Judge Orders Trial Tied to Discovery of Missing Children’s Bodies

A judge ruled there’s enough evidence for Chad Daybell to go to trial after the bodies of Joshua Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found buried on his property.

Chad Daybell, (L), sits with his defense attorney, John Prior, during his preliminary hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 4, 2020. John Roark/Post Register via AP

BOISE, Idaho—A judge ruled Tuesday there’s enough evidence for a man to go to trial after the bodies of his new wife’s two children were found buried on his Idaho property. The bizarre case involving doomsday beliefs and the deaths of several people linked to the couple has attracted national headlines.

Chad Daybell, 52, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to hiding the remains of 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan. Investigators found their bodies during a search in June, months after they were last seen in September 2019.