Chad Daybell trial: Focus remains on the murder of Tammy Daybell

PHOENIX - On day 12 of the Chad Daybell trial, the focus remained on the suspicious death of the self-proclaimed doomsday prophet's first wife. Daybell is the Idaho man accused of murdering two Arizona children, whose bodies were later found in his backyard.

Daybell's current wife, Lori Vallow, was the children's mother, and she's since been convicted of killing them.

A quick funeral and religious red flags

Five witnesses took the stand on April 26 to testify against Daybell, who could face the death penalty if he's found guilty.

Steve Schultz, a funeral director and former neighbor of the Daybells when they once lived in Utah, says he was suspicious after 49-year-old Tammy Daybell suddenly died in October 2019. He asked a Daybell relative if Chad killed his wife. Schultz also says he learned the self-published doomsday fiction author shared visions of the end of times.

"A date of the Second Coming when that would happen, also of the catastrophes that would follow. Deer Creek dam breaking, Utah County being flooded, white tents in a city being developed for the chosen, the elected, the people." Steve Schultz

Chad is accused of killing Tammy, and conspiring with his then-lover Lori Vallow in the murder. Tammy worked at an elementary school where the principal, Rich Garner, says staff wanted to go to her funeral, but Chad wasted no time, organizing the funeral four hours away from East Idaho in just days.

Garner: "I asked, ‘Is there anything we can have a memorial or do something here? ’Cause we’re all gonna want to come and do something for Tammy? Is it only gonna be a Tuesday funeral?’"

Prosecutor: "What was his reaction?"

Garner: "He said I don’t wanna inconvenience or put anybody out."

A former friend of Daybell's, Whitney Arnold, testified about meeting Chad's new wife Lori weeks after Tammy's death. She asked if Lori had any children.

Arnold: "Her answer was, ‘Yes, I have seven children.’"

Prosecutor: "Did she tell you whether or not she had children at home?"

Arnold: "Actually, that was a specific question, and she said, ‘All of our children are out of the home.’"

Lori actually had two missing children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. They were last seen alive less than a month after moving from Chandler, Arizona to Rexburg, Idaho in early fall 2019.

By March 2020, Lori was in jail on child abandonment charges, but Chad was free, and met with his friend Ron Arnold, a local realtor. Arnold says Chad wanted to put a manufactured home on his property.

Prosecutor: "You were asked what Mr. Daybell’s beliefs or intentions were for putting a manufactured home on his property and that one of those reasons was to live with his wife Lori when she got out of custody, correct?"

Ron Arnold: "Yes."

Prosecutor: "Based on what you know now, do you think there may have been a different reason that they wanted to put that home on the property?"

Ron Arnold: "Yes."

In June 2020, authorities discovered the remains of JJ and Tylee buried in that same backyard, leading to Chad's arrest.

The trial continues on April 29. More than 30 witnesses have testified.