Chad Daybell, born August 11, 1968, in Provo, Utah, sometimes referred to as the “Doomsday Prophet”, was a longtime member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and worked as a cemetery sexton. He also authored self-published apocalyptic novels, often centered on doomsday themes.
His life took a dark turn when he and his renowned wife, Lori Vallow, became embroiled in a series of murders, thought to be connected to their radical religious beliefs, but widely considered to come down to financial motives, they including the killing of Vallow’s two youngest children, and Daybell’s first wife.
Daybell was charged in Idaho alongside Lori Vallow, though their cases were later seperated.
Chad Daybell gained widespread media attention after being featured in the popular Netflix documentary series “Sins of Our Mother”.
NAME: Chad Guy Daybell
ALIAS: Doomsday Prophet
DOB: August 11, 1968
COUNTRY: Utah, United States
VICTIMS: 3
ARREST: June 9 2020
SENTENCE: June 1, 2024 – sentenced to death
IMPRISONED AT: Idaho Department of Correction
SPOUSE: Tammy Daybell (1990-2019), Lori Vallow Daybell (2019-present)
WHERE IS Chad Daybell NOW?
- Sentenced to death – June 1, 2024
Chad Daybell currently awaits execution on death row. He is incarcerated in Idaho Department of Corrections maximum security facility.
June 2024 – An Idaho jury sentenced Chad Daybell to death for the 2019 murders of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and his second wife’s two children, Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan. The decision came on June 1, 2024, after two days of jury deliberation. [1]
Daybell, now the ninth inmate on Idaho’s death row, showed no visible emotion as the judge delivered the verdict. [1]
- June 1, 2024: Chad Daybell sentenced to death [1]
CRIMES COMMITTED
Chad Daybell and his wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, faced multiple felony charges—including murder, conspiracy, and grand theft—in connection with the deaths of Lori’s two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. They were also charged in the murder of Chad’s first wife, Tammy Daybell.
The case unfolded in 2019 after a string of suspicious deaths and disappearances drew law enforcement scrutiny:
Tammy Daybell
Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybell’s wife at the time, was found dead in her home on October 19, 2019. The 49-year-old librarian and educator’s death was initially attributed to natural causes, with a coroner citing an apparent heart attack without performing an autopsy. However, growing suspicions prompted authorities to exhume her body months later. A subsequent autopsy determined the true cause of death: homicide by suffocation.
Tylee Ryan (16) and Joshua ‘JJ’ Vallow (7)
Tylee Ryan, 16 and JJ Vallow, 7, Lori’s children, were last seen in September 2019 and reported missing soon after. Their remains were discovered in June 2020 buried on Chad’s property in Rexburg, Idaho.
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Investigators revealed that Chad and Lori held extreme apocalyptic beliefs, allegedly referring to some individuals—including the victims—as “zombies” possessed by evil spirits, a justification they purportedly used for the killings.
Authorities believe Tylee and JJ were killed in September 2019, the same month they vanished. Prosecutors allege that Tylee Ryan was killed between September 8-9, 2019, followed by JJ Vallow’s murder between September 22-23, 2019. Tammy’s death occurred just weeks before Chad and Lori married in November 2019, raising further suspicions.
CAPTURE & INVESTIGATION
Chad Daybell’s arrest came on the same grim day investigators made a horrific discovery—June 9, 2020. As authorities unearthed the remains of 7-year-old JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan buried on his Salem, Idaho property, Daybell attempted to flee the scene in his vehicle. Law enforcement quickly intercepted him.
Deputies took Daybell into custody at the Fremont County Jail, where he was booked on charges of destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence. His bail was set at $1 million with strict conditions: he was required to remain in the area and wear an ankle monitor.
The arrest marked a critical turning point in a case that had gripped the nation since JJ’s grandparents first reported him missing months earlier. Investigators would later reveal the children had disappeared in September 2019, with Daybell and then-girlfriend Lori Vallow allegedly providing false statements about their whereabouts.
This initial arrest for evidence tampering would eventually lead to far more serious charges—first-degree murder and conspiracy in the deaths of JJ, Tylee, and Daybell’s first wife Tammy, whose October 2019 death was initially ruled natural before being reclassified as a homicide by asphyxiation.
TRIAL & CONVICTIONS
Daybell’s trial, which began in April 2024, centered on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and insurance fraud.
Prosecutors argued that Daybell, a self-published doomsday author, orchestrated the killings alongside his second wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, driven by extremist religious beliefs and financial motives, including a $430,000 life insurance policy on Tammy.
The defense claimed Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, was responsible and that Daybell had been manipulated.
On June 1, 2024, an Idaho jury sentenced Chad Daybell to death for the 2019 murders of his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and his second wife’s two youngest children, Tylee Ryan, 16 and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7. The jury reached its decision after two days of deliberation, while Daybell showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read.
In addition to the death penalty, Daybell received concurrent 15-year sentences for insurance fraud and was ordered to pay restitution. He declined to testify or address the court during sentencing.
The verdict followed Lori Vallow Daybell’s 2023 conviction for the same murders. She received life in prison after the death penalty was dismissed in her case.
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REFERENCES / CITATIONS:
[1] CNN: Chad Daybell is sentenced to death in ‘doomsday’ triple-murder case– June 3, 2024
BOOKS ABOUT Chad Daybell
The Doomsday Mother: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family
In The Doomsday Mother, bestselling true crime author John Glatt tells the twisted tale of Lori Vallow, accused of having her two children murdered to start a new life with her new husband, doomsday prepper Chad Daybell…
Children of Darkness and Light: Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell: A Story of Murderous Faith
A blonde beauty queen, missing children, six suspicious deaths, and the twisted Mormon doomsday writings of her fifth husband are only the beginning of a tragic crime saga that gripped Americans and instigated frantic searches all over the country…
When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End
Examines the culture of end times paranoia and a trail of mysterious deaths surrounding former beauty queen Lori Vallow and her husband, grave digger turned doomsday novelist, Chad Daybell…
TV SHOWS & DOCS FEATURING Chad Daybell
Sins of Our Mother
When Lori Vallow’s kids vanished, the search for them unearthed a trail of suspicious deaths, a new husband who shared her doomsday views – and murder.
TV Mini Series / Documentary | 2022 | 3 Episodes
NETFLIX
Forty Eight Hours – S34.E35 – The Secrets of Chad Daybell’s Backyard
The Daybell children claim their father was framed for murders of JJ and Tylee.
TV Series / Documentary | 1988>
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT Chad Daybell
A selection of interesting articles about Chad Daybell, sourced and curated from around the web:
Chad Daybell is sentenced to death in ‘doomsday’ triple-murder case
CNN | Author: Ray Sanchez | June 3, 2024
Chad Daybell sentenced to death in slayings of first wife and second wife’s 2 kids
NBC | Author: Antonio Planas | Jun 2, 2024
Family members give emotional victim impact statements in Chad Daybell triple-murder trial
ABC News | Author: Meredith Deliso | May 31, 2024
Who is Chad Daybell? What to know about the “doomsday cult” murder case.
CBS News | March 30, 2024
