The Chad Daybell murder trial has brought forth shocking details about the disappearance and deaths of Lori Vallow Daybell's two children, Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow. The investigation led authorities to Chad Daybell's property in Salem, Idaho, where the remains of the children were discovered. This article delves into the timeline of events, the evidence found, and the testimonies that shed light on this horrific case.
Lori Vallow Daybell
The Initial Investigation
The investigation began with a welfare check for 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow, requested by his grandmother on Nov. 26, 2019. Retired Rexburg police detective David Stubbs testified that Lori Daybell answered the door and told police JJ was not there but was in Arizona with her friend Melanie Gibb. Body camera video from this interaction was played in the courtroom.
Stubbs testified police tried to contact Gibb - who eventually answered and said JJ was not with her - and found no evidence to support Lori Daybell's statements that JJ was enrolled in a special needs school or that Tylee was going to BYU-Idaho. The next morning, police returned to Lori Daybell's apartment with warrants for her home and two other townhomes rented by people she knew.
"We were concerned as to these people's state of mind, what they would be willing to do," he said. On Friday the jury watched body camera footage of the no-knock entry warrant they served the next day.
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Stubbs said there were no clothes in the master bedroom closet. "It made me think that the occupant, because of our visit the day before, left in haste," he said. He also served warrants on other homes in the complex belonging to Lori Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, and her niece Melanie Boudreaux. Stubbs said officers' search expanded to include looking for Tylee as well.
Discovery of the Bodies
The turning point in the investigation came on June 9, 2020, when the bodies of JJ and Tylee were found on Chad Daybell's property. Steve Daniels, an FBI agent who was part of the team that eventually found the children's bodies, testified about that day. He said they had clues of where to dig: They knew there was a fire pit on the property; they knew of a text message sent by Chad Daybell mentioning a pet cemetery; and they had phone location data pointing to a few spots on the property.
GRAPHIC | Det. Ray Hermosillo describes condition of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan when they were found
Daniels talked about a series of pictures from that day, some showing items investigators found and others showing what the burial locations looked like from inside the Daybell home.
Evidence at the Scene
He listed important things they found in the fire pit - a silver charm, possible bone pieces, a chain and possible cloth pieces. He described going through the fire pit layer by layer. The chain, a Pura Vida chain, and the charm that was one of the first pieces of evidence found were both brought into the courtroom, along with a photo showing Tylee wearing a necklace with the same charm. Photos were also shown to the jury of excavations that were conducted.
Daniels said JJ was buried under stones and cement, and since his body was found before Tylee's, they thought they might encounter similar buried markers, but they did not find anything. Once investigators started smelling decomposing remains, they treated the scene carefully to learn how the remains were buried. He said they found pieces of Tylee's body that they placed in a body bag.
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Daniels said once they found "charring pink flesh" and determined it was a human body they were uncovering, they set up a perimeter and planned to come back the next day to finish the excavation. He said they analyzed some shovels and hand tools from Chad Daybell's property, as well, which is typical when investigating a burial. A pick and yellow-and-black-handled shovel were brought into the courtroom. Daniels said the pick was a tool that could have been used in the fire pit and the shovel looked dirty, so officers confiscated them for additional investigation.
Yard tools found on Chad Daybell's property
Rexburg police detective Rey Hermosillo told jurors Thursday about the difficult discovery of the body of Lori Vallow Daybell's 7-year-old son, who was found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard. The burial site was near a pond and a tree, where there "appeared to be a small body wrapped in dark plastic with duct tape around it."
After following investigators taking Joshua "JJ" Vallow's body to the morgue, Hermosillo said he returned to Daybell's home and began helping with excavation in the pet cemetery on the property where he said, again, the smell of decomposing body was strong. Hermosillo said he spent "hours" helping with the second excavation. He said they started to uncover "burnt pieces of flesh, charred bone, fatty tissue." They found the shape of a "green melted bucket" with remains they assumed belonged to 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Under the bucket, the detective said investigators discovered part of a human skull and some teeth.
Autopsy Findings
Hermosillo described watching the autopsy of JJ. He said when they removed the bag, they found a boy in red pajamas with duct tape wrapped around his head, over his mouth, and around his wrists, arms and ankles. He said the amount of duct tape on the boy's arms caught his attention. Hermosillo said he recognized the body as JJ. He said the hairstyle matched and was shorter on the sides and longer on top. He said there were scratch marks on his neck under the duct tape and bruises.
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With Tylee's body, however, the detective said there was not much that could be done during an autopsy on "what was left as far as remains."
Digital Evidence
Stubbs also testified about using internet search histories to help find the children. He said Lori Daybell's account had searches for wedding rings right after they believe JJ was killed, and the meaning of "possessed." He said investigators saw Chad Daybell had searched for wind directions for Sept. 9, 2019, the day before, and they believe Tylee was burned and buried that day behind his house.
Jurors were also shown photos of Chad and Lori Daybell's wedding in early November 2019 in Hawaii, shortly before police began looking for the missing children. The FBI agent also talked about communications between Chad and Lori Daybell, telling jurors the two communicated “pretty regularly.”
Key Dates in the Investigation
Here's a summary of the key dates and events in the Chad Daybell investigation:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 8, 2019 | Last known sighting of Tylee Ryan. |
| Sept. 22, 2019 | Last known sighting of JJ Vallow. |
| Oct. 9, 2019 | Tammy Daybell reports being shot at in her driveway. |
| Oct. 19, 2019 | Tammy Daybell dies suddenly. |
| Nov. 5, 2019 | Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow marry in Hawaii. |
| June 9, 2020 | Bodies of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan found on Chad Daybell's property. |
Aerial photo of Chad Daybell's property during the investigation
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