Treena has no further questions. Lori will now question Ballance.

11:29 a.m. On Oct. 2 between 1:22 p.m. and 8:13 p.m., the TracFone used towers from Phoenix moving toward Utah. The next slide shows Oct. 3, 2019, at 2:15 p.m. Alex’s phone (not the TracFone) was in the area of Self-Storage Plus. At 2:13 p.m. that day, the surveillance cameras caught Alex moving the tire into the unit.

11:26 a.m. Between 8:50 a.m. and 9:46 a.m. Arizona time, Lori’s phone had five calls. Before the shooting, there was an outgoing call to Chad. Another outgoing call to Melani for 35 minutes. Then an incoming call two-minute call from Chad while Lori was on the phone with Melani. Then a break in time before an incoming call at 9:44 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. from Chad.

11:23 a.m. The TracFone called Chad Daybell at 9:22 a.m. on Oct. 2. Meanwhile, Alex’s other phone was at Lori’s apartment in Idaho. It never moved her apartment from Sept. 30 and Oct. 2.

11:22 a.m. The next map shows the TracFone moved from near Brandon’s house south/southeast out of the area between 9:17 a.m. and 9:23 a.m.

11:21 a.m. The phone associated to Chad Daybell made three outgoing calls to the TracFone in Arizona between 8:39 a.m. to 9:16 a.m. The shooting at Brandon occurred around 9:13 a.m.

11:20 a.m. Lori is taking notes during this testimony and following along. She also took many notes yesterday during Lt. Hermosillo’s testimony, but didn’t ask him any questions.

11:19 a.m. At the same time, the Walmart TracFone is using towers in Gilbert, Arizona. Alex’s device in Rexburg did not move from Lori’s apartment that day – it never went back to his apartment.

11:17 a.m. Back in Idaho, on Oct. 2 at 8:02 a.m. Arizona time, an outbound call is made from Lori’s device to Alex’s device and the call is around 23 minutes. Both phones are using the same tower and sector, which are near the apartment complex where Alex and Lori live.

11:16 a.m. Another slide shows the movements of the TracFone around the Phoenix area. The phone is moving and different towers are picking up its activities. It ends up in the area of Brandon Boudreaux’s residence.

11:15 a.m. We now see a map of the TracFone activity in Arizona on Oct. 2 between 7:02 and 7:20 a.m.

11:13 a.m. At 2:24 p.m. Arizona time, the phone associated to Melani calls Lori’s phone. Alex Cox’s cell phone are in the area of the storage unit at this time.

11:11 a.m. Treena asks Ballance if he’s aware that Lori rented a storage unit at Self Storage Plus in Rexburg. He learned about it and Treena shows a map that places the homerjmaximus account phone at the storage unit on Oct. 1 between 3:10 p.m. and 3:36 p.m. Idaho time.

11:09 a.m. Treena shows a slide showing Alex’s homerjmaximus account is in Idaho at the same time the TracFone is in Arizona on Oct. 1.

11:08 a.m. The TracFone that traveled from Idaho to Arizona called Chad Daybell at 9:19 a.m. on Oct. 1.

11:06 a.m. Between Sept. 30 at 12:34 p.m. until Oct. 1 at 9:20 a.m., the TracFone moved from Rexburg to Arizona.

11:05 a.m. On Sept. 30, from 4:38 p.m. until 11:59 p.m., the phone associated to Alex Cox was at Lori’s apartment. It did not go back to his apartment.

11:03 a.m. The next slide shows the phone associated to the homerjmaximus account was at Alex Cox’s apartment at this time. On Sept. 30, the account was at Alex Cox’s apartment at 4:32 p.m. By 4:36 p.m., the phone was within 15 meters of Lori Vallow’s apartment.

11 a.m. The next slide shows the TracFone making a call that connected to a cell phone tower by Lori and Alex’s Rexburg apartment. It was made on Sept. 26, 2019, at 11:31 p.m.

10:58 a.m. At the time Alex Cox’s phone was in the Walmart buying the TracFone, Lori’s device received an incoming call from a phone associated with Melani Boudreaux using a cell phone tower in Idaho Falls.

10:55 a.m. The next map shows the cell phone tower interaction with the Arizona number associated with Lori Vallow on Sept. 25 at 7:08 p.m. It received two calls. One of the calls lasted about ten minutes. Her phone was utilizing a tower near the Idaho Falls Walmart.

10:52 a.m. We now see a map of Google Location History in Idaho associated with the homerjmaximus account on Sept. 25 from 7:07 p.m. to 7:26 p.m. It was at Walmart in Idaho Falls and the location was derived from Wifi. It doesn’t mean the phone necessarily connected to Wifi, it just means that the phone was in the Wifi access range.

10:49 a.m. The homerjmaximus account was found on the Verizon network. Data associated with the account was tied to a TracFone number with area code 304 (West Virginia). The TranFone was purchased at Walmart in Idaho Falls on Sept. 25 at 7:10 p.m.

10:48 a.m. Treena asks if the homerjmaximus Gmail account was tied to a mobile equipment identifier. It was. Ballance explains that a MEID number is kind of a VIN on a phone. He can go to different cell phone providers and see if that MEID number has ever shown up on their network.

10:42 a.m. We see additional legends that will explain the presentation and differences between collecting cell phone data versus Google data.

10:39 a.m. Treena shows a legend that will explain how to understand Ballance’s presentation.

10:38 a.m. Video of today’s proceedings is available here.

10:37 a.m. Several jurors are taking notes and looking intently at the screen in front of them.

10:35 a.m. A traditional cell phone tower has three sides. The tower is pushing out coverage into three separate sectors. Ballance is able to look at the tower and sector of where a cell phone is being used.

10:33 a.m. Treena displays a map that shows how far a cell phone tower could provide coverage. It’s an example with blue dots scattered across the Phoenix area. Generally the more people in an area, the more cell phone towers.

10:30 a.m. Ballance evaluated information from Sept. 23, 2019 through Oct. 3, 2019. The presentation shows how Ballance analyzed the data and an explanation of how he obtained the cell phone records.

10:26 a.m. Treena moves to admit a presentation prepared by Ballance showing the location history of the devices, Google account.

10:25 a.m. Ballance was asked to analyze the TracFone and other phones belonging to Lori and Alex. He was also asked to analyze the Google location history data associated with the homerjmaximus account.

10:24 a.m. Ballance talks about his continuing education and certification courses that keep him up to date in cellular technology. He has previously testified in trials, including Chad and Lori’s Idaho trials.

10:21 a.m. Ballance works on the CAST team – Cellular Analysis Survey Team. He has been working in the unit since 2019. He also worked on cell phone records while working for the US Marshals. He describes the training he’s been involved in.

10:18 a.m. Jurors are in their seats. Nicholas Ballance is sworn in. He takes a seat on the witness stand. Treena asks him to introduce himself to the jury. Ballance is a special agent with the FBI and is assigned to the Salt Lake City division. He works out of Boise.

10:17 a.m. Judge Justin Beresky is on the bench. Treena reminds the judge about not showing the face of the witness. Judge reminds media to focus on another part of the courtroom or blur the face of the witness. Lori wants to include a letter from witness Tammy Lachcik that she is unable to testify for appellate reasons.

10:15 a.m. Lori Vallow Daybell was escorted into the courtroom a few minutes ago. She is chatting with Hicks and going through her paperwork.

10:12 a.m. The judge has ordered the media not to show the face of the final witness. He is a special agent with the FBI and does undercover work. You will be able to hear his voice, but his face will not be shown on the video feed.

10:10 a.m. Pamela Hicks and Robert Abernethy, Lori’s advisory attorneys, just walked in the courtroom. Rexburg Lt. Ray Hermosillo just walked in and will be watching proceedings from the gallery today.

10:06 a.m. A couple of empty seats in the courtroom this morning. Gilbert Det. Ryan Pillar just walked in. He is seated next to Treena Kay and her paralegal.

10:02 a.m. Brandon Boudreaux is here with his wife. Maricopa County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Treena Kay is chatting with them. Other family members and friends are here, including Kay Woodcock.

9:56 a.m. Lori has filed a few motions over the past few days. On Monday, she filed a motion calling for the recusal of Chief Judge Jennifer Green. Green is the judge who denied Lori’s motion when she called for the recusal of Judge Justin Beresky (three times).

Daybell also filed a motion requesting a hearing to “dismiss abuse of discretion.”

“Because the motions allege that this Division cannot be fair, the motions will be assigned to the Associate Presiding Criminal Judge,” Green wrote.

Judge Kevin Wein was assigned the motions and he denied them both yesterday.

“Rule 10.1(b)(1) provides that a party ‘may not file a motion after a hearing or trial begins.’ A jury was empaneled in the 2022 matter on June 4, 2025. Trial in the 2021 matter has concluded. These motions, therefore, are untimely. For these reasons, Defendant’s request to remove Judges Green and Beresky for cause is DENIED,” Wein wrote.

9:50 a.m. Back in the courtroom on what could be the last day of Lori Vallow Daybell’s trial. Prosecutor Treena Kay said yesterday she will call her final witness, FBI analyst Nicholas Ballance, and then rest. It will then be Lori Vallow Daybell’s turn to put on a defense if she chooses. If not, she will rest and then the jury will finalize jury instructions. Instructions and closing arguments could happen as early as this afternoon or tomorrow.