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Who Is Chad Daybell? Inside the Doomsday Author’s Life, the Vallow Murders and His Death Sentence

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Chad Daybell, the Idaho author and former cemetery worker convicted of murdering his wife and the two children of Lori Vallow Daybell, is one of the central figures in a criminal case that exposed a series of killings connected to apocalyptic religious beliefs, financial motives and a secret relationship.

His crimes return to the spotlight in Dateline NBC: Blindsided, airing Friday, October 23, 2026, at 9/8c. Correspondent Keith Morrison revisits the Lori Vallow Daybell investigation through an interview with Brandon Boudreaux, a man who survived an attempted murder in Arizona in October 2019.

Although the episode focuses on Boudreaux, Chad’s relationship with Lori formed the backdrop to the murders of 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, seven-year-old Joshua “J.J.” Vallow and his first wife, Tammy Daybell. Investigators discovered the children’s remains buried on Chad’s Idaho property in June 2020, leading to charges that resulted in his conviction and death sentence.

In May 2024, an Idaho jury found Chad guilty of first-degree murder in all three deaths, along with conspiracy and insurance fraud charges. He was sentenced to death the following month. His case remains subject to the appeals process, while Lori is serving multiple life sentences for her role in the crimes.

Who Is Chad Daybell?

Chad Guy Daybell was born on August 11, 1968, in Provo, Utah. He grew up in a family associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and developed an interest in religion, writing and accounts of spiritual experiences.

Before becoming known through the murder investigation, Daybell worked in journalism, publishing and cemetery-related employment. His work in cemeteries later attracted attention because of the discovery of human remains on his property, although his previous occupation did not itself establish involvement in the murders.

He became an author of religious fiction and books exploring prophecy, near-death experiences and the end of the world. His writing attracted readers interested in interpretations of Latter-day Saint teachings and preparations for future catastrophes.

Daybell presented himself as someone with spiritual insight and claimed to have received visions concerning events that would affect the world. Those claims became part of the evidence examined during his murder trial, where prosecutors argued that he used religious ideas to manipulate people around him.

Chad Daybell’s First Marriage to Tammy Daybell

Chad married Tamara “Tammy” Douglas in 1990. The couple had five children and spent much of their married life raising their family while Chad pursued writing and publishing work.

Tammy worked as a school librarian and was involved in her family and local community. She supported Chad’s publishing activities and helped maintain the household as his interests developed.

The family lived in Utah before relocating to the Rexburg area of eastern Idaho in 2015. Chad said the move was connected to spiritual impressions and his belief that the region would have significance during future religious events.

Their property near Salem, Idaho, became central to the murder investigation. It was where Tammy died in October 2019 and where investigators discovered the remains of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow the following year.

The couple’s marriage lasted nearly three decades before Tammy’s death. Prosecutors later argued that Chad’s relationship with Lori Vallow created a motive to eliminate his wife and pursue a new marriage.

Chad Daybell’s Books and Religious Teachings

Chad Daybell wrote and published books involving near-death experiences, spiritual visions, religious prophecy and preparations for the end of the world. His novels combined fictional narratives with themes drawn from his interpretation of religious teachings.

He operated Spring Creek Book Company, a publishing business associated with his work and that of other writers interested in spiritual experiences and apocalyptic subjects.

Daybell’s books attracted an audience among readers interested in religious preparedness and predictions of future upheaval. His teachings also brought him into contact with people who attended conferences and gatherings about spiritual experiences.

Witnesses at his trial described how his claims expanded beyond writing. He asserted that he could identify people’s spiritual status, recognise evil influences and predict events based on revelations he claimed to receive.

Prosecutors argued that those assertions became tools of influence within the group surrounding him and Lori Vallow. The state’s case distinguished the couple’s personal claims from mainstream religious teachings and focused on how those claims were used to justify criminal conduct.

How Did Chad Daybell Meet Lori Vallow?

Chad met Lori Vallow in 2018 through a religious conference associated with the Preparing a People movement. Lori was married to Charles Vallow, while Chad remained married to Tammy.

Their relationship developed through shared interest in religious prophecy and claims about spiritual identities. Witnesses testified that Chad and Lori believed they had known one another in previous lives and had a special mission connected to an approaching apocalypse.

The pair began a romantic relationship while their marriages were intact. Prosecutors presented messages and testimony showing that Chad and Lori discussed a future together and viewed their spouses as obstacles.

Charles Vallow became alarmed by Lori’s changing beliefs and behaviour. He filed for divorce in February 2019 and told authorities that Lori had threatened his life.

Chad’s relationship with Lori intensified during the months preceding Charles’s death, the disappearance of Lori’s children and Tammy’s death. The prosecution used the timeline to establish motive and demonstrate how the crimes served the couple’s plans.

The Doomsday Beliefs That Became Central to the Murders

Chad and Lori adopted beliefs involving spiritual rankings, possession and the idea that certain people had been replaced by evil spirits. Witnesses testified that the couple described some individuals as light and others as dark.

According to testimony, the pair used the term “zombie” for someone whose original spirit had departed and whose body was controlled by an evil entity. They claimed that a person’s body needed to die for the spirit to be released.

The prosecution presented evidence that Lori’s children and other family members had been assigned spiritual classifications. These beliefs became part of the state’s explanation for why people close to the couple were targeted.

Daybell also promoted predictions about the end of the world and the role he and Lori would play in future events. Witnesses described his claims about visions, spiritual authority and an approaching period of destruction.

Prosecutors argued that the beliefs were not isolated religious discussions. They maintained that Chad and Lori used them to rationalise murder while pursuing financial benefits and their relationship.

The criminal proceedings did not put a religious denomination on trial. They examined the defendants’ actions, their communications and evidence that their personal teachings were used to support plans to kill.

The Death of Charles Vallow in July 2019

Charles Vallow, Lori’s estranged husband, was shot and killed on July 11, 2019, in Chandler, Arizona. He had arrived at Lori’s home to collect their adopted son, J.J., when an argument developed.

Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, admitted shooting Charles but claimed he acted in self-defence after Charles threatened him with a baseball bat. Cox was not prosecuted before his death in December 2019.

Investigators later examined evidence suggesting that Charles had been targeted as part of a conspiracy. He had reported Lori’s threats and her belief that he had been replaced by an evil spirit.

Prosecutors alleged that Lori wanted Charles killed to obtain money from a life insurance policy and pursue her relationship with Chad. Charles had changed the policy beneficiary before his death, preventing Lori from receiving the expected payout.

In April 2025, an Arizona jury convicted Lori of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Charles’s death. Chad was not convicted in that Arizona case, but the killing formed part of the wider timeline examined during the Idaho murder proceedings.

The Disappearance of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow

Lori’s children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and seven-year-old J.J. Vallow, disappeared in September 2019 after Lori moved to Rexburg, Idaho, near Chad Daybell.

Tylee was last seen during a family visit to Yellowstone National Park with Lori, J.J. and Alex Cox. J.J. was last seen later that month after Lori had withdrawn him from school.

Relatives became concerned when they could not contact the children. J.J.’s grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, asked authorities to investigate, leading to a welfare check at Lori’s residence in November 2019.

Lori provided accounts of the children’s whereabouts that investigators found inconsistent with the evidence. She and Chad travelled to Hawaii while the search continued.

In February 2020, Lori was arrested in Hawaii after failing to comply with a court order requiring her to produce the children.

On June 9, 2020, investigators searching Chad’s property discovered the remains of Tylee and J.J. buried in separate locations. The discovery transformed the missing-person investigation into a murder prosecution involving both Lori and Chad.

How Were the Children’s Bodies Found on Chad Daybell’s Property?

Investigators searched Chad Daybell’s property near Salem, Idaho, on June 9, 2020, after examining communications and location information connected to the children’s disappearance.

The search uncovered J.J.’s remains buried beneath the ground and Tylee’s remains in another area of the property. The condition of the remains and evidence recovered from the burial sites became central to the prosecution’s case.

Investigators connected Alex Cox to the property during the period when the children disappeared. Phone-location evidence and messages helped prosecutors reconstruct movements and communications surrounding the deaths.

Chad was arrested on the day the remains were discovered. Authorities initially charged him with offences involving the destruction or concealment of evidence, before more serious charges followed.

The discovery provided physical evidence linking the children’s deaths to Chad’s property and established that Lori’s earlier explanations about their whereabouts were false.

What Happened to Tammy Daybell?

Tammy Daybell died on October 19, 2019, at the family home in Idaho. Her death was initially attributed to natural causes, and no autopsy was conducted before her burial.

Earlier that month, Tammy reported an incident outside her home in which a masked person appeared to point what she believed was a paintball gun at her. Investigators later examined whether the incident was connected to the criminal activity surrounding Chad and Lori.

Chad told authorities that Tammy had been ill before her death. However, witnesses later described her as active and questioned whether her condition matched his account.

As the investigation expanded, authorities exhumed Tammy’s body in December 2019. A subsequent examination established that she had died by homicide, with asphyxiation identified as the cause.

Prosecutors argued that Chad killed Tammy so he could marry Lori and benefit from life insurance proceeds. The state presented evidence concerning insurance policies, communications and the couple’s relationship.

Chad married Lori in Hawaii on November 5, 2019, just 17 days after Tammy’s death. The marriage became a significant part of the prosecution’s timeline.

Chad Daybell’s Marriage to Lori Vallow

Chad and Lori married on November 5, 2019, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The ceremony took place less than three weeks after Tammy’s death and while Tylee and J.J. remained missing.

Their marriage attracted scrutiny after investigators began examining the children’s disappearance and the circumstances surrounding Tammy’s death. The couple’s decision to leave Idaho for Hawaii became part of the developing investigation.

Prosecutors argued that the marriage represented the outcome of a plan in which the defendants sought to remove their spouses and children as obstacles to their relationship.

Evidence presented during the trials included communications about their future together, financial interests and spiritual beliefs. The prosecution maintained that the crimes were connected through a shared objective.

The marriage did not prevent authorities from pursuing the investigation. Lori was arrested in February 2020, and Chad was taken into custody after the children’s remains were discovered in June.

Chad Daybell’s Arrest and Murder Charges

Chad Daybell was arrested on June 9, 2020, following the discovery of the children’s remains on his property. He initially faced charges concerning the concealment or destruction of evidence.

The investigation continued as authorities examined the children’s deaths, Tammy’s exhumation and communications between Chad, Lori and Alex Cox.

In May 2021, prosecutors announced murder and conspiracy charges against Chad and Lori. The indictments alleged that the pair participated in a plan resulting in the deaths of Tylee, J.J. and Tammy.

The charges also included financial offences connected to insurance proceeds and benefits. Prosecutors argued that money was one of the motives behind the killings.

Chad pleaded not guilty. His defence disputed the prosecution’s account and challenged the evidence linking him to the murders.

The cases against Chad and Lori were separated, resulting in different trials and sentencing proceedings.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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