BOISE, Idaho, May 30, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Former Utah resident Chad Daybell has been found guilty of the first-degree murders of former wife Tammy Daybell and of the two children of second-wife Tammy Vallow Daybell.
The child victims were J.J. Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16.
Chad Daybell, 55, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in all three deaths, and in two cases of insurance fraud. The investigation began in 2019.
The jury debated for six hours before reaching a verdict in the case, in which testimony covered such topics as beliefs in a doomsday “cult” and the view that people, including children, could go “dark” and zombie-like, and at that point, they could “justifiably” be killed.
Lori Vallow Daybell, mother of the children, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on the same murder and conspiracy charges. She married Chad Daybell several weeks after the murder of his wife, who died by asphyxiation, the medical examiner determined.
Upon the announcement of the verdict, the Chad Daybell case moved into the sentencing phase, to be heard by the same jury after a short period of instruction.
Prosecutors have said they will argue for the death penalty while Daybell’s attorney will likely argue that circumstances warrant a lighter sentence.
Gephardt Daily will have more information on the sentencing as the process continues.
