People line up early to pay their respects to JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - People wishing to pay their respects and honor the lives of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, began lining up outside of the Colonial Theater starting well before 10 am. Mourners and well-wishers gathered together many I spoke to had a personal connection or have been following the case from the beginning.
"I've been following this child from the beginning and want to honor Tylee, JJ, and the family. So, I just wanted to be here to support them," said Amanda Meierhoff.
"I have family that lives out past the Daybell's house. I've been passing the Daybell's house every weekend of every summer of my life. So, when I found out that the kids were there, like, it just changed my world," Chelsea Martin said.
"Chad and, Melanie Gibb and Audrey Barataria were friends of mine. And so it's been very shocking, to go through this. And so as Chad's trial continues, it's still shocking to have things come out. And so I am here just to support the family in any way that I can," Janell Murphy said.
Murphy added, "It's very hard to be in the middle of this, and I just feel like I'm here to support the people that are hurting."
Many of the people I talked to shared how difficult it was to follow the ongoing trial of Chad Daybell. But they remain hopeful that justice will be served.
"I hope that the jurors will be able to see really what happened and what went on with that. So that's what I'm hoping. I'm hoping for justice for everybody that's involved," Murphy said.
"We're getting a lot of new information that we didn't have before, and which has been helpful, I think, to continue to put the pieces together. Because I think there'll be a lot of unanswered questions. I mean, there'll be a lot of things we don't know, but it's helpful to get, that this other side as well, you know, additional pieces," Meierhoff said.
They also shared why they felt it was important to support the family.
"I think the most important thing is for people to come together and to take what is so horrific and so horrible and evil and consciously do something great. And so that's why I'm here, is to support the family in that way," Murphy said.
"I just really wanted to honor the kids in the way that I could, you know, like, sometimes I feel like you can't do a lot. So I was like very grateful for them to like, offer this. And for me, for it to just be right down the road for me," Martin said.
"I just appreciate, you know, the opportunity to be here and for Kay and Larry to host this and, for the media for covering it," Meierhoff said.
