In a shocking move on Friday evening, the attorney representing Chad Daybell filed a motion asking to withdraw from the case.
Daybell is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and his second wife's two youngest children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Daybell's second wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, was convicted on the same charges and sentenced to serve three life sentences without the possibility of parole.
In the motion, John Prior said that Chad, whom he has represented in the case since 2020, has been declared indigent by the court and can no longer afford his services. Prior was initially hired with Chad's personal funds.
Lori Vallow Daybell pleads not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder
The so-called "Doomsday Cult Mom" Lori Vallow Daybell pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to commit murder Thursday.
Appointing new attorneys for the case will come with extra complexity, because prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Chad Daybell, requiring death penalty-qualified attorneys to represent him. Prior noted the difficulty and scope of the case in his motion.
"Reflecting this complexity and the work required to prepare and try this case, this Court has set aside two full months for a trial, and the prosecution team consists of no less than five attorneys from two county offices, including an out-of-state attorney hired at taxpayer expense. Remaining on this case would require undersigned counsel to work around the clock, more than full-time, for more than four months without compensation and without the assistance of any other counsel," the motion said.
Prior said in the motion that he was filing it with his client's full consent, and said that Chad Daybell had requested he be given two capital-qualified attorneys for the trial.
In the motion, Prior said he had attempted to find an attorney to be his replacement, but the lawyer he found has not yet been approved by the Public Defense Commission.
Chad Daybell's trial is currently scheduled to begin on April 1, 2024.
This story was originally published by Lauren Silver at Court TV.
