Chad Daybell, a self-published author of doomsday fiction, is currently on trial in Idaho for the deaths of his wife and his new girlfriend’s two children. The trial is expected to be complex, with investigators revealing unusual claims that the victims were possessed by evil spirits, as well as more typical claims related to life insurance and social security benefits. Chad Daybell, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy, and insurance fraud charges in the deaths of his late wife, Tammy Daybell, and the two children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan. His new girlfriend, Lori Vallow Daybell, has already been sentenced to life in prison.
Chad Daybell reportedly met Lori Vallow Daybell at a conference in Utah in 2018, and the two claimed they had been married in a past life. They led a group of friends in attempts to cast out evil spirits through prayer and “energy work,” with claims that some people could become “zombies” that needed to be killed. Tammy Daybell, Chad’s late wife, was initially reported to have died of natural causes, but suspicions arose when he married Lori just two weeks later. An autopsy later revealed that Tammy Daybell had died of asphyxiation, leading to the reopening of the investigation.
Lori Vallow Daybell, a beautician and mother of three, was convicted last year of murder, conspiracy, and grand theft charges. She has been sentenced to life in prison without parole and is facing additional charges in Arizona related to the death of her fourth husband. Prior to her current husband, Lori Vallow Daybell had been in multiple marriages, with her first marriage ending quickly, and her fourth husband dying in 2019. She claimed that the spirits of the victims visited her regularly and were happy in the “spirit world,” causing suspicion about her involvement in their deaths.
Charles Vallow, Lori Vallow Daybell’s former husband, filed for divorce in 2019, alleging that Lori believed herself to be a deity tasked with ushering in the Biblical apocalypse. He was shot and killed later that year by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, who claimed self-defense and was never charged. Cox, who died suddenly in December 2019 from a pulmonary blood clot, was believed to have been involved in the deaths of the two children. Prosecutors presented evidence tying Cox to the crimes, including GPS data on his phone that traced back to where the children’s bodies were found.
Both Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell are accused of conspiring with Alex Cox in the deaths of the children. However, Cox was never charged, and his sudden death was attributed to natural causes. Witnesses and evidence presented during Vallow Daybell’s trial indicated a close relationship between the siblings, with Cox believing he was meant to serve as Vallow Daybell’s protector. There were also claims that Cox believed in possession and zombies, further complicating the already twisted narrative surrounding the deaths of the victims in this case.
