The Chad Daybell case is a complex and tragic story involving murder, conspiracy, and extreme religious beliefs. It encompasses the deaths of Tammy Daybell, Tylee Ryan, and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow, and the subsequent trial and conviction of Chad Daybell. This article delves into the details of the case, exploring the key events, figures, and evidence that led to Daybell's sentencing.
Chad Daybell sits at the defense table after the jury's verdict in his murder trial. Source: CNN
The Murders
The Vallow-Daybell doomsday murders consist of a series of killings-including child murder, filicide, and spousal murder-committed by an American couple, Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell. The timeline of events is as follows:
- July 11, 2019: Charles Vallow, Lori's estranged husband, was shot dead by her brother, Alex Cox, in Chandler, Arizona.
- September 2019: Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "J. J." Vallow disappeared from their home in Rexburg, Idaho. Tylee was last seen alive on September 8, 2019, and J.J. on September 22, 2019.
- October 2, 2019: Lori's nephew-in-law, Brandon Boudreaux, survived a murder attempt in Gilbert, Arizona.
- October 19, 2019: Tammy Daybell, Chad's wife, was found dead in her home.
The remains of Tylee and J.J. were discovered on June 9, 2020, buried on Chad Daybell's property. Investigations revealed that these disappearances were preceded and followed by the suspicious deaths of Lori and Chad's respective spouses and by the attempt on Brandon Boudreaux's life.
Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell Case Documentary | Crime Nation | Full Episode | The CW
Key Players
Chad Daybell
Chad Guy Daybell was born on August 11, 1968, in Provo, Utah, to a Mormon family. He graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a B.A. Daybell was an apocalyptic author and publisher who claimed to have visions of the future and to have lived through multiple past lives. His novels often depicted apocalyptic situations and dystopian futures, and featured characters based on his own family. Over time, Chad's religious beliefs became increasingly extreme.
Read also: Vallow-Daybell Trial: Key Evidence
In a memoir called Living on the Edge of Heaven, he claimed to have had two near-death experiences that allowed him to receive supernatural visions from "beyond the veil." A recurring theme in Chad's writings was a supernatural voice giving instructions and advice to him or to his characters. In 2015, Chad claimed he heard the "voice" telling him to relocate to Rexburg, Idaho.
Lori Vallow Daybell
Lori Norene Ryan Daybell, also referred to as Lori Vallow Daybell, was born on June 26, 1973, in Loma Linda, California. She grew up in a Mormon family. Lori worked for some time as a hairdresser. In 2018, Lori attended a "Preparing a People" event where she met Chad for the first time. Gibb and Pastenes both said that Lori had behaved in a very flirtatious manner with Chad at the conference. Chad claimed to Lori that they had been married in multiple previous lifetimes.
Reincarnation - a concept which is not accepted by the LDS Church - played a key part in Chad's religious views. He claimed to have lived thirty-one previous lives on different planets and that Lori had lived twenty-one separate lives, five of which coincided with his own experiences on Earth. By February 2019, Lori reportedly informed Charles that "she no longer cared about him or J.J.". Having discovered his wife's affair with Chad Daybell, Charles Vallow confronted Lori about it.
Alex Cox
Alex Cox was Lori Vallow's brother. On July 11, 2019, Cox shot and killed Charles Vallow. By tracking Alex Cox's cell phone data, investigators later found that Cox had searched on the Internet for directions to Boudreaux's address and had been present near Boudreaux's home during the hours before the shooting. On October 9, 2019, Tammy reported being shot at in her driveway by a masked man with what she thought was a paintball gun. Alex Cox's phone was located near the Daybells' residence on October 9, four hours before Tammy was shot at. Police found at Cox's home an AR-15 that resembled the description Tammy had made of the supposed paintball gun.
The Investigation
The case was set in motion by the children's disappearances. In late November 2019, after police questioned Lori about J.J.'s whereabouts, she and Chad abruptly vacated their homes in Idaho and left for Hawaii. On February 20, 2020, Lori was arrested for desertion and non-support of her children. On June 9, police discovered the remains of Tylee and J. J. In October 2019, two Venmo payments were made from Tylee's account to her older half-brother, Colby Ryan, with love-expressing messages attached.
Read also: Key Testimony in the Daybell Case
Brandon Boudreaux and Melanie Gibb later said that Lori and Chad were convinced Tylee and J.J. were "possessed" and had become "zombies". The FBI uncovered text messages in which Lori and Chad discussed Tylee and J.J.'s "possession" and mentioned "a perfectly orchestrated plan to take the children".
Map of key locations in the Chad Daybell case. Source: Fox3 Now
The Trial and Verdict
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell were indicted together on the murder charges in May 2021; their cases were split at Daybell's request. Vallow Daybell was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison last year for the three deaths in Idaho. On June 1, the jury recommended the death penalty for Daybell. The judge agreed with the jury’s death penalty recommendation and sentenced Daybell to death for counts 1 through 6.
Prosecutors said Daybell concocted wild, religion-tinged fantasies about people becoming zombies to justify grisly crimes - with the goal, they said, of starting a new life with his second wife, Vallow Daybell, after having an affair with her. They also accused Daybell of insurance fraud in his former wife's death.
Key Evidence and Testimony
- Texts between Chad and Lori: Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow texted each other about “death percentages” for Lori’s two children and Chad’s first wife in July and August of 2019.
- Condition of Tylee Ryan’s Remains: Dr. Angi Christensen, a forensic anthropologist with the FBI, described the condition of Tylee Ryan’s bones and said the trauma to her bones was while they were “biomechanically fresh.”
- JJ Vallow’s Autopsy: Dr. Garth Warren, Forensic Pathologist for the Ada County Coroner’s Office, testified that Joshua “JJ” Jackson Vallow died as a result of asphyxia by a plastic bag over the head and duct tape on his mouth.
- Tammy Daybell’s Autopsy: An autopsy of Tamara “Tammy” Daybell determined that her cause of death was asphyxia, and the manner of death was a homicide.
Family Impact Statements
Before the jury began their deliberations over the sentencing Friday, several family members recalled their grief over Tamara Daybell's sudden death on Oct. 19, 2019, and the ensuing anguish and anger to learn that she was murdered. Larry Woodcock, JJ's grandfather, described his "immense pain" over the boy's death, which he called a "betrayal that can't be explained." The children's brother, Colby Ryan, expressed his grief at not seeing his siblings grow up.
Read also: Inside the Daybell Trial
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 11, 2019 | Charles Vallow murdered by Alex Cox |
| September 8, 2019 | Tylee Ryan last seen alive |
| September 22, 2019 | JJ Vallow last seen alive |
| October 19, 2019 | Tammy Daybell found dead |
| November 5, 2019 | Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in Hawaii |
| June 9, 2020 | Remains of Tylee and JJ found on Daybell's property |
| June 1, 2024 | Chad Daybell sentenced to death |
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