From missing children to apocalyptic beliefs and a twisted romance that ended in death, the Vallow–Daybell murders became one of the most disturbing true crime stories in recent memory. Here’s a gripping breakdown of the most chilling moments in the case that captivated the nation.
Two Kids, One Vanished Mother, Zero Answers
When Lori Vallow’s children, 7-year-old JJ and 16-year-old Tylee, disappeared in September 2019, their mother offered no explanation. She told some relatives they were “fine,” while refusing to let others see them. Months passed with no sign of the kids, and Vallow acted like nothing was wrong.
The public’s panic grew as Lori skipped town with her new husband Chad Daybell, all while dodging police questions. What mother vacations in Hawaii while her children are missing? Investigators knew something was terribly wrong, but the truth was darker than anyone could imagine.
Chad Daybell’s Prophecies of Death
Chad Daybell wasn’t just a doomsday prepper—he was a self-proclaimed prophet who claimed he could “see beyond the veil.” He told Lori that her husband, her children, and even her friends were possessed by dark spirits—and that their deaths were necessary for salvation.
These beliefs weren’t just delusions. They became a checklist. Chad ranked people by spiritual “light or dark” scores, and those he labeled as irredeemably dark often ended up dead. His apocalypse wasn’t just near—it was something he believed he had to help bring about.
The Sudden Death of Charles Vallow
In July 2019, Lori’s fourth husband, Charles Vallow, was shot dead by her brother, Alex Cox. Lori claimed Charles was abusive, but bodycam footage showed Charles pleading with police to protect him—he feared Lori thought he was “possessed.”
Cox said it was self-defense, and police didn’t arrest him. But later texts and evidence revealed Lori had called Charles a “zombie” and believed his death was necessary. The killing was just the beginning. Charles tried to warn authorities, but by then, Lori and Chad’s doomsday fantasy was already taking deadly form.
Marriage in Paradise, Kids Nowhere in Sight
Just weeks after Chad Daybell’s wife Tammy died unexpectedly in October 2019, he and Lori got married on a beach in Kauai. There were no signs of grief—only wedding rings and tropical smiles. But something was missing. Two things, actually: JJ and Tylee.
Family members back home were frantic. Why weren’t the kids at the wedding? Why hadn’t anyone seen them in weeks? Authorities grew suspicious, especially after Chad and Lori refused to answer any questions about their whereabouts. The couple was enjoying paradise. The children, it turned out, were already dead.
Tammy Daybell’s “Peaceful” Death Wasn’t So Peaceful
Tammy Daybell’s death was initially ruled as natural—she was only 49, but Chad said she’d gone to bed coughing and died in her sleep. The problem? She had no history of health problems, and she died just two weeks before Chad married Lori.
Police grew suspicious and exhumed her body. The autopsy revealed she died of asphyxiation. Later evidence would suggest someone had tried to kill her days before—Tammy reported a masked man pointing a gun at her. This wasn’t a grieving husband. It was a man clearing the way for his new bride—and his apocalyptic mission.
The Chilling Search at Chad Daybell’s Backyard
On June 9, 2020, FBI agents and local authorities searched Chad Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho. What they found beneath the earth shocked the nation. JJ’s remains were discovered buried in a shallow grave, tightly wrapped in black plastic and duct tape.
Nearby, in a separate location, they found the charred remains of Tylee Ryan, dismembered and burned beyond recognition. The idyllic yard had become a hidden graveyard. Chad watched from a distance before being taken into custody. His calm demeanor shattered as the world realized what he and Lori had truly done.
Lori’s Dances in Prison While Her Kids Were Dead
Even after her arrest, Lori Vallow appeared to be detached from reality. Fellow inmates reported that she laughed, sang, and even danced in her jail cell, completely unbothered by the charges against her. It wasn’t just eerie—it was downright disturbing.
She still claimed the kids were “safe” and in a “protected place,” even after their bodies had been found. To many, her behavior was proof that she believed in Chad’s apocalyptic fantasies so deeply, she had lost touch with humanity. Her children were dead, and she seemed to celebrate it.
A Religious Cult or a Death Squad?
Lori and Chad were central figures in a splinter group of doomsday believers that branched off from mainstream Mormonism. This circle believed in portals, zombies, multiple probations (past lives), and spiritual rankings that justified executions.
Alex Cox, Lori’s brother, was their “angel of death.” He carried out the killings Chad and Lori believed were spiritually mandated. The group wasn’t just obsessed with the end times—they were actively trying to purge “dark spirits” by any means necessary. The more you peel back, the more it looks like a cult that killed in cold blood.
Emails That Revealed a Death Wish List
Investigators uncovered emails between Chad and Lori that read like a spiritual hit list. People they believed were “possessed” were marked as “obstacles” in the mission to gather the 144,000 chosen souls before the apocalypse.
One spreadsheet even listed family members and friends by their “light” or “dark” energy level. Lori’s children were labeled as “dark.” In this twisted world, the children’s fate was sealed long before their murders. These weren’t just emails—they were digital evidence of premeditated spiritual warfare turned homicide.
Alex Cox: The Loyal Killer Who Died Mysteriously
Alex Cox, Lori’s brother and the man who killed Charles Vallow, suddenly dropped dead in December 2019. The cause? Blood clots in his lungs. But the timing was suspicious—he died just days after helping bury JJ and Tylee’s bodies.
Phone records later placed Alex at both gravesites. He was the muscle behind Chad and Lori’s spiritual visions, the one who carried out the dirty work. Did he feel guilt? Was his death a coincidence, or was it silencing the last link in the chain? No one can say for sure, but his death closed the mouth of a man who knew too much.
Tammy Fought Back—and No One Believed Her
Ten days before her death, Tammy Daybell called 911 to report a masked man pointing a paintball gun at her in her driveway. She managed to scare him off and dismissed the event publicly—but investigators now believe it was a failed murder attempt.
Her courage was overlooked. Chad dismissed it as paranoia, and no arrests were made. A few days later, Tammy was dead. Only after her exhumation did police realize she had been asphyxiated. That earlier “paintball” attack? Likely a first attempt by Alex Cox to end her life. Tammy saw it coming. No one listened.
Zombie Talk That Turned Deadly
Inside Lori and Chad’s belief system was a chilling idea: people could be turned into zombies—souls whose real identities had been replaced by dark spirits. Once labeled a zombie, a person was no longer seen as human.
Tylee and JJ were both declared “zombies” by Lori in conversations with friends. That label justified their deaths. Chad taught that zombies must be “removed” to fulfill God’s plan. What began as a spiritual metaphor turned into a lethal justification. Lori didn’t just kill her children—she convinced herself they were already gone.
The Secret Recording That Exposed It All
In a stunning twist, Lori’s friend Melanie Gibb secretly recorded a phone call with her after the kids went missing. In the recording, Lori insisted the children were fine, but refused to let anyone speak with them.
Melanie pushed Lori to come clean, but Lori dodged every question. She repeatedly referenced God, spirits, and protection from evil. That call would later be used in court to demonstrate Lori’s guilt and detachment from reality. It was a rare glimpse into the mind of a woman hiding murder behind a veil of religious delusion.
Chad Daybell’s Chilling Fiction Books
Before the murders, Chad Daybell authored multiple self-published books about near-death experiences and apocalyptic visions. But buried within his fiction were unsettling themes—righteous killings, chosen warriors, and evil spirits in human bodies.
Investigators later drew eerie parallels between his plots and the murders. In one book, a character kills a “dark spirit” child to fulfill a prophecy. Was Chad simply imaginative—or was he writing out his plans long before they became real? For Lori, his books were gospel. For prosecutors, they were a manifesto of madness.
The Portal Under Lori’s Closet
According to her claims, Lori believed she could access other realms through a spiritual portal in her bedroom closet. She and Chad reportedly used it to “communicate” across dimensions and check on each other’s spiritual missions.
They said they met in dreams, past lives, and on other planets. But while Lori was claiming divine guidance from her closet, her children were being buried in a stranger’s yard. It sounds absurd—until you realize this belief justified horrific crimes. In Lori’s world, faith and fiction blurred, and reality became a casualty.
“We’ll Be Together Again in the Afterlife”
While her children were missing—and later confirmed dead—Lori Vallow told multiple friends that everything was “fine” because they’d all “be reunited in the next life.” To her, earthly death wasn’t the end; it was just a checkpoint on the path to exaltation.
She even said JJ and Tylee had “fulfilled their missions.” That eerie phrasing, laced with religious detachment, hinted at a belief system that dehumanized even her children. Her calm wasn’t innocence—it was conviction. In Lori’s world, the apocalypse was coming, and her children’s deaths were merely spiritual logistics.
Text Messages That Sealed Their Fate
After Charles Vallow was murdered, Chad and Lori exchanged giddy text messages about “getting rid of obstacles,” “fulfilling their mission,” and “gathering the 144,000.” They even discussed dark spirits by name, ranking people’s souls and hinting at divine timing.
One text said, “She’s at a two percent,” referring to Tylee’s supposed spirit status. Chad replied with, “Not much time left.” These weren’t vague spiritual musings. They were sinister checklists. The texts made it clear: every death had been mapped out. And each message was another nail in their legal coffins.
A Wedding Ring Bought Before the Widow Was Made
Just 17 days before Tammy Daybell died, Chad bought a wedding ring on Amazon using the name of his dead wife. That detail alone sent shockwaves through investigators—he was planning a new life before Tammy had even been buried.
The receipt showed the purchase date. The wedding photos with Lori, taken just weeks later, showed her wearing the very ring. It wasn’t just callous—it was calculated. While Tammy was still breathing, Chad was already setting the stage for her replacement. It was premeditated romance, fueled by prophecy and murder.
Lori’s Hair Found with JJ’s Remains
One of the most damning pieces of physical evidence came from the shallow grave where JJ Vallow was buried. Inside the black plastic and duct tape, investigators found a single strand of hair—and it matched Lori Vallow.
It placed her directly at the scene of her son’s murder and disposal. For all her claims of innocence, spiritual prophecy, and divine missions, DNA told a different story. This wasn’t just a mother misled by ideology. It was a woman who had participated in the physical burial of her own child.
The Final Verdict: No More Delusions
In May 2023, Lori Vallow was found guilty of murdering her two children and conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell. The courtroom was silent as the jury read the verdict. The woman once called a “devoted mother” and “cheerful friend” was now a convicted killer.
The trial exposed every disturbing detail: the delusions, the texts, the shallow graves, the twisted spirituality. Lori showed little emotion. She still insisted she was guided by God. But for the world watching, the evidence was undeniable. The doomsday had come—and it was Lori and Chad who brought it, not for salvation, but for horror.