Tammy Daybell’s cause of death was initially found to be natural, due to a cardiac event. Daybell died in October 2019. But the case was reopened in December 2019 and an autopsy revealed new findings. Her husband, Chad Daybell is now charged in her murder. Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow five weeks after his wife died.
Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell are charged with murder in the deaths of her two children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Lori Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to commit homicide in the death of Charles Vallow.
The string of murders is the subject of a new Netflix docuseries, “The Sins of Our Mother.” The limited series documentary was released Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Here’s what you need to know:
Authorities Believe Tammy Daybell Was Asphyxiated & Her Husband, Chad, Said She Died in Her Sleep
When Tammy Daybell was found dead in her bedroom, her children say the coroner initially told them their mother died of natural causes.
But when investigators looked further, they came up with another theory about her death. t.co/EUlVz7drju
Tammy Daybell died October 19, 2019, at age 49. Her son, Garth Daybell, said he was in his room down the hall when he heard a thump, according to CBS News.
“My room was down the hall. And I heard a thump, and heard my dad yell, ‘Garth, Garth, come quick,’ with the most panic I’d ever heard in his voice,” Garth Daybell told CBS.
He told CBS his mother was already dead, and they called 911.
“My dad was just pacing back and forth,” Garth Daybell told CBS. “Just saying, ‘Why? How could this happen?’ Pointing at pictures on the wall, ‘She can’t be dead. Like, how could this be? What do we do?'”
The children said authorities believe she was asphyxiated, according to CBS. Some details of her cause of death, including her full autopsy report, have not been released publicly as Chad Daybell awaits trail, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. But her death certificate from October 2019 says her immediate cause of death as a cardiac event. Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye listed pulmonary edema as a condition leading to the death, the news station reported
Her body was exhumed for further investigation on December 12, 2019.
Daybell Wrote an Essay Called ‘Moving Into the Second Half of My Life’ 9 Days After Tammy Died
Review: In Netflix’s “Sins of Our Mother,” director Skye Borgman takes on the gripping story of Chad Daybell, Lori Vallow Daybell and the bizarre beliefs that allegedly led the couple to murder two of Lori’s children
Initial reports on the death of Tammy Daybell were that she had died in her sleep, according to East Idaho News.
The news outlet spoke to some who attended her funeral who said they noticed some strange things. The service seemed rushed, they said, especially since her death was unexpected. She was “healthy, working as the librarian at Central Elementary School in Sugar City and was actively involved at church.” There was no casket at her service, the source said. Daybell married Lori Vallow just five weeks later, the news outlet reported.
Nine days after Tammy Daybell died, Chad Daybell wrote an essay called, “Moving Into the Second Half of My Life.” Read the essay here.
His essay began:
My dear wife Tammy passed away in her sleep early Saturday, October 19. When I awoke at around 6 a.m., it was clear she had been gone for several hours. It came as a shock. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been awakened somehow, but all indications are that her spirit simply slipped away during the night. Her face looked serene, with her eyes closed and a slight smile. It was devastating to discover her that way, but I’m so grateful that her death was peaceful.
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