Attorney for Chad Daybell, Accused of Murder and Conspiracy, Requests Withdrawal from Case

In a surprising development, the attorney representing Chad Daybell, a man charged with three counts of murder and conspiracy, has requested to withdraw from his case. Chad Daybell is accused of playing a role in the deaths of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and aiding convicted murderer Lori Vallow in the killing of her two children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Additionally, he faces two counts of insurance fraud related to his wife's murder.
 
 Prosecutors assert that Daybell and Vallow conspired to commit these gruesome crimes in late 2019, just before their marriage in Hawaii. The couple reportedly met at one of Chad Daybell's religious conferences and bonded over shared beliefs in a doomsday cult, which investigators believe played a central role in the tragic events.
 
 The motion to withdraw from Chad Daybell's case was filed by his attorney, John Prior, who has been representing him since 2021. Prior's motion stated that the case, which involves prosecutors seeking the death penalty, would demand his continuous and extensive efforts "around the clock, more than full-time for more than four months without compensation and without the assistance of any other counsel."
 
 "Mr. Daybell cannot pay for counsel's continued services, and Mr. Daybell seeks the appointment of two capital qualified attorneys to represent him in this matter," read the motion, as obtained by East Idaho News.
 
 It's worth noting that the court had previously declared Chad Daybell indigent, indicating his inability to afford legal representation and entitling him to court-appointed counsel. In his filing, John Prior mentioned that he had discussed this decision with Chad Daybell and requested the court to appoint two qualified public defenders to handle his case.
 
 John Prior also reached out to an attorney willing to take over Chad Daybell's case; however, the request to be qualified as a public defender in a case involving the death penalty has not yet been approved by the Public Defense Commission. Idaho currently has only 13 public defenders qualified to lead capital punishment cases, according to the commission's roster.
 
 "The time for him to be of any assistance for me in preparing for this case is long gone," Prior wrote.
 
 Chad Daybell's trial is scheduled to commence in April in Ada County, but it remains uncertain whether these recent developments might lead to delays in the proceedings.
 
 Last year, Lori Vallow was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and grand theft in connection with the deaths of her two youngest children. She was also convicted of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Chad Daybell's first wife. Vallow was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 31. She is facing separate charges in Arizona related to conspiracy to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and conspiracy to murder her niece's estranged husband, Brandon Boudreaux. 
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