Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Chad Daybell, a self-published author from Idaho, faces murder charges in the deaths of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and the two children of his second wife, Lori Vallow Daybell. The case previously witnessed the conviction of Lori in May 2023 for murdering her children—Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ Vallow, 7. The jury had also convicted her of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Tammy’s death, per The New York Times.
According to The Washington Post, JJ and Tylee went missing in September 2019. After a months-long investigation, detectives found the kids’ remains buried on the grounds of Chad Daybell’s property in Idaho. Authorities discovered the remains in two shallow graves in June 2020, reported Fox News. Investigators found Tylee’s dismembered and burned remains while JJ’s body was wrapped in plastic and tied with duct tape.
Moreover, during the investigation, authorities learned that both Daybell and Lori’s spouses had died under mysterious circumstances. Lori’s brother reportedly shot her husband, Charles Vallow, to death in Arizona in July 2019. Meanwhile, Tammy, Chad Daybell’s first wife and the mother of his five children, died at the family’s home in October 2019. Less than two weeks after Tammy’s death, Daybell married Lori in Hawaii, per CBS News.
Friends have claimed the couple held extreme religious beliefs that some people turned into “zombies” after dark spirits possessed them. They claimed that the only way to get rid of the zombies was to destroy the human body by killing them. The Independent stated that Before Tylee and JJ disappeared, Lori told friends the two children had become zombies and dark spirits.
Lori Vallow Daybell received life in prison and is now in custody in Arizona, facing additional charges. Elsewhere, Chad Daybell’s trial begins this Monday, April 1, 2024.
Chad Daybell’s trial: What is he accused of?
According to CBS News, Chad Daybell is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Tammy Daybell, Tylee Ryan, and JJ Vallow. Additionally, he faces conspiracy to commit murder in all three deaths. In JJ and Tylee’s case, the conspiracy charge also includes conspiracy to commit grand theft by deception. KSL-TV stated that Daybell also faces insurance fraud charges for receiving payment on Tammy Daybell’s life insurance policy after her death.
CBS reported that Daybell met Lori Vallow Daybell in 2018 and soon started a romance. At the time, Lori had a daughter, Tylee Ryan, from a previous relationship and was married to her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. The Vallows had also adopted JJ, Charles’ nephew, who had autism.
However, in 2019, the Vallows separated, and Charles filed for divorce, alleging that his wife threatened to murder him. Then, in July of that year, Lori’s brother Alex Cox fatally shot Charles in Arizona, where the family, including JJ and Tylee, lived. Cox claimed he murdered Charles in self-defense. The former died unexpectedly of apparent natural causes in December 2019.
Soon after Charles’ death, Lori, JJ, and Tylee moved to Idaho. But, in September, both children disappeared after taking a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. Following this, Chad Daybell’s first wife, Tammy, died at the family’s home on October 19. Officials initially believed she died of natural causes but later ruled her death suspicious. Two weeks after Tammy’s death, Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in Hawaii on November 5.
By the end of 2019, the FBI had begun looking for missing JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan extensively. They continued the search for months into 2020 before finally making a break in June. Police found JJ’s and Tylee’s remains in shallow graves while executing a search of Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho.
According to CBS News, Daybell’s adult children have previously told 48 Hours they believe he is innocent. His daughter Emma Murray said “he was framed” in the deaths of JJ and Tylee. They claimed he would be smart enough not to bury bodies on his property.
Emma alleged that Lori Vallow Daybell and her brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the crimes. Reportedly, Cox’s GPS pinged at the Daybell property on the day authorities believe Tylee was buried. She said, “I think it’s pretty clear it was Lori and Alex. … Alex came and left for periods of time. … We don’t know — what exactly he was doing.”
Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty and is facing the death penalty, per KPNX. Daybell’s trial begins on April 1, 2024, with jury selection.
Previously, in 2023, Lori Vallow Daybell trial in 2023, received three consecutive life terms without parole on murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges. She was facing two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. The conspiracy to commit murder count stemmed from Tammy Daybell’s death. She received an additional 10-year term for grand theft.
According to The New York Times, Lori Vallow Daybell now faces conspiracy to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder in Arizona. One of the two counts stems from the 2019 death of her husband, Charles Vallow. Lori’s brother Alex Cox shot Charles to death in July of that year during an altercation. Cox claimed he shot the victim in self-defense.
The second count stemmed from the incident when Cox allegedly shot at Lori’s niece’s husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Boudreaux escaped unharmed during the shooting. Authorities considered Cox as the third co-conspirator in the case, reported KPNX. However, he died before he could face any charges.
A documentary titled Doomsday: The Missing Children had previously chronicled the case. Episodes of true crime shows such as CBS 48 Hours and ABC 20/20 have also looked into the case.
