Is Doomsday Prepper Chad Daybell Still Married to Convicted Killer Lori Vallow Daybell?

The day police were searching Chad Daybell's property for bodies, he and Lori Vallow were exchanging "I love yous" on the phone.

Jennifer Tisdale - Author
By

Apr. 18 2024, Published 2:22 p.m. ET

Before Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell met, they were both married with children of their own, per ABC 4. One might describe their lives as blissfully normal, which is what most people strive for. Daybell had five children with his wife Tammy. Vallow had two children from previous marriages. While Vallow was married to her third husband, they adopted his great-nephew. Things started to change when Daybell and Vallow turned to religion.

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In October 2018, Daybell and Vallow met for the first time at a religious conference in St. George where people noticed how flirty they were with each other. Four months later, Vallow's husband filed for divorce due to her increasing religious fanaticism. He was later shot and killed by Vallow's brother who claimed it was self-defense. In October 2019, Daybell's wife died in her sleep paving the way for Daybell and Vallow to get hitched. Are they still married? Here's what we know.

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Are Chad and Lori Daybell still married?

The suspicious deaths of Daybell and Vallow's previous spouses couldn't hold a candle to what happened next. A series of strange financial decisions were made by both Daybell and Vallow that included Daybell increasing his wife's life insurance policy a month before her death. At one point, Vallow was under the impression she was on her husband's life insurance policy, but found out that wasn't the case after he died.

In August 2019, Vallow removed her two younger children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, from her own life insurance policy. For the next several months, no one could get ahold of Tylee or J.J. and Vallow had excuses ready anytime someone asked. When she and Daybell went to Hawaii in November 2019 for their wedding, the kids weren't there. Seven months later, Tylee and J.J.'s bodies were found buried on Daybell's property in Rexburg, Idaho.

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Vallow was convicted in July 2023 and received three life sentences. Daybell's trial began in April 2024 and jailhouse phone call recordings were played for the court. They were made in June 2020 when Daybell's property was being searched. He sounds concerned while Vallow sounds eerily upbeat. Throughout the call, they repeatedly say, "I love you," to each other. As of the time of this writing, that love hasn't wavered and they are still married.

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Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell, deserved better.

Daybell's former sister-in-law testified during Vallow's trial where she revealed that her brother-in-law's quick marriage following her sister's death was incredibly painful, reported the Associated Press. "You don’t get married four weeks after you just buried your wife of almost 30 years — you just don’t do that," said Samantha Gwilliam. She was even more shocked to learn that their wedding took place only two weeks after Tammy died.

Before Vallow was sentenced, Gwilliam had the opportunity to read her victim impact statement. She was angry, and rightfully so, using part of her time to remind Vallow and the court of all the many times and numerous ways in which she lied. Gwilliam said that Vallow's selfish, evil decisions directly led to the death of her sister. In her eyes, Vallow is a monster.

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