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Chad Daybell, an Idaho resident and father of five children, has been accused of murdering his former wife, Tammy Daybell. He has also been intertwined in a series of 2019 murders alongside his current wife Lori Vallow.
CBS 48 Hours' episode on Saturday will cover the murders and investigations that followed the harrowing discovery of human remains in Daybell's backyard. However, the former couple's five children have reportedly asserted their father's innocence on numerous occasions.
Chad was arrested immediately after the remains of his step-kids, Tylee Ryan (16) and JJ Vallow (7), were found about 50 yards from their house located just outside Rexburd. He entered a not guilty plea to all the charges and is currently in an Idaho prison awaiting his trial, scheduled for later this year.
The man who remarried weeks after his wife's death is the author of several Latter-Day Saints oriented books. Both Chad and his new wife, Lori Vallow, had powerful religious beliefs that, authorities think, pushed them to commit the murders.
Learn more about Chad Daybell ahead of the 48 Hours episode, titled The Secrets of Chad Daybell's Backyard, which premieres this Saturday.
Five astonishing facts about Chad Daybell
1) He is a communications graduate with ample professional experience
Chad Daybell reportedly graduated from Brigham Young University, located in Provo, Utah, with a bachelor's degree in communications. He worked as a sales executive for Falls Printing from 2016 until the day he was arrested. He also served as the president of Spring Creek Book Company in Rexburg, Idaho for 15 long years.
Daybell's previous work credits include his time as managing editor at Cedar Fort, Inc. in Springville, Utah. He also served for two years as a regional sales manager at a company called Access Computer Products. The 54-year-old was a gravedigger for four years during the 90s in Springville, Utah. He also served as a copy editor for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden, Utah.
2) He wrote over 25 books and was called a "doomsday" author
Following his stint as a gravedigger, Chad Daybell worked in the publishing industry and published more than 25 books of his own in the last 20 years. By then, he had settled down just outside Rexburg, Idaho, with his family of seven.
He produced numerous religious stories about the end of the world and was often referred to as a "Doomsday" author. An investigative reporter, Morgan Loew, said, about him:
"He tapped into this 'prepper' element out there, people who wanted to prepare for Armageddon."
Additionally, Chad Daybell's website says:
"The Times of Turmoil series is a sequel to Chad’s bestselling Standing in Holy Places series, which continues to find success in both the LDS bookstores and the national retail chains."
The website further says:
"Chad is also known for his other novels such as Chasing Paradise and The Emma Trilogy, as well as his non-fiction books for youth, including The Aaronic Priesthood and The Youth of Zion. He and his wife Tammy also created the Tiny Talks series for Primary children."
3) Chad has extremely powerful religious beliefs
Acquintances and relatives of the family claim that Chad's religious views became more intense with time. He thought he could communicate with the dead and predict the future. One witness even stated that Chad mentioned zombies and evil spirits.
Melanie Gibb, one of Lori Vallow's friends, told CBS in an interview that when the pair first met in 2018, they quickly bonded over their mutual religious beliefs. Gibb added that the two even started their own religious podcast together.
At the time, the two were still married to their former partners. Gibb later claimed to have overheard Chad and Lori discussing "zombies." The term refers to individuals whose souls have been taken over by "dark spirits."
To add to this, Chad's website even states:
"Our primary focus is providing entertaining, uplifting literature that gives readers a better understanding and an emotional connection to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The company only publishes material that supports the values of the LDS Church."
4) Chad Daybell was apparently framed for the murder of Tylee and JJ
The Daybell siblings, Chad's children, refused to believe that their father was involved in the 2019 murder of his step-kids, although evidence proved otherwise. Police always suspected that Lori and Chad had something to do with the disappearances of the two children. It is also believed that the latter may also have been involved in his former wife Tammy's death.
The discovery in the backyard proved them right, leading to the arrest of the "doomsday" author. His children, however, believed that he was framed for the murders. They believed that that their father, who was a gravedigger in the past, would be sensible enough not to bury the bodies in shallow graves so close to their house.
Emma Murray, Chad Daybell's daughter, told 48 Hours:
"I don't know why they would be there. But I do know that if he were to commit a crime, he wouldn't be foolish enough to put the evidence in his own backyard.This is his property. If there's bodies buried here, it would be attributed to him."
She added:
"You can look around for miles and miles. There's not houses and neighbors. You could go down to the river that way. There's … land down there that no one would ever touch."
Her brother Seth Daybell also spoke about their father and said:
"This is … a man who buries pets at, like, as deep as he can. He knew how to dig graves and that just doesn't sound believable to me."
5) He pleaded not guilty in court
Almost a year after the harrowing discovery of the shallow graves, Chad Daybell and his wife Lori Vallow were charged with first-degree murder of her children. Additionally, Chad was also charged with the murder of his former wife, Tammy. In June 2021, he entered a not guilty plea and has been awaiting trial in prison ever since.
Tune in to 48 Hours this Saturday to catch the full story of Chad Daybell, his newlywed wife, and a string of murders.
