DOOMSDAY “prophet” dad Chad Daybell, found guilty of murdering his wife and two stepchildren, has penned a series of bizarre letters from death row that have been shared with The U.S. Sun.
Daybell, 57, was sentenced to death last June after being found guilty of killing his first wife Tammy and his second wife, “cult mom” Lori Vallow’s children, Tylee, 17, and JJ, 7.
Chad Daybell in his prison mugshot after being sentenced to death for killing Tammy, JJ, and Tylee[/caption]
Vallow was also found guilty of murdering Tylee and JJ in May 2023[/caption]
He had raised five kids with Tammy before killing her then marrying Vallow, 52, two weeks later and going on a murder spree with her.
They were both members of their own doomsday cult, with Daybell claiming Tylee and JJ were “zombies” with “dark spirits”.
Daybell was sentenced to death for the first degree murder of Tammy, Tylee and JJ, while Vallow was handed a life sentence for the murders of her children and conspiracy to murder Tammy last year.
Now he has started writing a series of letters from behind bars at Idaho’s Maximum Security Institution, which have been shared with The U.S. Sun by his daughter.
In the letters, Daybell speaks about his life before and after prison, his trial, and even recounts the story of his relationship with murdered wife Tammy, writing about the days before and after her death and calling her an “angel on earth.”
He says he hopes to be “reunited with one day” adding “I love her and always will.”
Bizarrely, Daybell also shares musical and literary recommendations in X posts titled “Chad’s bookshelf” and “Chad’s musical notes,” posting links to Amazon and YouTube so people can click on his favorite songs and books.
The letters have also been typed out and posted on a new X profile, which so far has 10 followers, by his daughter Emma Daybell Murray, one of Daybell’s five children from his marriage with Tammy.
The X profile reads: “Letters to friends/family posted on behalf of Chad Daybell, aiming for every M/Th. All opinions are his. DMs are closed. He receives no financial compensation.”
Emma has previously spoken out in defense of her father along with her siblings, claiming he was framed.
In her email to The U.S. Sun, she wrote: “My father, Chad Daybell, was convicted by the state of Idaho to die. I started a page on X to share his letters and thought you might be interested.”
She declined to comment further.
Daybell’s first prison letter starts: “Hello, my friends! This is Chad Daybell, writing to you from my cell in Idaho’s Maximum Security Institution. This is the first of several letters I will send.”
He goes on to thank everyone who has sent him cards and letters saying “I cherished each one!”
The letter continues: “I arrived here at the prison in June 2024, and I suppose you could say I’ve settled in. As for Death Row itself, I won’t be sharing details about my daily schedule or information about my fellow inmates.
“As the newest arrival on Death Row, it isn’t my place to talk about such things. It really is a different world in here, but I’m surviving, and I spend a lot of time working on my upcoming appeals.”
The triple murderer goes on to reveal how he struggled when he was placed in isolation at the Fremont County Jail. Idaho, for “thousands of hours” without even a clock to pass the time, and began to “reflect” on his life.
But he says he has decided to share his story via X because he wants his supporters to receive it “uncensored and unfiltered, directly from me.”
Vallow insisted she was ‘misunderstood’ in an interview with NBC earlier this year[/caption]
Daybell’s trial was delayed for years[/caption]
‘I SHOULD NOT BE FEARED’
“I am aware of how I have been portrayed in the media,” he allegedly writes.
“Frankly, those portrayals of me are unrecognizable. I am not the man the media has created. I am not a cult member who should be feared.
“I am not a conspirator or a killer. I never have been. I am a father, a grandfather, a husband, a son, a brother, and a friend with a firm faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Daybell claims he has recently been allowed in-person visits with several of his family members – but does not state which ones, adding that he is “grateful for the unconditional love and support” they have given him.
“I share in your sadness, pain, and grief over the deaths of Tammy, Tylee and JJ. I don’t have all the answers even now…
Chad Daybell
“When people find out that my relatives have visited me, they usually ask them, ‘How has he changed?’ the letter reads.
“My relatives give the same response: ‘He hasn’t changed. He’s the same Chad we always knew.’
“People are surprised by that answer after hearing a different story for so long. I am still the quiet, gentle person you all know.
“I have always been a peacemaker, even now in prison. I have never caused anyone’s death, and never conspired to commit such acts against anyone.
“I share in your sadness, pain, and grief over the deaths of Tammy, Tylee and JJ. I don’t have all the answers even now, but I’m grateful a more complete story will be shared during my appeals process.”
Photos of the letters sent to the U.S. Sun[/caption]
Chad Daybell’s children, clockwise from top left, Mark Daybell, Leah Murphy, Seth Daybell, Garth Daybell and Emma Murray during a TV interview[/caption]
Lori Vallow with her fourth husband Charles who was shot dead by her brother[/caption]
Daybell remained emotionless throughout the trial last July – sitting stony faced with his hands in his lap, while the verdict was read.
He claims he followed his attorney’s advice to sit quietly and not smile during his court trial – but he believes it made him appear cold and uncaring to onlookers.
“I assure you my heart was breaking many times throughout the trial, and there were moments I couldn’t hold back the tears, especially as I saw and heard family members suffering the same feelings of anguish that I was experiencing,” he writes.
He admits he won’t be able to change everybody’s opinions of him, signing off with “All I can hope for is that these letters can begin to generate feelings of healing, reconciliation, and understanding.”
‘DEVOTED TO TAMMY’
Another letter starts: “This letter is devoted to Tammy. I loved her, and I still do. She was my life partner and the mother of our five amazing children.
“We built a wonderful family together. We were married for nearly 30 years, and I always sought to keep her safe and protected. She was the anchor of my life, and I never considered harming her.”
He claims that “Tammy had increasingly severe health issues in the final months of her life, but very few people knew about them” as she was so private and would put a brave face on.
“She was an intensely private person who rarely shared personal details with others, much less that her health was suffering. She would put on a brave smile in public and act as if nothing was bothering her.
“But even those of us who knew about her health struggles never expected her to pass away so suddenly, and her death has somewhat overshadowed the remarkable woman she was.”
Daybell continues: “I want you to get to know the living, vibrant, beautiful Tammy who blessed so many people with her talents and unique traits. She was strong, yet so delicate.
“We were united in our parenting efforts, our religious beliefs, and in the publishing company we operated together for 15 years. She radiated goodness and charisma, generating a positive impact on everyone around her.
“She was very kind and loving, but especially to children and animals. She was always on the lookout for the underdog who might need a boost in life.”
Daybell has been sharing letters on an X account set up by his daughter[/caption]
Aerial photo of Daybell’s property where remains of JJ and Tylee were found[/caption]
Daybell sat during the jury’s verdict at court in Boise, Idaho, in May 2024[/caption]
He then recounts the story of how they met, aged 21 and 19 in their hometown of Springville, Utah and he had returned home from his two-year mission for the Church of Latterday Saints.
They connected, he said, after he saw a yearbook photo of her and “felt a jolt of electricity pass through me” and he asked her out on a date shortly after playing a church volleyball game with her.
The letter tells how they went to college together, loved music and married at the LDS Temple in Manti, Utah in March 1990, before having children and starting their own successful book publishing company.
In a follow on letter, he alleges Tammy went from being full of energy, working out all the time and taking care of their animals to being exhausted and sick.
Incredibly he describes the days before and after her death, writing: “The day before she passed away, she came home completely worn out from setting up the displays for the school’s upcoming book fair.
“That evening she told family members she wasn’t feeling well, and later had a bad coughing fit before throwing up.
“We went to sleep, and when I woke the next morning, she had passed away.
“I will describe that terrible morning and subsequent events in a future letter. But as word spread of her death, everyone was devastated, because she had been such a powerful, wonderful influence to so many people.
“We all feel that loss everyday. I miss her and love her. Tammy was a true angel on earth, and I know she is still watching over our family.
“My children and I have felt her presence many times since her death. We sense she is particularly interested in her precious grandchildren.
“We believe families can be together forever in heaven, and although she has moved on ahead of us, we know we will be reunited with her someday.”
Lori Vallow timeline
Lori Vallow has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering her two children. She has also been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the death of her ex-husband Charles Vallow. Here is timeline of events that led to her arrest, trial, and conviction.
- 2006: Lori Vallow married her then-husband Charles Vallow.
- 2014: Lori and Charles adopt JJ Vallow.
- 2018: After becoming a fan of Chad Daybell’s doomsday books, Lori meets him. The two start doing podcasts together.
- February 2019: Charles Vallow files for divorce from Lori.
- July 2019: Charles Vallow is shot to death by Lori’s brother, Alex Cox.
- September 8, 2019: Tylee Ryan, 16, Lori’s daughter, goes missing. She was last seen at Yellowstone National Park.
- September 22, 2019: JJ Vallow goes missing.
- October 19, 2019: Chad Daybell’s wife, Tammy, dies.
- November 5, 2019: Lori and Chad tied the knot in Hawaii.
- November 26, 2019: A nationwide search was launched following the disappearances of Tylee and JJ.
- February 20, 2020: Lori was arrested after failing to comply with a police order to produce her children and ensure they were safe.
- June 9, 2020: Human remains were found in Chad Daybell’s backyard. Daybell was arrested.
- June 2020: The remains found were identified as JJ and Tylee’s.
- May 2021: Lori and Chad were both charged with first-degree murder in connection with JJ and Tylee’s deaths.
- April 10, 2023: Lori’s trial starts.
- May 12, 2023: Lori was charged with murder in connection with JJ and Tylee’s deaths. She was also charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with JJ and Tylee’s deaths, as well as the death of Tammy Daybell.
- June 2, 2023: Judge Steven Boyce reveals Chad’s trial will start on April 1, 2024.
- July 31, 2023: Lori was sentenced to life in prison.
- December 7, 2023: Lori was charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with the death of Charles Vallow. She pleads not guilty.
- January 2024: John Prior, Chad’s lawyer, files a motion to remove himself from the case. Judge Boyce denies this request.
- February 2024: Lori beams in court during hearing – months after she was charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
- March 2024: Chad was booked into the Ada County Jail in Boise, Idaho, ahead of his trial.
- June 2024: Chad was sentenced to death in the triple murder of his wife and Lori’s children
TRIPLE MURDERS
Tammy was found dead at her home on October 19, 2019 in Salem, Idaho, just weeks after Lori Vallow’s children Tylee and JJ vanished without a trace in September 2019 in Rexburg, Idaho.
She was quickly buried and Daybell and Vallow got married in Hawaii two weeks later.
Daybell and Vallow claimed JJ and Tylee were with friends, before their charred remains were found wrapped in plastic bags and buried in a pet cemetery on Daybell’s property in June 2020.
Tammy’s remains were exhumed and an autopsy found she died from asphyxiation, and bruises suggested she was restrained, according to the medical examiner in Utah.
Jurors took less than nine hours to reach a unanimous verdict on Daybell’s guilt after a two-month trial and on June 1, 2024 he received the death penalty for the three murders, for conspiracy in the murders and for insurance fraud.
Vallow, who was tried separately, was found guilty of killing her two children and conspiracy to commit Tammy’s murder. She was also found guilty of conspiring to kill her fourth husband Charles, who was shot by her brother in July 2019. She is serving a life sentence without parole in Idaho.
Daybell and Vallow believed they had been chosen to lead a chosen 144,000 people towards the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ, according to prosecutors.
They designated people – including Charles Vallow, and kids JJ and Joshua as being zombies with dark spirits, and allegedly believed that the only way to rid a person of the spirit was to kill them so they could rest in the afterlife, court heard.
Daybell believed the spells in Harry Potter were real and claimed that he was a “translated being” who was incapable of death, no longer needed to eat or sleep and could teleport himself, according to a book called The Doomsday Mother by John Glatt.
A spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Correction said: “Our residents are able to send out letters as long as they fall within our policies aimed at maintaining the safety and security of our staff and population.”
They added: “We do not have any comment on the specific letters you are referring to.”
