Idaho Has 8 Inmates on Death Row, These Are Their Horrific Crimes

It’s been nearly 12 years since Idaho last successfully executed someone on death row. With the Chad Daybell verdict delivered, Idahoans now wait to see if he will join the other eight inmates that have received the death penalty. 

UPDATE, JUNE 1, 12:55 PM: After this story was published, Daybell was sentenced to death by the same jury that convicted him of first degree murder. The original story follows below. 

After less than six hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 Idahoans found Chad Daybell guilty of all conspiracy, first-degree murder and insurance fraud charges connected to the deaths of his first wife, Tammy and current wife’s two children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. With the death penalty on the table, the trial now moves on to sentencing. 

Judge Boyce is wasting no time. He gave the jury a one hour break after delivering the verdict before bringing them back in to explain the process and sentencing phase schedule. They’ll begin hearing impact statements on Friday, May 31 at 8:30 a.m. The same jury that found Daybell guilty will decide whether he spends the rest of his life in prison like his wife, Lori Vallow or is condemned to death. 

Idaho’s Last Execution Happened in 2012

You may have noticed that we said it’s been nearly 12 years since Idaho last successfully executed someone on death row. It seems like a weird statement to make, but the state botched the execution of Thomas Creech in February. The medical team administering the lethal injection drugs tried and failed to start an IV line eight times before the execution was called off. 

Naturally, after Idaho made news by reinstating a firing squad as a means of capital punishment while the state struggled to obtain lethal injection chemicals, many wondered why it wasn’t used for Creech or any of the other death row inmates. The Department of Correction has explained that they don’t have the facility to carry out a firing squad ready yet. 

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The last Idaho inmate who was executed was Richard Albert Leavitt, who was sentenced to death after stabbing and mutilating a woman in 1984. He was executed by lethal injection in June 2012. 

Who Are Idaho’s Current Death Row Inmates?

As we await Daybell’s sentencing, there are the seven men and one woman on Idaho’s death row. Here’s a look at who they are and how they ended up there.