Idaho prosecutors want to combine the two separate cases of Lori and Chad Daybell, according to the Deseret News.
- The prosecutors said the two face “identical allegations of working together to keep her children’s bodies hidden from authorities,” the Deseret News reported.
- Rob Wood, special prosecuting attorney for Fremont County, Idaho, wrote in Tuesday court filings, that combining the two cases would make the process for efficient.
Neama Rahmani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers and former federal prosecutor, explained in a statement another reason why prosecutors want to combine the Daybell cases:
“Prosecutors like to try co-defendants together for these reasons: to preserve limited government resources and to make defendants appear guilty by association. Defense attorneys will push for separate trials to blame another defendant for the crimes by pointing to the ‘empty chair’ at trial and positioning their clients as victims rather than perpetrators.”
“The prosecution has a strong case. Lori and Chad’s lies have been exposed time and time again. Her children’s bodies were discovered on his property. The couple is unlikely to escape murder charges at some point. Whether they are tried together or separately, we can expect one or both to blame the other in an attempt to escape life in prison or a potential death sentence.”
The Daybells currently are scheduled to face separate trials in January 2021.