Charles Vallow

The Vallow–Daybell doomsday murders are a series of killings—including child murder, filicide and spousal murder—committed by an American couple, Lori Vallow Daybell from Chandler, Arizona and Chad Daybell from Rexburg, Idaho, who led a Mormon religious group described by the media as a "doomsday cult".

Chad Guy Daybell was born on August 11, 1968, Provo, Utah, to a Mormon family; he grew up in Springville.

He married Tamara "Tammy" Douglas (May 4, 1970 – October 19, 2019) in Manti, Utah, on March 9, 1990.

They had five children: Garth, Emma, Seth, Leah and Mark.

Chad graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a B.A. in journalism and worked for a time as a copy editor for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden.

At various times during and after his studies, he supported himself by working as a gravedigger, then as the cemetery sexton for Springville.

Chad's first religion-themed novel, An Errand for Emma, was published in 1999 by Springville-based Cedar Fort, Inc., and he eventually left his job at the cemetery to focus on his writing.

In 2001, he published One Foot in the Grave, a non-fiction book that chronicled his experiences working in cemeteries.

The case was set in motion when Lori Vallow's daughter, Tylee Ryan (aged 16), and younger adopted son, Joshua Jaxon "J. J." Vallow (aged 7), disappeared respectively on September 9 and September 23, 2019.

Tylee was last seen alive at Yellowstone National Park on September 8, 2019, while J.J. was last seen alive on September 22, 2019.

In November 2019, police questioned Lori about J.J.'s whereabouts and welfare.

Lori and her new husband, Chad Daybell, claimed that J.J. was staying with family friend Melanie Gibb in Arizona, Lori's previous residence before moving to Idaho in late August 2019.

However, Gibb later denied this claim.

As police searched for J.J., they discovered that Tylee was also missing.

The children's case soon attracted media attention, as the Daybells refused to cooperate with law enforcement.

Even before the children's remains were found, investigations revealed that their disappearances had been preceded and followed by a string of suspicious deaths and events.

Lori's estranged fourth husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed in July 2019 by her brother, Alex Cox, who claimed self-defense; Cox later died in December 2019 due to a blood clot.

In October 2019, Brandon Boudreaux, the then-estranged husband of Lori's niece, was shot at from a vehicle registered to Charles Vallow.

That same month, Tammy Daybell, Chad's wife, was attacked in her driveway.

She died 10 days later on October 19 under what was initially recorded as 'natural causes'.

Chad and Lori married two weeks after Tammy's death.

After Tylee and J.J.'s disappearance became known, Tammy's body was exhumed by law enforcement officials, revealing that she had been asphyxiated.

The children were found buried in shallow graves in Rexburg, on June 9, 2020.

Tylee and J.J.'s remains were located in the backyard of Chad Daybell, who was Lori Vallow's lover at the time of their deaths and had become her husband by the time their bodies were found.

The case also involved the killings of Lori's previous husband Charles Vallow and of Chad's wife Tammy Daybell, as well as the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, one of Lori's relatives.

Lori's brother Alex Cox, who is believed by authorities to have participated in the crimes, died before he could be brought to justice.

At the time of the children's disappearances, Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), though their beliefs had significantly deviated from mainstream Mormonism.

Chad Daybell was an apocalyptic author and publisher who claimed to have visions from the future and to have lived through multiple past lives, and prophesied the world would end in July 2020.

Lori Vallow had come to share her lover's fringe religious beliefs: she became convinced that she was a deity destined to play a role in the coming apocalypse and that her family was getting in the way of her mission.

On February 20, 2020, Lori was arrested in Kauai, Hawaii, and charged with desertion and non-support of her children.

She was extradited to Idaho two weeks later.

On June 9, 2020, police discovered the remains of Tylee and J.J. during a search at Chad's home.

Chad was immediately arrested on charges of destruction or concealment of evidence.

On May 25, 2021, Lori and Chad were charged with the first-degree murders of Tylee, J.J., and Tammy, the indictment accusing them of using religious beliefs to justify their crimes.

Prosecutors said that Lori and Chad had conspired with Alex Cox to murder Tylee, J.J. and Tammy, as part of their apocalyptic beliefs but also to collect life insurance money and the children's Social Security benefits.

Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell were tried separately.

On May 12, 2023, Lori was found guilty of all charges related to the killings of her children and Tammy Daybell: on July 31, 2023, she was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

She has also been charged in Arizona related to the death of Charles Vallow and the shooting of Brandon Boudreaux.

On May 30, 2024, Chad was found guilty of all charges related to the deaths of his first wife and of Lori's children.

On June 1, 2024, he was sentenced to death.