Chad Daybell, previously labeled as a leader of a doomsday cult, has started sharing letters from death row after his conviction for the murders of his first wife and his current wife’s two children.
In 2024, Daybell, aged 56, received a death sentence for the murder of Tammy Daybell, 49, as well as the killings of Joshua ‘J.J.’ Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16, the children of his current spouse, Lori Vallow Daybell. The case captivated the nation due to the shocking allegations of apocalyptic predictions and cult-like behavior surrounding the couple.
Currently incarcerated at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Daybell has launched a website titled Letters from Chad, where he publishes what he claims are ‘uncensored and unfiltered’ messages from his prison cell.
Despite being found guilty, Daybell maintains his innocence.
In his initial letter, available on the ‘Letters from Chad’ website, he stated: “I have never caused anyone’s death, and never conspired to commit such acts against anyone. I share in your sadness, pain, and grief over the deaths of Tammy, Tylee and JJ. I don’t have all the answers even now, but I’m grateful a more complete story will be shared during my appeals process.”
These letters are being disseminated with the assistance of his daughter, Emma Murray. Murray has publicly voiced her belief that her father was wrongfully convicted and has created a similar Letters from Chad page on X (previously known as Twitter) to further distribute his writings.
While speaking with The U.S. Sun, she expressed: “My father, Chad Daybell, was convicted by the state of Idaho to die. I started a page on X to share his letters and thought you might be interested.”
In his opening address, Daybell attempted to convey a cordial tone, stating: “Hello, my friends! This is Chad Daybell, writing to you from my cell in Idaho’s Maximum Security Institution. This is the first of several letters I will send. I want to thank everyone who sent me cards and letters while I have been incarcerated. Your kind words of support really helped me. I cherished each one!”
He also mentioned his adaptation to prison life, noting: “I suppose you could say I’ve settled in. As for Death Row itself, I won’t be sharing details about my daily schedule or information about my fellow inmates. As the newest arrival on Death Row, it isn’t my place to talk about such things. It really is a different world in here, but I’m surviving, and I spend a lot of time working on my upcoming appeals.”
Daybell contests the media’s portrayal of him, asserting: “I am aware of how I have been portrayed in the media. Frankly, those portrayals of me are unrecognizable. I am not the man the media has created. I am not a cult member who should be feared. I am not a conspirator or a killer. I never have been.”
“I am a father, a grandfather, a husband, a son, a brother, and a friend with a firm faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
He acknowledged that not everyone will be convinced of his perspective, adding: “All I can hope for is that these letters can begin to generate feelings of healing, reconciliation, and understanding.”
For the time being, the unusual writings of a convicted murderer will continue to appear online as he navigates death row and initiates his appeals process.