Hidden True Crime - Brandon Testifies, Melani Implicated, & Lori Vallow Daybell Whines About Tylenol | Day 1 Recap

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

The attempted murder trial of Lori Vallow Daybell kicks off—with explosive opening statements, chilling evidence, and the only known survivor of her alleged hit list, Brandon Boudreaux, taking the stand. Lori, repping herself again, spent the day being objected to, fumbling… and then complaining about Tylenol. Day One is already wild—here’s everything that went down. Brandon Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnLc7I2gyWtQ2L4_aCtEOlvmFBxegNf56&si=B6BQJgzco69lYoWL Limited Trial Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/hidden-true-crime-limited-merch/ About Hidden True Crime: What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at ⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Only on Disney Plus. Hello, Hidden Gems. Today marks the beginning of what may be Lori Valadebel's final trial. her third time facing a jury, and this time the charge is conspiracy to commit murder again. This time the target wasn't her children or her husband, but her former nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreau. Prosecutors say that back in October 2019, Lori and her now-decease brother, Alex Cox, wanted to kill Brandon. Alex allegedly drove a Jeep registered to Lori's late husband, Charles Vallow, from Rexburg, Idaho,

all the way to Gilbert, Arizona. and opened fire on Brandon outside his home. Miraculously, Brandon survived. At the time, Brandon had recently separated from his wife, Melanie Boudreau, Lori's niece, who now goes by Melanie Polowski. And according to the state, Lori, Chad, DeBell, and Alex had branded Brandon with one of their infamous labels, dark, a spiritual death sentence in their world. And prosecutors believe a green light for more.

murder. Brandon is the only known target of this trio to survive. Just last month, Lori was convicted of conspiracy to murder Charles Vallow, who was shot and killed by Alex. That was her then husband. And before that, she and Chad were both convicted of murdering her children, Tiley and JJ and Chad's wife, Tammy Davao. And now it's Brandon's turn to seek justice. Of course, Lori tried to delay things. She filed motion after motion, claimed illness, possibly real, possibly not, probably not. She even tried to get Judge Breskes thrown off the case, accused him of bias. It didn't work. None of it did. So here we are. Lori is once again representing herself a risky move, especially considering how that went last

time. But maybe she thinks she's gained courtroom skills after so many trials, we will see. So let's get into it. Here is everything that happened on day one of the Brandon Boudreau attempted murder trial. Before opening statements even began, Brandon Boudreau entered the courtroom with his wife, Jenny, close family, and a few friends. Kay Woodcock was also there to show support to Brandon, and Nancy Johancock was also there in that second row. They quietly took those seats in the first two rows, and across the room, Lori Valo-Dabelle sat at the defense table. She was dressed in a navy blue suit, her favorite one I've noticed. Her hair curled and styled as usual. Interestingly, she seemed to be moving better than yesterday, less slouched, less hobbling, more alert.

She actually stood this time. Maybe that mystery illness she's been hinting at is starting to fade, or maybe it was never all that real to begin with. Juror number 10, however, was not so lucky. An elderly veteran, he had seemed willing to serve but had to be released due to illness. He reportedly experienced cold sweat on the drive home, something he thought was behind him. I personally can't help but wonder if it was PTSD. Whatever it was, I hope he finds relief now that he has been excused.

Three alternate jurors remain. And then it began. Prosecutor Trina Kaye stepped to the podium to deliver the state's opening remarks in what she described, chilling. She told the jury that on the morning of October 2nd, 2019, Brandon was driving home when something caught his attention, A Jeep Wrangler parts suspiciously close to his driveway. It had Texas plates, tinted windows, no spare tire mounted on the back, something Brandon found odd.

He pulled in and the Jeep's back window started to open. And that's when he saw it, the barrel of a rifle emerging slowly, aimed directly at him, at Brandon. Let's listen to what prosecutor Trina Kaye says happened next. And then bang. He heard a shot and his window shattered right next to him. Brandon hit the accelerator and he took off. He turned the corner and drove a block or so away and stopped, calling 911. He talked to the operator and told them where this Jeep was going.

As Brandon was speaking with the 911 operator, he had no idea that that bullet had struck his car. just a few inches from his head. You'll learn that in the back of that Jeep was this defendant's brother, Alex Cox. He had been lying in wait with a rifle for Brandon to return home. This defendant, Lori Valadeeval, the woman seated over here,

had loaned her Jeep to her brother, so he could drive it to Arizona. So he could be in the back of that Jeep with a very dark tint that no one could see through and wait for Brandon to return home. The goal of this defendant and her co-conspirators to shoot and kill Brandon Boudreau. So let's talk about October 2nd and the weeks leading up to that. All of the actions that this defendant did in furtherance of that conspiracy, and the premeditated murder of Brandon Boutreau. Next, prosecutor Trina Kay began to lay out the broader picture, context, key players, and motive.

She told the jury that back in 2019 in June, Brandon was still married to Lori's niece, Melanie. The two were separating and things were already tense. But behind the scenes, something darker was taking shape. According to Trina, Melanie and Lori were incredibly close, like mother and daughter. And together, they had turned. on Brandon. On June 25th, after an argument with Melanie, Brandon learned something upsetting to him that Lori had allegedly told his wife, Melanie, that he was gay and that he had hacked her computer and that he was conspiring with Charles Vallow, Lori's then husband, to get her temple

recommend revoked. Now, for anyone unfamiliar with the faith, Lori and Brandon shared the Church of Jesus Christ of Water DeS Saints, a temple recommend is sacred. Having it revoked is not only embarrassing but spiritually hurtful. Brandon texted Lori that day to confront her. She never responded. And by July, Brandon and Melanie were headed for divorce. Mediation had started. Around the same time, Lori and Alex were still living in Arizona.

And on July 11th, something major happened at Lori's home. An incident that led police to photograph the vehicles parked there, including a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with Texas plates and Alex's Ford F-150. That incident, by the way, was the murder of Charles Vallow. But the jury might not ever hear that part. Too prejudicial, perhaps. We'll have to wait and see. Trina continued.

Between August and September of 2019, Lori and Alex moved to Rexburg, Idaho, just miles from Lori's soon-to-be-new husband, Chad Daybell. Lori brought two cars with her, the Jeep Wrangler and her Nissan Road. Alex brought his truck. Meanwhile, back in Arizona, Melanie and Brandon were finalizing their split. They listed the marital home for sale. Brandon stayed there

temporarily while Melanie moved into a rental. Brandon eventually signed a lease for a new place in Gilbert on September 13th. His moving plane was flexible until Melanie told him that she would be out of town and offered that he'd take the kids for an extra weekend. Her destination, Rexburg, Idaho. She was visiting her aunt, her aunt Lori. Before leaving, Melanie asked Brandon for his new address, and because they share kids, Brandon gave it to her, 3875 East Phelps Street. She was the only person he gave that address to, and this they emphasized during the trial. Melanie Woodrow Polowski, the only person that Brandon gave that new address to. And this, Trina told the jury, is where the conspiracy takes form. On September 25th, Alex Cox searched online for places to install ultra dark tinting

on the Jeep Wrangler, so dark you couldn't see inside. That same day, he paid roughly $200 for the darkest legal tint possible, and Lori let him do it on her Jeep. That, Trina argued, was Lori's first act of conspiracy. The Jeep would be used in the attack. The dark tint would hide Alex's rifle in hand lying in wait. In that same day, Alex and Lori also went to Walmart in nearby Idaho Falls with cash, and they bought a burner phone, presumably to communicate while avoiding surveillance on Alex's primary device. But here came their second mistake. Alex used the burner to access his Gmail account, and thanks to the search warrant investigators later found damning evidence. Alex had searched for window tinting, places to practice shooting, gunshot angles, and trajectories,

Brandon's new address and backroad directions to flee the scene. Meanwhile, on September 30th, Lori herself searched, quote, how to get the back seat out of my Jeep Wrangler, end quote, and clicked on a DIY YouTube video, joined exactly how to do it. That seat removal, Trina argued, made it easier for Alex to lie flat in the back of the Jeep, sniper style. This was Lori's second act of conspiracy,

another premeditated move. And then came the alibi. An FBI agent named Nick Balance, a cellular data analysis testified that on September 30th, at 4.30 p.m., Alex's real phone, moved from his apartment to Lori's for the next several days. It didn't move again. But the burner phone, oh, well, that traveled all the way to Arizona.

And then on the morning of the shooting, October 2nd, at 8 a.m., Lori used Alex's real phone to call her own number. The goal? To create the illusion that Alex was still in Rexford. This, Trina claimed, was Lori's third act of conspiracy. Three deliberate moves, the Jeep, the seat removal, the alibi, each one exposing a deeper layer of intent, a pattern of premeditation, and as a prosecutor made clear, each one a mistake. But the digital breadcrumbs did not. end there. Prosecutor Trina K. revealed that a license plate reader captured Lori's Jeep Wrangler in Arizona on October 1st, 2019. That was just one day before the attempted murder. Later, police recovered the Jeep back in Rexburg, Idaho, and executed a search warrant. Inside the vehicle,

they found something damning. A receipt dated October 1st from a restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. And that wasn't all. The Walmart burner phone, the one purchased in cash, was also tracked to Arizona. Got a love that they used cash to buy a burner phone, but they keep the receipt so investigators can find it. God bless this team. And like that before, Alex made a critical error. He used it to sign again into his own Google account and search for Brandon's address. Meanwhile, Lori was busy laying more groundwork. Back in Rexburg, she visited a local storage facility and rented a new unit. Nothing suspicious yet. But what happened the next day raised even more red flags. On the morning of October 2nd, just as Brandon Boudreau was being ambushed by gunfire in Arizona.

Lori returned to that same storage unit, this time with Chad Daybell at her side, her lover at her side, security footage show the two of them unloading items from the Jeep and storing them inside the unit. And among the items, the rear tire and the rear bench seat from the Jeep Wrangler. Chad DeBell rolled that rear tire right back into the storage unit. The very ones that Alex would have removed to create space for his ambush position. This Trina Kaye said was Lori's fourth mistake. Another calculated move to hide evidence. Another sign of premeditation. another step in a chilling conspiracy. As the crispy chicken sandwich from 7-Eleven,

people always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect. Like, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy. Throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me,

and baby, I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4. Quiet, no. Crispy, saucy, and $4? Very. Only at 711. Valley through 62326, participating stores only while supplies lastly out for full terms. Lori wasn't just aware of the attempted murder, Trina argued.

She enabled it. She facilitated it. And she tried to cover it up. And each mistake left a trail straight back to her. That morning, Alex Cox once again Googled Brandon Boudreau's address. His burner phone pinged off cell towers near Melanie's home, Brandon's soon to be ex-wife, Lori's niece. And now this is important. Melanie knew Brandon had their four children. The plan was for him to drop three of them off at school and then meet her at a local park to exchange the youngest. But what Melanie didn't know and what Alex couldn't have anticipated was that after school drop off, Brandon planned to hit the gym before returning home. So Alex waited and waited. The Jeep parked suspiciously near Brandon's house, sat there, long enough to catch the attention of a neighbor who found it strange.

Eventually, Brandon pulled into his driveway, and that's when it happened. The jeeps back window opened easily because the spare tire, again, had been removed. A rifle emerged and a shot was fired. The bullet missed Brandon by inches, striking the frame of his Tesla just above the driver's side window, barely over his head. Brandon, somehow still alive, sped off immediately. He circled the block and returned moments later just as the garage door opened and the window shattered completely from the force of the bullet. He was already on the phone with 911 telling dispatch what had just happened. And while Brandon was describing the ambush, Alex Cox was Googling back road directions to flee Arizona and return to Rexburg.

He made it back to Idaho the next day, October 3rd. And Lori, she didn't miss a beat. That same day, Lori and Alex were seen returning to the storage unit, the same one, they had stalked before the shooting. There, they retrieved the jeep's rear tire and backseat, the ones removed to make space where they ambush. They also searched online for News in Gilbert's shooting of Brandon, trying to see if police knew it was them.

Meanwhile, Brandon spoke to police. And when asked if he had enemies, he could only think of two people. And who were they? Lori and Alex. He mentioned the Jeep with Texas plates, Lori's old residence in Texas. and even referenced the Chandler shooting involving Lori's former husband, Charles Vallow. That clue would prove valuable. Investigators reached out to police in Rexburg, Idaho, where Lori and Alex had relocated.

And on November 1st, officers went to the apartment complex where Lori, Alex, and Chad were living. Chad Debo was present, but the Jeep, it was nowhere to be found. And when police returned on November 4th, the Jeep had reappeared, parked right outside Lori's residence. the tire and bench seat were back in place as if nothing had happened. The vehicle was immediately impounded. Two weeks later on November 18th, Arizona investigators, they flew to Idaho to process the Jeep. What they found was damning.

Inside, they recovered gunshot residue from the rear compartment, evidence consistent with a gun being fired through the back window. They also swabbed for DNA on the steering wheel and the seatbelt buckle. The result? Well, a match to Alex Cox. Pretty damning. Every piece of evidence told the same story. Lori and Alex conspired. They planned and Alex pulled the trigger, but he missed. And Brandon Boudreau lived to tell the tale. Next, prosecutor Trina K told the jury they'll soon see it for themselves, maps, data, digital footprints, movements of Lori's phone, movements of Alex's, and crucial movements. of the burner phone. All of it tracked, all of it aligning with the timeline of the crime. And here's the final twist. After the shooting, that burner phone, it was never used again. In fact, it was only ever linked to one other number, not Alex, not Lori, but Chad DeBow, Lori's lover and soon-to-be-fifth husband. As Trina closed her opening remarks, she left the jury with one chilling message. Every move Lori

made, every lie she told, every detail she tried to erase, she left a digital trail. And when you follow it, it doesn't lead to innocent. It leads straight to conspiracy. Take a listen. This defendant, Lori Valo Debel, has been charged with conspiracy to commit the first three murder of Brandon Boudreau on October 2nd of 2019. The evidence in this case will prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant conspired with Alex Cox and others to kill Brandon. She provided the means, the Jeep. She helped get the Jeep ready, and she tried to provide an alibi for her co-conspirator. At the end of this trial, the state will ask you all to hold this defendant accountable and find her guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Thank you. Well, as far as Lori Valo-Daybill's

opening statement, we're just going to go ahead and play the whole thing for you. It's definitely not as lengthy as Trina K. Trina, as we've seen, is always ultra thorough, meticulous, detailed, methodical. Lori, not so match. In fact, I would not use any of those adjectives to explain Lori Valadeebel. But honestly, that's part of what makes it so fascinating. It's always something watching Lori fumble her way through legal argument. She clearly doesn't fully grasp, trying to sound composed and in control while the weight of murder charges looms over. her. So without further ado, here is Lori Balladebao's opening statements in her own words addressing the jury in her third and final trial. Take a listen. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

here we are at trial. And the judicial system can be difficult to understand at times. There are laws and rules and statutes that govern how things will proceed in this trial. You yesterday got to hear the preliminary jury instruction, so you kind of got an order of how things are going to go. In order for someone to be charged with a crime as I have been. I'm going to object to argument versus an opening statement. I'll remind the defendant of an opening statement should be a preview of what is to be expected at trial. So go ahead. Law enforcement presents evidence that they gather and the state prosecutors are going to present that to you.

Sometimes the state charges a defendant with a crime. They have charged me with a crime, a very serious crime. Sometimes they take the allegations to a grand jury to decide if the defendant should be charged. I'm going to object again, Your Honor. Improper parking. That's a strike. Hold on. The jury should disregard that last comment. How the charges arrived here are not for the jury's consideration.

The prior proceedings are not for the jury's consideration. Please proceed. The state or the prosecution will then take the information gathered, the evidence from law enforcement, and present to you a story, a theory, their hypothesis of what happened. In this case, the prosecutor was not present during this alleged crime. The Gilbert Police Department was not present during this alleged crime, so it is their job to fill in the gaps. Make up a theory and present it to you the jury at trial. This is their job. They are not witnessed to the actual events because they weren't there that day with Brandon at the house when this alleged shooting occurred. This case is about a conspiracy.

And a conspiracy is when two or more people make an agreement to commit a crime. They have to willingly and knowingly participate. Conspiracy is an ancient word that appears in the Bible on many occasions. Judas conspired against Jesus with the chief priest for 30 pieces of silver. I object to outside. Unless this is being presented at trial, I'm not sure that this is appropriate opening. What is the legal objection? Well, you're arguing.

The opening statement is not argument. I'm going to allow it briefly, but I may cut you off depending on where you're going with that. King conspired against Abel, his brother. This case is a case of conspiracy that charge against me is that I conspired with my brother, Alex Cox, to murder my niece's husband, Brandon Boudreau. But you will find, as you begin to see the evidence put forth in this case, that there was not any animosity between Brandon and myself. I personally did not have any motivation to have harm come to Brandon. In fact, Brandon and I had a very friendly relationship all of the time that I have known him. I first met Brandon when he was marrying my niece Melanie.

Your Honor, I'm going to check to, unless the defendant's testifying. Can I have the parties approach briefly? Can I have you approach briefly? Go ahead. I first met Brandon when he was marrying my niece, Melanie. Melanie and I are very close because my sister, her mother, passed away when she was just nine years old. So Melanie and I think of each other and love each other like a mother and daughter, even though we are aunt and niece.

So our families remained close, Melanie and Brandon's family and my family, and in each other's lives, like everyday lives. We spent holidays together and shared in everyday life. I was there for Melanie and Brandon's wedding and for the birth of all four of their children. I was also very close to all four of their children. In this case, you will hear Brandon himself

tell you that someone shot a gun at his children, car. You will learn in this testimony that Brandon was not hurt. You will learn that he wasn't even sure what had happened, but you will hear that Brandon immediately blamed me, which begs the question, was I an enemy to Brandon? That is news to me, and hopefully by the end of this trial, we will all have some answers to that question. In this case, you will learn that Brandon had called 911 and Gilbert police did respond. You will learn that Brandon speaks of a puke green Jeep. And then he offers the officers a camo green color that he's speaking of on his phone.

He says a green jeep. Then you will hear the neighbor who says that it was a dark blue jeep that was parked in front of the neighbor's house. You will learn that Brandon very quickly hired a private investigator to find out where I was living out of the state of Arizona so he could inform the police. You will see Brandon exchange email information with Detective Pillar, the case agent in this case, about my whereabouts and about the financial dealings of my niece, Melanie Boudreau. you will learn that Brandon was not particularly satisfied with the investigation that Gilbert Police was conducting, so he did his own investigation, hiring his own private investigator to follow his wife, Melanie Boudreau. You will find out that Brandon had access to the VIN number of a Jeep and gave it to the police. You will find out that after that event, he quickly changed his story from a Camel Green Jeep to a gray Jeep. You will then learn that Brandon continued to provide information he was personally finding out to Detective Pillar, the case agent in this case.

You will learn that Detective Pillar and Brandon discussed through email how they can demonstrate Melanie's financial gain if Brandon were to have died around October 2, 2019. This is what a conspiracy looks like. two people trying to set up another person for a crime. My niece Melanie Boudreau is named by the state as a co-conspirator. However, she has not been charged with the crime. I'm going to object to have that struck as well, Your Honor. Jury you should disregard that statement. You're going to receive an instruction later that all persons that may be involved

would not necessarily be charged or called as witnesses, and you'll follow those instructions later. Go ahead. I was not living in Arizona at the time this alleged incident happened on October 2nd, 2019. I was not even aware such an event had taken place. I did have a close relationship with my brother Alex, but I was not aware of his every move. Melanie also had a close relationship with Alex, but also was not aware of his location at all times. Brandon and Alex also had a good relationship until this accusation.

They saw each other frequently at all of our family parties and get-togethers and would often be seen laughing and talking. Alex was a comedian who kept our family laughing. Alex passed away in December 2019 of natural causes, so he is not here to defend himself. And I'm going to object again to that as well, since he's not a party to this. All right, I'll just remind the jury that what is said in opening statements is not evidence. It's not sworn testimony. Please proceed. Although the state has alleged that there are several co-conspirators in this case,

I am the only one being charged with a crime. So you will be the judge. You will hear and see evidence presented by the state. The state has, according to the law, 100% burden to prove to you that object to mistaken of the law in terms of 100%. All right. Again, this is a little bit bordering on argument, but the jury will receive the instructions on what is and what is not proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

The state has the burden to prove a crime has been committed here and that I committed that crime. That is the way the law is written. I do not have to show any evidence or put up a defense. I do not have to testify. That is the law. The prosecutors from the state have to prove to you that I conspired. meaning made an agreement with my brother to murder Brandon. So you will decide.

Right now, according to the law, I am innocent. I remain innocent until the state of Arizona and its prosecutors show you enough evidence to convince you that I had anything to do with this alleged crime. And I want you to look carefully and determine if this invent was a crime at all. Did a shooting actually occur? Only Brandon claims that it did. Only Brandon names me and Alex. You will learn that Brandon himself did own a gun.

You will learn that Brandon knew how to shoot his gun. You will learn that Brandon and Melanie were going through a divorce. And you will learn that even though Brandon is the only one, is the one who actually filed for a divorce, he was blaming me for his divorce. You will learn that the information, that the Gilbert Police Department and the Department and Detective Pillar, the case agent on this case, learned about me and my brother Alex, was from

Brandon Boudreau. You will learn that Brandon and Detective Pillar communicated frequently and were on a first name basis. I want you to look closely at the motivation of Brandon and the Gilbert Police Department, because I'm the only one charged with the crime, and I need you to decipher what really happen here because I'm the only one who's being asked to pay a consequence for this time. Again, Your Honor, I'm going to ask to object and strike that. Sustained the jury in their instructions received an instruction that said the jury will not, is not to consider a penalty that will be in the final instructions area as well. The jury's job is to determine whether or not the state has proved the case beyond a reasonable

doubt or the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Go ahead, proceed. You will hear many references during this trial about the state versus Lori Debeau. Well, who is the state? The state are the prosecutors. I object to argument and relevance. Sustain. And you, the jury, are brought in to stand between the state and me. And I'm going to object again to improper statement of the law, argument, and relevance.

Sustained. You are here to say if a crime has even been committed at all. You are here to say if I committed this very crime and if the state proved this to you beyond a reasonable doubt. If at the end of this trial you have reasonable doubt, then I remain innocent. If the state does not prove to you that I, one, committed a crime and two, committed this crime, then I remain innocent. In this case, you will hear a lot of speculation. The definition of speculation is an idea or guess about something that is not known. During this trial, the state will try to convince you that I committed this crime

by using speculation, innuendo, and insinuation. And the state is hoping that this will be enough. In this trial, you will in fact witness a power struggle between the state and the defendant. Your Honor, I have a fact really is. Sustain. Because they want to convince you, the jury, that a fact is speculation, that a fact is innuendo, that a fact is insinuation, that they knew what I was thinking, what I was feeling, what I was planning when they don't know at all. You, the jury, have all the power to decide what the facts are and what they're not, not the state, not the judge, not law enforcement.

You. So I implore you to listen carefully and decide for yourselves if the state's theory really makes it. logical sense. What motivation did I have? What malice have I ever shown to anyone? What benefit would I gain? I am a person who loves all people and has no malice towards anyone. Not even the prosecutors who wrongfully try to convict me. Your Honor, I'm going to object again to relevance and to argument. Sustained. I am all about spreading love and will continue to do so, even after this trial is complete, no matter the result. Thank you. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a Walthfront client.

With Wealthfront, it could put money in, and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified portfolio. Then it starts to compound. The compounding compounds on the compounding. Just let it wrong, and it's great. Over 1 million clients trust Wealthfront. Get started at Wealthfront.com. Client was paid $1,000 for their testimonial, creating a conflict of interest. Outcomes vary. Investment management and advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. Investing involves risk to principle regardless of the strategy used. Task performance does not guarantee future results. Well, that was something. I don't even know what to say. If you know Lori Valo's history, like we do, then prosecutor Trina Kay's objections during opening statements made perfect sense.

Lori's manipulations span years and bodies. But here's the problem. This jury doesn't know that. They don't know Trina's background. They don't know Lori's track record of lies, legal games, and lives destroyed. To them, it may have looked like the state was coming down hard on an unpolished, self-represented woman just trying to defend herself. They don't realize she's represented herself before and should know courtroom protocol by now. So when Trina objected again and again, it may have landed as abrasive for a jury with no context. But for those of us who do know Lori, it was laughable when she told the jury that she's never shown malice and just wants to spread love, Love? All Lori Valo has ever spread is death and destruction. And one day, this jury will see that too,

hopefully, even without the context they're missing right now. Now, let's talk about the first witness called to the stand. It was actually Brandon Boudreau himself. Brandon introduced himself as 40 years old living in Arizona and the owner of a solar company. He married Melanie, Lori's niece in October 2008. They were married for a decade and had four children. Divorce proceedings began in July 2019 and they were finalized by October. And during their marriage, Brandon and Melanie were close to the Valo family. They spent a lot of time with Lori and Charles and saw Alex Cox often as well. But it was Lori who had the most influence, especially over Melanie. After Melanie's mother passed away, which was when Melanie was quite young, she began to see Lori as not just an aunt, but as a mother figure.

And it was around 2018 into 2019 that Brandon says the problems began. Melanie was suddenly spending more time with Lori. Brandon noticed a shift. He spoke to Charles Vallow's about it, worried that Lori was actively interfering in his marriage, and then came June 25th, 2019, a day Brandon will never forget. It started with Melanie refusing to attend his grandfather's funeral, but it escalated fast into accusations that Brandon was hacking Lori's computer and that Brandon was gay. Melanie told him she wanted a divorce. She threatened to expose him. Brandon believed every word of it came from Lori's

mouth planted into Melanie's mind. Let's listen now as Brandon describes that unraveling moment in his own words. As you are listening to the things that Melanie was telling you that evening of our afternoon into the evening of June 25th, did you believe that Lori Vallow had been involved in some of these ideas that were being told to you as to why your marriage should end? Yeah, I mean, how else does her aunt's computer getting hacked even come up without Lori being involved? So I got pretty frustrated at one point and I think I told her I'm going to take a break and I texted Lori and Charles and tried to call both of them to discuss it with them because I wanted them to understand the gravity. You know, this is this is my family. This is my kids.

It's changes the rest of their lives. You know, it's not just whatever was going on for those two. So you told us that you, you just mentioned that you actually sent a text message. or a couple of text messages to Lori Valo that evening? Yes, I did. Why did you text Lori Valo that night? Hope that she would have integrity, that she would respond and acknowledge that I didn't hack her computer.

I don't know, honestly. Just hope, you know. I was trying to find something to fix the problem. So you felt strongly enough that Lori Valo was involved in these ideas that Melanie was putting at you that you actually reached out to her. Yes. Ron, I've shown the defendant, Exhibit 122.

I could have my paralegal bring that back. I'll look at Exhibit 122. Do you recognize those text messages? Yes, I do. Are those messages that you sent to Lori Valo on June 25th of 2019? Yes, they are. Do those relate to the allegations that were being told to you by Melanie that Lori had provided her.

Yes, they do. And that was you trying to fix these things that were lies. Correct. State will move to admit exhibit 122. Any objection? No objection. 122 is admitted. Brandon, just so we understand, when you were shot at on October 2nd of 2019,

did you actually provide the police with your cell phone? I did, yes. So they could download everything. Yes. And is this from your cell phone? Yes. So we see on June 25th of 2019 at 645 p.m. The first message that you sent?

And was this phone number, the 808 number, Lori Vallo's phone number? Correct. And the message, what did you tell, Lori? I told her that Melanie Blanche. believed I helped to try to get her temperament taken away and that we both knew that it wasn't true. Do you want me to just read it? Sure. Lori, I say this to Charles.

I'm sending it to you as well. Charles, Melanie believes I helped you to try to get Lori's temple recommend taken away. You and I both know that's not true. She does not believe me. I wanted to send this to both of you. Both you and Lori, if either of you care at all for me or my children, he'll come forward and be truthful. I've never done anything to hurt either of you. I can't believe you would lie to her about something like this.

I gave you a blessing when you're your worst in my home. My children will be punished if my wife leaves me or I can't believe me when I have done nothing. This is on your heads to make it right. After this, Brandon actually discussed working with the mediator who helped guide the couple, Brandon and Melanie through their divorce. They agree to have joint custody of the children and to sell their marital home. Brandon continued living in that marital home until it sold. Well, Melanie moved into a rental in mid-July, 2019,

and after the house sold in September, he rented a home at 3875 East Phelps Street in Gilbert, Arizona. Let's listen to him discuss how custody would go after the house sold, and what happened next. I was going to stay in the community home until right before we finished everything up. So like the end of September, and then I would move over to the new house. And when was the house, the community house supposed to close?

October 1st. And what was the mediation agreement for that money on October 1st? Who would get what? It was going to be split between me and Melanie. And I was supposed to all go to one account and then I would transfer the money over to her. So at some point, did the plan ever change as to when you were going to move into the Phelps? house? Yes. I heard from Melanie that I had an option to get my kids early, which I was getting very limited time with my children. That was hard for me. It's difficult going through transitions

like that. So she had offered, she said she was going out of town and that I could have my kids early if I got the house early. And so I was excited and I quickly changed my plans and made it quick move from the current house into the new house to get it ready because when you have young kids you have to kind of prepare you can't just move them in everything needs to be kind of organized during the mediation had you and maloney come up with an agreement as to when each of you would have the children yes what was that agreement mondays and tuesdays would be my days wednesdays and thursdays would be her days and then we would rotate weekends so weekends for you guys was friday through sunday correct and then

How would you hand off the children and what would happen with your youngest? I worked, so she would watch my youngest even on my days. And then handoffs would happen at school. If they were in school, we would just drop off. Another person would do the pickup. If they weren't in school, then it would be drop off at each other's houses. Okay. So you said you worked.

Did Melanie work? She did not. So Melanie kind of just tells you she's going out of town on the 20, and offers the children to you, do you recall about when you moved into now this residence on Phelps? It's been a really long time shortly after, I think, that conversation, about a few days prior to when I got the kids. I think it took me a couple days to move in. So you had the kids on the 26th? I did, yeah.

How did you, you told us you had been playing. planning to move in a little bit later. How did you get moved earlier quicker? Do you have people help you? What did you do? My neighbors that lived across the street for me at the house that I was selling, noticed that I was moving and offered to help. I just went and got a truck and decided to move. I was excited. I didn't tell anybody even. I just kind of jumped after it. And then one other friend found out and he brought another friend. So there's four people who helped me move. And they were the only people, I mean, I immediately had my kids after. They

the only people who even knew that I had moved. It was a very quick decision. Now, you told us that part of the agreement would be that you and Melanie would have a drop off the kids. At any time, did Melanie ask you for the address of your new residence? Yes, she did. Did you provide it to it? Yes, I did. Do you think anything of it when she asked you that? I mean, no. I had said I would give her my address. We had to drop each other of the kids, so she had to know where I lived. Okay. He told us that you hadn't told anyone else your address?

Yeah, it wasn't like out of secrecy. It just hadn't come up yet because it was so quick. Hadn't come up yet. No one else had his address, but his wife, Melanie. Brendan continued with the events of Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019. A day that started out like any other, but would not end that way. That morning, it was time for the kids to transition back to Melanie's care after spending time at Brandon's new house. And he described his routine, waking up early, changing diapers, getting the kids dressed, making breakfast, and then came the school drop-offs.

First, the two oldest at their elementary school, then the third to preschool. He handed the youngest off to Melanie at a nearby park. And after that, Brandon headed to the gym and worked out for about an hour, maybe a little longer. I'm impressed. At the time, he was driving a four-door SUV-style Tesla. And this is where things start to matter. Brandon explained that his Tesla was equipped with smart automation. His garage door would open on its own when he got within range.

And once he parked, the driver's side door would automatically swing open. Then came a crucial detail. Trina and Brandon began to explain something that might seem technical, but in this case, it's vital. The design of Tesla windows. Unlike most vehicles, Tesla windows are nearly flush with the body sleek minimal gaps. That difference plays a key role in what would happen next. Let's listen now as Trina and Brandon walk through that detail and show the jury exactly what that looks like. Cars, we see a metal frame that goes around the window. Did your Tesla have that? No, they. They make the window seal up into the frame of the car. And so there's no top frame on the door itself, no metal top frame. Shown defendant, Exhibit 25.

I can have my Carly Hill approach. Do you recognize what that photo is? That's a photo of my car. And does that show the door itself without the glass, but the frame of the door? Yeah. does a really good job showing that. State will move to admit exhibit 25. Any objection?

No objection. 25's admitted. So is this actually a picture of your vehicle from October 2nd of 2019? Yes. And so we can see that there's no sort of metal frame around where the window would be, right? Correct. Okay. And is this actually your glass window right here?

Yes, I believe it fell out when I opened the door, or when I put my car in park. Okay. I want to talk to you about that morning of October 2nd. You drop off your youngest with Melanie. You said you went and dropped off your fourth child at sort of a day pre-K type of course. Yeah. And then you went to the gym. Yes.

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connected to Alex Cox, drive past him, and then turn. Knowing there were only two possible exits from the neighborhood, Brandon quickly relayed that direction to police. That decision made in the heat of the moment would prove critical. And then the court broke for lunch. But even the break came with drama. Of course it did. Of course it came with drama. After lunch, tensions quickly returned. Lori let Judge Breske know that she wasn't taken to meet with her advisory council as planned during lunch. She was only given five minutes with them at the tail end of the break. The judge addressed it immediately, reminding courtroom staff that Lori has the right to consult with her advisory team during lunch. But that wasn't all. While the rest of the courtroom was eating,

Lori was filing yet another motion for a new judge. Yes, again, she does not give up. Judge Boreski acknowledged the new filing and said he'd pass it along to Judge Green, the same judge who had already denied her previous request for a recusal. Still, he made it clear the trial would proceed today. And then Lori raised yet another issue. Her investigator, Jeffrey White, couldn't be reached.

Also, how can you not reach your investigator, Jeffrey Wright, Jeffrey White, the day of opening statements? But allegedly, he couldn't be reached. And because of that, she requested to delay her cross-examination of Brandon Boudreau. After the legal back and forth, we were back in it. The state resumed direct examination of Brandon and Trina had Brandon walk the jury through a map of the scene, laying out the sequence of events in real time. And then a moment that truly landed, we heard Brandon's 911 call made just seconds after the shooting. Brandon testified, though, that he was in a state of adrenaline and shock, which is why he just was listing off possibilities such as a paintball gun, even though there was no point.

And isn't it a reminder of what Tammy Daybell possibly thought was pointed at her as well, the paintball gun? He figured if it was a real gun, then the bullet would have gone through the window itself, not knowing that it actually, it did hit the metal part above the car, just above it. He also told the 911 operator that he figured there were two people in the Jeep because of how quickly they were able to drive away. He thought if someone was lying in the back to shoot, it'd have to crawl back over a rear seat to drive away. But as we know, the rear seat had been removed. And after the shot occurred, he wasn't able to get a look at the person who did it and the windows were all too dark to see, right? So all he saw was that Texas license plate.

Let's listen to this emotional moment of Brandon describing how he felt and what he did after realizing what actually happened. Point out this bullet hole in your car? She did, yes. When you saw that, what happened physically to you? I remember within a short amount of time I asked her if I could sit down. I started getting a little bit overwhelmed because I realized that someone shot at me, was trying to kill me. If my head was that close, that's the only, I mean, that's the only logical thing.

Before you saw that bullet hole. Were you still sort of trying to explain how there's not a hole in your window? Yes. After you saw that bullet hole, did you start to think that someone had tried to kill you? Yes. I remember I texted my father, told him that. What did you text your father? I said, I think someone just tried to kill me.

Were you thinking about how close you had come to death? Yeah. As you were experiencing all these emotions and trying to figure out how to handle this and texting your dad, did the police ask if there was anyone that could come to stay with you? Yeah, they did. And because I didn't have any family, I just said, you know, I had my two business partners who were really good friends. And I asked if they could come. Next, Brandon testified that the lead detective on the case, Detective Pillar,

conducted an interview with him in his car. Brandon told Pillar about the quote-unquote incident that occurred with Charles and about how Lori was really the only person he could think of who would have anything against him. He told Pillar about what had been going on with Melanie and her relationship with Lori and how Lori used to live in Texas, which would explain the Texas license plate on the Jeep. After this, Judge Boreski dismissed the jury to discuss an issue with Lori and she explained that again, she hasn't been able to get in contact with her investigator, who has her entire file on Brandon, including exhibits she needs for cross-examination.

She explained that her paralegal is going to attempt to get the file from the investigator tonight, so the court agreed to go out of order and allow the state to bring up another witness before Lori cross-examines Brandon. Wow. It's hard to believe that this isn't just a ploy of hers. Nonetheless, the next witness on the stand was Elizabeth Collins, who owned and was the landlord of the home Brandon rented on East Phelps Street, she quickly testified that she'd never had any problems at the rental property, such as shootings prior to the incident with Brandon in 2019. She also stated that neither she nor her company would have posted anywhere or told anyone

that Brandon was leasing the house, or he didn't have any questions for this witness and neither did the jury. So Mrs. Collins was very quickly dismissed and was a fast witness. Up next was Robert Abbott-Marco, who lived on Eastfeld Street during the time of the incident, a neighbor. He explained that the neighborhood was very quiet, had little through traffic, and is just really a nice place to live. The roads in the neighborhood are windy, and there's no easy way to use it as a cut-through for busier streets. So most of the people driving in there are actually in the neighborhood. They are residents of the neighborhood.

If you live there, you'd become accustomed to whose cars are always parked outside and who lives where. Mr. Abbot to Marco's home was a few houses down and caddy corner to Brandon's rental. The morning of the shooting, he was getting ready to leave to go to the gym. He testified that there was usually a white van parked outside on the curb. But that morning, there was also a Jeep parked nose to nose with the van. He took notice of the Jeep because it had dark windows and it was, running idly, but he could not see if anyone was inside. The way the Jeep was parked seemed kind of sketchy to Mr. Abbott-Tamarko, so he decided to take a mental note of the Texas

license plate. He also noticed that there was no tire on the back, and when he got back from the gym, there were police on his street investigating the shooting that had taken place. He informed police about the strange Jeep he saw earlier, and afterwards Lori did not have any questions, And that was all for Mr. Aba Tamarco. The next date's witness was Nolan McDermott, who was a sergeant for the Gilbert Police Department. In October 2019, McDermott was assigned to the violent crimes unit and was working as a detective.

He responded to the scene, the morning Brandon called 911 about the shooting. By the time he got there, patrol officers had already taped off the scene, including the street and home surrounding Brandon's driveway. And McDermott began taking photos of the scene and anything he thought might become relevant as evidence later on. He noticed that Brandon's driver's side window had fallen out onto the ground, and there were glass shards inside the vehicle, outside the vehicle,

and some out in the road where the vehicle was initially struck. He placed a little orange cones around where they had located any glass shards, and here, Sergeant McDermott discussed the trajectory of the bullet that struck Brandon's vehicle. Listen. Well, were you advised when you were briefed that as Brandon was driving westbound on Phelps, that the rear of the Jeep was facing towards him, was facing eastbound? Yes. And were you advised that he said a rifle came out of the back of the Jeep and then fired a single shot at him?

Yes. Looking at just the shape of this. hole, you said you have seen bullet strikes or bullet holes in vehicles. Did that appear to be coming from front to back? Yes. So was it consistent the damage to the vehicle to show the bullet had come from in front of the Jeep or in front of the Tesla into the Tesla itself? Does that make sense? Probably not. The damage I observed and the damage that's documented in this photo is consistent with Mr. Bruchot's statement of him proceeding westbound with a rifle being pointed towards him, pointed east, and this penetration from that projectile is consistent with his story.

Okay. Now, when we talk about trajectory, what does that mean? Generally, it's just the direction in which something might travel. In this case, were you able to determine the exact direction of the rifle barrel out of the rear of that jeep? I was not able to determine exactly the direction of that rifle barrel out of the jeep. And were you able to determine the exact location of the Tesla mystery? I was not. So there was no photos or video cameras to show that. Correct.

So at best can you say that the directionality of that hole, that bullet strike into the Tesla is consistent with it coming from the back of the Jeep? Yes, based on the information provided to us, it's consistent. Now, as you were looking at this, and we see in 25, that there's no frame on the top part of this door. So the bullet strike, was that actually into the body of the Tesla itself? Yes, that's a fair description. So in order to look for the projectile, what did you guys do? This particular photograph right below that penetration point is some rubber molding that was also damaged. That was consistent with that glass window maybe rising up and extending into the molding is probably part of the feature of the vehicle.

So we moved some of that molding around to see if we could try to locate any projectiles. I'm going to show you some photos from that. This is exhibit 40. What are we seeing here? This is some of that rubber molding I mentioned earlier. There was kind of a groove in there, for lack of better word, in that molding where it captured some glass shards and we did find some fragments, metal fragments, in the, that groove within the molding as well. So what we sort of see in here. Correct.

Is Exhibit 44 sort of show what you're talking about, where you're trying to pull out all of this molding to look for any fragments of that projectile? Correct. And does 45 also kind of show that search where you're pulling that apart? Yes. Ultimately, were any fragments recovered? There were some fragments recovered. This particular image just documents, those fragments covered,

recovered from within that molding that was documented earlier as well. Next, McDermott stated that he and another detective then walked the path around the block up to the pool in the direction Brandon traveled to see if they could locate additional bullet fragments, but were unable to find any more. And after processing the vehicle, he and some other officers tried to see if they could locate any potential surveillance footage.

They did a canvas of the neighborhood, but no homes had any cameras that would have captured the incident. Sergeant McDermott testified that during the investigation, he learned who Lori was and that she owned a Jeep Wrangler with Texas license plates. He also learned that in October of 2019, she and Alex were living in the same apartment complex

in Rexburg, Idaho. And after speaking to the lead detective, Detective Pillar, he learned about the quote, unquote, incident that took place with Charles Vallow in Arizona. And during the incident, aka murder, the Jeep with the same license plate was photographed at Lori's house. Due to this, McDermott reached out to Rexburg Law Enforcement to see if they could locate and impound Lori's Jeep. And, well, on November 4th, the Jeep was impounded and McDermott turned it over to Detective Pillar to process. On December 21st, testified that he spoke to Colby Ryan, who was Lori's oldest son and the only surviving child of Lori.

Of course, the jury doesn't know that. But he spoke to Colby Ryan's oldest son. He spoke to Colby Ryan, Lori's oldest son. And McDermott learned that Colby had been given a blue Nissan that belonged to Lori. He was supposed to pick it up from a woman's house named Hannah Blackmere. And Hannah Blackmere, who is she? Well, she is the sister of Melanie Boudreau's new husband, Ian Polowski. That was fast, wasn't it?

A search warrant was issued for Lori's Nissan. So McDermott went over to Hannah Blackmars where it was located. And inside investigators located a luggage receipt with Melanie's name on it from October 26, 2019, from Kauai, Hawaii to Phoenix, Arizona. So by the way, this wasn't mentioned in trial, but FYI, Lori was in Kauai when Tammy Daybell was killed on October 19th, 2019. And who was she there with? She was there with Melanie Pulaski and Audrey Baratero.

So I assume this was Melanie's luggage receipt for her return flight home at that time. There were other receipts from October 30th and October 31st from stores in Idaho Falls. and Sergeant McDermott testified that he was also involved in executing a search warrant for Alex's Ford F-150 in December of 2019. A device called an infotainment system was removed from the vehicle to analyze and see if it had any location data stored on it. Lori had some questions for cross-examination and began by having Sergeant McDermott go over what happened when he arrived at the scene. And what did he say? He said that initially another investigator named Officer Rob, briefed him on the situation. Laurie asked if he remembered Rob

sticking her pen in the hole and saying that she didn't believe it was a gunshot, but McDermott didn't remember her saying that. And next, Lori referenced the piece of glass that was located in the street and asked if it could have gotten there by being moved by someone's shoe,

especially since that appeared to be the only piece in the road. And he said that was technically, I guess, possible. And it's also possible that the piece didn't even belong to the Tesla because it was never tested. It just looked consistent with the window pieces. So it was assumed to be the window. Next, McDermott stated that he didn't recall anyone searching the garage of Brandon's home.

Lori also had questions about why fragments located in the car weren't tested. So really what Lori is attempting to do, I think is poke holes in this. investigation by police. Let's listen to a little of that exchange. We're unable to locate any projectile anywhere in the Tesla. Is that correct? We located fragments. I don't think we did not locate anything in terms of a complete projectile. And were those fragments tested? No. To see if they were actually bullet fragments and not part of the Tesla. There was no additional testing done. Those fragments appeared consistent with a projectile.

In what way are they consistent with projectile? The projectile in terms of, potentially, in terms of making an impact on something could disperse in fragments. To me, they appeared consistent with other fragments of projectiles that I've observed before. And is that something that could be known through testing? Potentially, I can't tell you a specific test. I just don't have the knowledge of a specific test could tell, but potentially. So in our modern world, can't they test things and find out exactly what gunn it came from, that kind of thing? Projectiles?

Checked again, just speculation. You just said he didn't know. Again, you can answer if you know, but if your answer is, I don't know. Just give your answer. I'm sorry? You can answer. I don't know specifically. But in your years of experience, have you ever tested projectiles to find out? if they were actually bullet projectiles?

Generally, in terms of my experience in testing projectiles would be more complete projectiles to try to determine if we could learn just generally where maybe what firearm it might have come from. But in terms of fragments, I've never personally, to my knowledge, tested anything additional in terms of fragments to learn. That's just been my experience.

And could it be known from, a fragment if it was a handgun or a rifle? Not that I know of. So it could only be tested to find out if it was actually bullet fragment and not actually a piece of metal from the actual Tesla. I guess you might have to rephrase your question, make sure I can answer it accurately. Sure. So the projectile pieces itself that we looked at. Yes.

They can only be tested to find out if they are an actual projectile from a gun. I don't know the limitations in terms of the testing to answer that for you accurately. And you work for the Gilbert Police Department. Is that correct? Correct. And they generally, you would know as a detective of 18 years, like what kind of testing is available to your department, right? Yes, generally. And so why was it not tested or not looked into further to see what kind of bullet fragments those were? Or if they were bullet fragments?

I can't answer that for you. I can just tell you that no additional testing was done. And who, were you the one that took the fragments out? That found them? Yes. And what is that process like? Tell me exactly what you did, how you took them out, what, how that worked. Yes, simply.

My recollection was just locating the fragments in that rubber molding we had observed earlier, and then just removing them and packaging them from there. And you package them in like an evidence bag or Ziploc bag? An evidence bag, yes. And so how long did it take you to find those fragments? I don't recall that. Like more than 10 minutes? I don't know.

And then you took those fragments out with your fingers or with a tool? I don't recall. I think in that particular instance, my recollection is they were on that rubber molding, so I probably just removed them with a gloved hand to package them that way. So you have a tool in your hand or anything? You weren't like, I don't know what kind of tool it would be, so just asking. I don't recall having any tools to remove that, no. So you found those four small fragments. Is that correct? I found fragments. I don't recall how many. What I believe there were, what was ever in that particular evidence bag is what I had located. And then they were put

into an evidence bag. Is that correct? Yes. And then what happened to them after that? They were impounded by Detective Ferrer. So you handed them over to Detective Ferrer? Yes. And then where did it go from there? Do you know? It was impounded at our property building. That day? Yes. And then who would be the person in your department who would send those out for testing? Well, any detective or officer could send anything out for testing. Okay. It doesn't have to be the case agent. It doesn't have to be, no. So you being the person who actually extracted them from the vehicle, you could say, hey, let's test these.

I could, yes. And you did not? No additional testing was done. No, that's correct. And why not? Why did you not request additional testing? I don't know. What wasn't anything that came up for me to do? So were you just under the impression that it was an actual bullet hole? I don't know. Can you rephrase your question? So you didn't test those because you assumed that it was a bullet hole and those were fragments from a bullet? The damage on the vehicle is consistent with a penetration mark from a firearm in a bullet.

The fragments located also appeared consistent to me with fragments from a bullet. That's my observation. Could it have been from any other thing? Yes, it's possible. Like, could you have hit it with a tire iron? Hit what with a tire iron? The vehicle. I guess I'm not sure I understand your question.

Could it not be a bullet hole at all? Could it have been hit with a tire iron? The damage to the vehicle appeared consistent to me to be, again, a penetration point from a firearm and a bullet. I didn't. there wasn't nothing that I observed to that damage to leave me to believe that it was anything else than being struck by a projectile. But it could have been something else? I don't think so.

I think from my experience that the damage and what I observed is consistent with a penetration point from a firearm and a bullet. At my bank, I was literally getting pennies using wallfronts. Meet Angela, a wealthfront cash account client since 2003. I left my job, not having something else lined up yet. I was pregnant with my second. We had to think about how do we make our money work for us. Every month, there's this much that I'm getting an interest in. I didn't have to do anything.

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believe that any measurements were taken of the Tesla, which is a height of that vehicle, and there was a trajectory rod placed into the bullet hole, but no other testing was conducted to McDermott's knowledge. They were just trying to visualize where the bullet came from. And on redirect prosecutor Trina asked Sergeant McDermott to clarify why what he visualized on the test level was consistent with a bullet hole and not something else like a hit from a tire iron. Of all the things, let's compare a bullet hole to a tire iron. Well, he said that it was consistent with a penetration point from a firearm based on his observation and experience.

Trina also displayed some photos of the projectiles located in the Tesla, which appeared to be of a copper material. This would be consistent with a bullet fragment as they are often wrapped in a copper casing. Nothing else in the Tesla itself would have a copper appearance. Trina also asked if the only person who could say that there was an actual shooting was brand in himself. but McDermott said that the neighbor who saw the Jeep, as well as the Tesla damaged matching Brandon's story, corroborated his version of events. Thank goodness for that neighbor.

The last witness for today was Detective David Farrer, who works in the violent crimes unit of the Gilbert Police Department. And when he arrived at the scene of the shooting, there was already yellow tape around and officers were securing the scene. That's when he arrived. He was quickly briefed on the situation, and he took photos, gathered.

evidence in corroborated or collaborated, excuse me, with the other officers. Ferrer stated that he has seen many bullet holes in his career, based in his experience, the shape of the hole and the projectile fragments. He believed the defect on Brandon's Tesla to be undoubtedly a bullet hole. In addition to helping at the scene of the shooting, in December, Ferrer also executed a search for it on Alex's Ford F-150. inside he located a letter from Chad Debeau to Alex, as well as gun ownership papers,

and a practice bullet for a rifle. For cross-exam, Lori asked Fere to go back over what he learned during the briefing at the scene. He testified that he didn't remember who briefed him, but he learned about the crime what allegedly occurred at the scene and was told to gather evidence and take photos.

He said that he collected the projectiles removed from the Tesla and placed them in, an evidence bag, but he doesn't believe any of the items were ever tested. He also said that he never located any casings on the ground, and Lori asked him if that would be common. Well, the detective said that it just depends. And then what happened? Well, court broke for the day.

But just before the end of the day, there was a discussion about Tylenol. You know, yesterday it seemed like Lori didn't want the ibuprofen being offered to her. But today, she wants Tylenol. Judge Breskes is issuing an order saying that the jail can't send Lori with it every day. And she can KOP or keep on person. Look at that. She has the ability to actually hang out with the Tylenol. Lori also wanted to know who the witnesses are going to be tomorrow.

Trina said that she would email tonight because she needed to make some calls. But Lori wasn't happy with that, whining that she won't get the email. and she cannot prepare without Trina. Well, Trina explained that there are now two witnesses from today who still have to go again tomorrow, so the morning is full with the shifted testimony plans. Remember, Lori wants to cross-examine Brandon Boudreau tomorrow.

So once again, Trina K is switching everything around what she has done every day. Why? Because of Lori. The judge basically told Lori, look, getting a nightly update is a courtesy from Trina K. It's not required. I'll see you tomorrow. In other words, I think he's just done with her.

You know, I actually have to run, but I will say some of the most interesting things today are what I think is Lori's tactic to stall once again. She does not want this trial to move forward. I have a hard time believing any of her tactics. If she can't get a hold of her investigator, and that's why she can't cross-examine Brandon Boudreau, that matters. That absolutely matters. But it's sort of like the boy who cried wolf.

Can she really just not, is this really why she doesn't want to cross-examine Brandon Boudreau today? Or is it actually more about the new motion she filed for the same issue over and over again to get Judge Breske off of this case, off of this trial, I should say? It's hard for me to believe her. I don't know about you guys. It is for me. I think everything, I mean, maybe I'm the conspiracy theorist here, you know, but I think Lori has shown us time and time again. She can't be trusted.

So, well, I want to think goodness. She needs to be able to get a hold of her investigator. And yes, give her time to allow Brandon Boudreau, her to cross-examine Brandon Boudreau the right way. I don't know, we'll see. This trial is going to continue to be interesting. Stick with us. Thank you for supporting hidden true crime.

We love bringing you these trial recaps every single day. We thought that tomorrow in court would be a dark day. It is not. And we will be bringing you the very latest. So all right, guys, we'll see you. I got a run and may justice be answered. At my bank, I was literally getting pennies using Wealthfronts. Checking!

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