Tammy Daybell was the late wife of Chad Daybell, who is charged with her murder and the murders of Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
She died unexpectedly in her home on October 19, 2019, and was buried the following Tuesday in the Springville Evergreen Cemetery.
Her death was initially attributed to natural causes, but after Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow just two weeks later, authorities became suspicious and exhumed Tammy’s body for further investigation.
During Lori Vallow’s sentencing hearing, Tammy Daybell’s aunt, Vicki Hoban, was allowed to give an impact statement.
Chad wrote an essay about his wife 12 days after her death, which was published in a local newspaper.
In the essay, he described Tammy as a loving wife and mother who was dedicated to her family and her faith.
Her death is a key part of the case against Chad and Lori Daybell.
Prosecutors allege that the couple conspired to kill Tammy in order to be together and that they also killed JJ and Tylee.
Tammy Daybell cause of death
Tammy was the wife of Chad Daybell, who is currently on trial for the murder of his previous wife and two stepchildren.
She died in October 2019, and her autopsy results showed that she died of asphyxiation.
Bruises were discovered on Tammy’s body during the autopsy. Dry foam was also found on her body.
The Utah medical examiner said that Tammy may have been restrained when she died, based on the bruises that were discovered.
The circumstances surrounding herdeath are suspicious, and her autopsy results have been a key piece of evidence in the trial against her husband.
The trial is ongoing, and more details may emerge as it continues.
What was Tammy Daybell’s life like?
Tammy was the late wife of Chad Daybell, who is charged with her murder and the murders of Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
She was a school librarian in Fremont County School District, and was married to Chad whom she had five children with him.
Tammy died on October 19, 2019, at the age of 49, and her death was initially attributed to natural causes, but it was later deemed “suspicious” and her body was exhumed for further investigation.
The autopsy revealed that she had “bruising” and “dry foam” on her body, and the medical examiner said that she may have been restrained when she died.
Chad was charged with her murder in May 2023.
According to testimony from Samantha Gwilliam, a friend of Tammy, she was “kind and loving” and “very devoted to her family”.
She was also described as an “avid reader” and a “great cook”.
Lori Vallow’s children autopsy
Vallow’s children, Tylee and JJ, went missing in September 2019 and their remains were later found in Daybell’s backyard.
The official cause of death for JJ was asphyxia from a plastic bag being put over his head and duct tape over his mouth.
On the other hand, Tylee’s cause of death was homicide by unspecified means.
Homicide by unspecified means is a term used when a forensic pathologist examines a case and determines it was a homicide, but can’t pinpoint exactly what caused it.
JJ had scratch marks on his neck and bruises on his wrists and ankles where he was bound with duct tape.
Tylee’s autopsy proved to be a grisly challenge as her remains were received in three separate sealed bags.
Her cause of death was undetermined, and her body was so dismembered and burned that investigators weren’t initially sure they had found a body, until they uncovered a skull under a melted plastic bucket.
The forensic pathologist searched Tylee’s remains as best he could for bullets and knife fragments but didn’t find any, and ultimately ruled her cause of death as undetermined.
The examinations revealed that the children suffered brutal injuries. JJ fought for his life until the end.
Lori Vallow sentencing
The mother from Idaho, was found guilty of murdering her two children as well as conspiracy to murder her husband’s first wife.
She was sentenced to life in prison without parole on July 31, 2023 following a hearing held at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho.
Vallow was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of conspiracy to commit grand theft.
Prosecutors argued that Vallow believed her children were “zombies” and that killing them was necessary to protect the world from dark forces.
Her husband, Chad, was also charged in connection with the case.
He was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of conspiracy to commit grand theft.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2023.