Hidden True Crime - DEATH ROW BOMBSHELL: Chad Daybell's Letters from Death Row Revealed

Episode Date: September 14, 2025

Chad Daybell is officially speaking out via long, lengthy letters from death row... Lauren has read them all and she is here to give you the breakdown of what is revealed in his first 5 letters. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Outcomes vary. 3.3% base API Y as of January 30th, 2026, is representative variable and earned on funds swept to program. Direct deposit $1,000 a month and fund an investing account for a 0.25% increase. Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC member FINRA SIPC, not a bank. Convicted murderer, Chad DeBelle, is writing letters from death row. And this. This is a big deal because we have heard from his co-conspirator, his wife, Lori Vallow, in multiple media interviews that she has done from behind bars. But we have never heard from Chad Debel. But now we are through his own writings.

His daughter is allegedly posting these letters online and the world is reacting. I am reacting. I am in disbelief. Chad Debel, here are a few of the things he says in these letters. and we're going to get into it. He says he is a peacemaker and not a killer. He says Tammy's death was natural. He says his faith is intact and his excommunication.

And the Church of Jesus Christ, Latterty Saints is unfair. And he says that if you understand his visions and near-death experiences, the tragedies of 2019, tragedies, not murders, but tragedies. The tragedies of 2019 will finally make sense. I'm Lauren Matthias, and this is hidden true crime. And tonight, I'll read his words in full context and share a bit of what I see. All these letters are trying to reshape a narrative after the jury

has already found Chad Daybill guilty of murdering three innocent people, two of them children, the other, his wife of nearly 30 years. And before we begin, these letters, just so you know where they're coming from, they were publicly posted to X by Chad Daybell's daughter, Emma. In an email to the U.S. son, Emma Daibel allegedly wrote, my father, Chad Daibel, 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, end quote. So let's read directly from some of these long-winded letters, which I also, myself recognized as Chad Daybell's writing style. Unfortunately, I have read a lot of his books myself.

So I want to respond to a few things tonight. And then Dr. John Matthias, my co-host and criminal psychologist, also plans to discuss the content of the letters soon and give his personal thoughts. So hit subscribe, hit notifications so that we can all dig in with a criminal psychologist. But until then, let's talk about this together. If you are new to our channel, Chad Daybell, was convicted of murdering his current wife, Lori Valo's children, Tiley Ryan and JJ Valo, as well as his wife, again, of nearly 30 years, Tammy DeBow. I sat through Chad Daybill's entire trial.

He is now on death row, Lori Ballo, whose trial I also reported on, multiple trials, was convicted separately. So let's start with some of the letters. Letter one, as it's titled, posted on August 29th, allegedly by Emma Daybell. This is what he states. Hello, my friends, this is Chad Daybell, writing to you from myself 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. I cherish each one. I am using this method to share my story because I want you to receive it uncensored and unfiltered directly from me. I am aware of how I have been portrayed in the media. And 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 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. I have recently been able to have a few in-person visits with several of my family members and those who have been wonderful.

I will always be grateful for the unconditional love and support these family members have given me. When people find out that my relatives have visited me, they usually ask them, how has he changed? And my relatives give the same response. He hasn't changed. He's the same Chad. we always knew. People are surprised by that answer after hearing a different story for so long. I am still the quiet, gentle person you all know. I have always been a peacemaker. Even now,

in prison, I have never caused anyone's death and never conspire to commit such acts against anyone. I share in your sadness, pain, and grief over the deaths of Tammy, Tiley, and JJ. I don't have all answers even now, but I am grateful a more complete story will be shared during my appeals process. During my trial, I followed my attorney's advice to sit quietly, not smile, and not show any emotion. I assure you that my heart was breaking many times throughout the trial, end quote. A lot to unpack there. And first off, I just want to point out that it's easy to follow your attorney's advice and not

show emotion when you don't have any. I digress. My personal interpretation of this first letter, letter number one, this is classic rebranding, gratitude, denial, a list of respectable roles and a promise that his real story is still coming. It's always the story, the narrative, right? The real story, six years later, is still coming. He blames optics for how he was perceived, meaning he says that he looked cold because I sat quietly. But what he doesn't address is evidence. The evidence, cell records, forensic findings remains found on his property.

You should just know he is a peacemaker and always has been, never mind the violent books he has written that I've talked about, the sadistic texts he has sent that we learned about in trial, and his core belief that people are either dark or light, good or evil, bad, good. Or how about how he claims that everyone thinks he is gentle and quiet? Let's get to that. Was this his mask? I will definitely be curious, John's take on that particular line.

I will be asking him. Again, this is what Chad Daibel says. I am the quiet and gentle person you all know, end quote. Chad Deba. Gentle is not what I've noticed about you, Chad, even before your arrest. So some public replies under Emma's post with this first letter. Let me read this. Quote, sicko, the whole world knows those babies were burned and buried in your backyard.

And another one. Children are not zombies. And another comment, you killed Tammy, you killed Tiley, you killed J.J. End quote. The people are not debating his demeanor. They're pointing back. to physical evidence, which is really what matters here. Letter two was for his murdered wife, Tammy.

He writes, quote, This letter is devoted to Tammy. I loved her and I still do. She was my life partner and the mother of our five amazing children. We built a wonderful family together who were married for nearly 30 years, and I always sought to keep her safe and protected. She was the anchor of my life, and I never considered harming her. We didn't officially meet until after I returned home from my two-year LDS mission to northern New Jersey.

I arrived back in the hometown of Springville, Utah, in July 1989, and a few days later, I saw my brother's 1988 high school yearbook on his shelf. I flipped it open and saw a student spotlight about a girl named Tammy Douglas. As I looked at her face, I felt a jolt of electricity passed through me. I had been thrilled to discover Tammy love music as much as I did, including some alternative bands such as Oingo Boingo and Depechemo. We love to blast their songs in the car and sing loudly along, going to concerts, continued throughout our marriage, and we would take our kids along as they got older.

We also love to hold family dance parties with our kids in the front room, even after moving to Idaho. And even now, the children tell me they'll get in the car and certain of them. obscure but meaningful songs will often be on the radio and it feels like Tammy is saying she is nearby. She radiated goodness and charisma generating a positive impact on everyone around her. She was very kind and loving, but especially to children and animals. She was always on the lookout for the underdog who might need a boost in life, end quote. Letter two is like a love story. It's carefully chosen, sweet, nostalgic,

almost cinematic. The effect, in my opinion, is to draw people into scene Chad as a husband in love and not as a convicted murderer. But then he continues in letter three. He states this, quote, Tammy had always strived to be physically fit. And in Idaho, she turned part of our front room into her workout area. It wasn't until the final year of her life that she started having noticeable physical setbacks. She caught a cold during the holidays and she battled chest congestion and a deep cough throughout early 2019. She was also experiencing menopause symptoms with regular hot flashes. She was now 48, but she said she felt she had aged 10 years in just a few months. Her exercise routine faded away and she became content to just sit on the couch,

watch TV, and work on her laptop. I regret not being more insistent. in having her get a physical exam because there were four major reasons for concern, and they all got worse in 2019 as it progressed. First, there were Tammy's lengthy colds and prolonged coughing fits. Second, was her overall lack of energy. This wasn't the same woman who could work in the garden and care for her animals all evening without stopping. She began using the phrase,

need to sit down almost daily after any sustained physical activity. The third reason for concern were her swollen joints. and bloating in her abdomen. Tammy initially tried to brush off these symptoms as temporary water retention, but they never went away. One day she came up to me and partially lifted her shirt. She grabbed hold of her belly and said, look at this. I can almost hear my guts sloshing around. And around that same time, Tammy and my son attended a health wellness fair. They were examined by a nurse who was bothered by how swollen Tammy's legs were and that she had devised. developed varicose veins. The nurse urged her to see a doctor about it, but Tammy refused. I found

her sitting on the edge of the bed, wiping away tears from her eyes. It was late August 2019 and the new school year was about to begin. As she sat on the bed, she had a pair of pants halfway up her legs. She said, these pants fit me just fine at the end of the school year. Now I can't even get them over my hips. She stood up and demonstrated to me in frustration. none of her other school pants fit either. We went to the store the next day to buy replacements, and she ended up having to go up two pants sizes. She was very discouraged about it,

and she eventually resorted to wearing full-length skirts most of the time to school. End quote. Chad then goes on to explain Tammy's fainting spell, saying that she fainted multiple times in the driveway and the temple once into the refrigerator. She collapsed, threw up on her dress, hurt her wrist, He said he urged her to see a doctor, but she resisted.

And then another quote from this letter. Chad states, quote, The day before she passed away, she came home completely worn out from setting up the displays from the school's upcoming book fair. That evening, she told family member she wasn't feeling well and later had a bad coughing fit before throwing up. We went to sleep and when I woke the next morning, she had passed away, end quote. So this is the longest, most detailed section in all of the letters. Chad is building a meticulous medical timeline or attempting to, at least. Fainting spells, swollen joints, wardrobe issues, bloating, vomiting.

The intent is clear. Offer an alternative cause of death that erases homicide. We've heard it all before by his defense attorney jump prior during his trial. Same old story. Same old song and dance. But here's the omission. He does not mention. evidence of asphyxiation or the jury's finding that Tammy's death was not natural.

And while he fat shames his late wife, the mother to his five children, he does not address the broader context. And that is that within weeks of Tammy's death, Chad remarried Lori Vallow and two children were already missing. Or how about, I want to point this out, the witnesses is on the stand on the one day that Chad Daybell showed emotion during his murder trial. He couldn't seem to help himself this day. He showed so much emotion, even if his attorney told him to be emotionless, like he claims, he could not hide it this day as I looked at him from my seat in the gallery. But it was not heartache that he showed on his face.

It was more like contempt when his wife's friends and coworkers testified one after the other on this day stating that Tammy Dayball was the picture of help. and that she was fit and she had energy. It certainly wasn't the narrative that Chad Daybell wanted us to have of his deceased wife. And it clearly, it clearly still bothers him today. So much so that Emma, his own daughter, has published this letter on social media on behalf of her dad. And honestly, how disappointing. As Emma is not just Chad's daughter, but also Tammy's daughter.

And she took Zumba with her mother, and she worked out with her mother weekly. And she also worked beside her mother in a local elementary school along with the women who testified on the stand that Tammy was a pitcher of health. And Emma is posting this narrative for her dad, allegedly. And it just makes me sad. And the public reaction under this post, quote, your wife experienced the normal symptoms of menopause. And instead of standing by her, you replaced her and then killed.

her, end quote. Another, Tammy seems like a wonderful human. I'm looking forward to hearing about your current wife. By all accounts, Lori brought out the worst in you, end quote. So readers of this letter are not mistaking nostalgia for evidence. At my bank, I was literally getting pennies using wealthfronts. Chiching. Meet Angela, a wealthfront cash account client since 2023. I lost my job, not having something else lined up yet. I was pregnant with my second. We had to think about. We had to think How do we make our money work for us? Every month, there's this much that I'm getting an interest, and I didn't have to do anything. My money is working hard on its own, and I can trust Welfront is taking care of me.

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eligibility requirements may apply to certain checking features of the cash account. And now let's take a look at letter number four. Letter number four is Chad Daybell's mission store. Yeah, this is everything Chad Daybell's been dying to let us know from behind bars. Let's talk about his mission in 1987. And he explains that he went to New Jersey and he was timid and he overwhelmed. He said he waved to people and got apples and bottles thrown at him. A gang blocked the sidewalk and he prayed for protection. He goes on to say, quote, Elder Hansen stuck his index finger in my chest,

pushed me against the wall and said, don't start having doubts, man. You know this is the true church. and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Are you going to let a bunch of losers on the street corner change your mind? I thought you were bigger than that, end quote. And so my thoughts on this, in my opinion, Chad Davel is using this story to establish spiritual authority. Surprise, what else is new?

He is showing us exactly who he is and what he's been always attempting to portray. The spiritual guru he is, It's not just missionary nostalgia here. It is his credentials that he's trying to point out. He's saying, I had divine confirmation. And that becomes the lens that he wants you to use when interpreting everything else, especially in 2019 when the murders occur. Letter number four continues with Chad's excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints. Chad Daybill says that he learned he was excommunicated from the LD. faith through the mail. He was never allowed to testify, never allowed to speak. He claims doctrine and covenants, which is LDS, which is LDSS scripture, says that the accused must be heard, and that did not happen. Then he says, quote, so for these reasons, I still consider myself an active member of the LDS Church. My excommunication process didn't follow scriptural guidelines. No effort was made to verify I had received the notification letters. At the very least, I deserved a chance to talk to church leaders in person and answer any accusations and misconduct.

I have never felt a decrease in my priested power or a loss of the influence of the Holy Ghost. I've actually felt an increase in those areas, which has been a great comfort and blessing as I deal with my current circumstances. I fully support the first presidency and quorum of the 12. I am working out my salvation through Christ. Chad DeVal. So this is a second pillar of his narrative persecution. He is casting himself as wronged by both the state and now his church. The function is to recast himself as faithful, even holy, rather than convicted, and he continues to paint himself not just as innocent, but as a victim wrongly accused, holier than thou, holier than his leaders, right, while church leaders are wrong. And a man who can still be

trusted to be a spiritual leader because of the priested power and Holy Ghost, which have only increased behind bars. It actually sounds like the Chad Dable we've all gotten to know over the past six years. Same old story, nothing new here. And the replies on X, quote, what evidence you're on death row, buddy, and another hogwash? The public is not persuaded, clearly. They are demanding facts. Always demand facts and no facts we have seen in any of these four letters thus far. But then we get to the next letter, the events of 2019. Okay, I'm looking at this one. I'm into this one. Chad starts by saying, quote, I'm eager to explain the events of 2019. I'm here to listen, Chad. But it's important, very important, that I first build a solid foundation of facts. You got my attention, Chad.

these facts and my religious beliefs are properly explained, the events of 2019 will finally make sense. Okay, here we go. End quote. So, all right. This is new. Facts. Let's hear them. I've been waiting for six years and five letters to get to this. So let's get into it. And this is where he continues. Quote, during my court trial, I was bothered at how simple, well-known beliefs were twisted by the state into sinister, frightening ideas of the state repurposed claiming these ideas were the catalyst for terrible crimes that I did not commit. Time after time, it was the state who defined what my religious beliefs are, not the witness on the stand. As I read through the trial transcript, it is even more obvious on paper. The state repeatedly made inaccurate statements in the

form of questions and the witnesses would get into a rhythm of saying yes or correct many times in a row without hesitation. The result was a distortion of my beliefs and I think an incomplete picture or half story of what the witnesses actually heard or saw. And unfortunately, my lawyer failed to fill in those blanks on cross-examination. So I feel it as best to begin by sharing with you my near-death experiences, which have had a very significant impact on my life. There have been four, four times in my life when I've actually died and my spirit has gone into another realm before returning to my body, end quote. So first off, he's now doubled his near-death experiences. This is a thing with this group.

He originally had two last I heard, but now he's had four. But his big fact, that he's, this is his big fact. This is his big reveal that explains everything in 2019, that he has had four near-death experiences. So in other words, he's actually not telling us any facts at all. What he is really saying is, before I tell you about 2000. 19, you must understand my near-death experiences. Or in other words, adopt my cosmology, then reread the death, aka murders, through it. It's a frame shift technique and it's maddening. The letter then continues four pages more, describing his near-death experiences. I've read

him in his book, been there, done that. And then he explains the increase in his spiritual gifts. Nowhere in this letter does it even go into. to the events of 2019 and nowhere does it get into any facts. But most importantly, notice, nowhere in these five letters does he directly discuss JJ and Tiley. He says he shares grief, our grief over their death, but he doesn't explain why their bodies were found buried on his property. He doesn't engage with Lori's recorded statements or with the prosecution's evidence about their so-called zombie beliefs, nowhere does he discuss his affair

or his light or dark scale about dehumanization, the silence is louder than any word he writes. Some comments are directed at Chad's daughter, Emma, though, as well, because she, according to the son, is the one writing or not writing, but posting these letters for her father. So here's one directed towards Emma. Emma, you've been deceived by your own father.

Watch the trials. Look at actions, not words. And then another. Is this his daughter writing this? Your dad is a murderer. And another. Children are not zombies. If someone sees evil and children, it's because they are the evil ones.

End quote. As a journalist, I see two things at once. Grief, stricken anger from the public, understandably. and a daughter clinging to a parent's story because the alternative is unbearable. So here, in my opinion, are the most revealing passages from these first five letters. He says he's going to write more, unfortunately, but these first five letters that he has written, allegedly posted by his daughter Emma, these are what I think are the most significant in these passages, A, that he has never caused anyone's death and never conspired to commit such acts.

The next one, Tammy fainted multiple times. She resisted doctors. She vomited the night before she died. Then Chad and Tammy go to sleep. And when Chad wakes, she's gone. Another one where Chad explains that he's been excommunicated for apostasy, but still considers himself an active member, that he's never felt a decrease in his priested power. And then another, there have been four times in his life when he's actually died and he saw an endless white plain pellets of light rush towards Chad.

It felt like home. And he explains that once these facts are explained, the events of 2019 will finally make sense. So taken together, these passages show the architecture of his defense. denial, alternative causes of death, at least for Tammy, a persecuted faith, mystical authority. It sounds to me like the Chad Daybell, we all know. Because despite Chad Daybell's version that we all see him as gentle and quiet, that's not what we actually see. And despite him telling us in his first letter that he isn't a cult member, he's showing us here that he's actually more than a cult leader. not a cult member but a cult leader proof that even potatoes can be cult leaders and that six years later

he stands by his delusional victimhood spiritual leadership and bizarre mythology well highly ryan j j j vallow tammy dabel their names do not belong in anyone's mythology they belong to them and every time chad dabel writes another letter our work is to hold those names at the center whether chad likes it or not. And remember, when people tell you stories, look for evidence, not narratives. Because he can reframe Tammy's death as medical decline, but evidence shows us it's homicide. Near-death experiences, they aren't credentials and never will be. Violence about JJ and Tiley is deafening and avoiding their lives and death doesn't lessen the evidence or make us forget that they were buried in your yard, Chad. So really, who cares?

about your mission in New Jersey or spiritual greatness, nothing will ever make us forget your fire pit or the pet cemetery, the duct tape, the barn, the tools, the mistress, and your own words and beliefs, nothing. This is hidden true crime. Thank you for listening and for remembering Tiley, J.J. and Tammy, first and foremost, no matter what Chad Dable says from his cement cell on death row, this is about the victims and always has.

been. And I am looking forward to my co-host's thoughts on these letters as well. And I hope that we can unpack those soon again with criminal psychologist, Dr. John Matthias next. So hit subscribe, hit notifications, and we'll continue bringing you the very latest in these unimaginable crimes that we cover. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow. your business. From designing a website to marketing to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz, and all birds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea

into... Sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. At my bank, I was literally getting pennies using wallfront. Cheching, there's this much that I'm getting an interest and I didn't have to do anything. clients like Angela earn up to 4.2% APY on their cash with the Wealthfront cash account. Get started at Wealthfront.com. Client was paid $1,000 for their testimonial, creating a conflict of interest. Outcomes vary. 3.3%. Base APIE as of January 30th, 2026, is representative variable and earned on funds swept to program banks. 0.65% new client boost for three months on up to $150,000. Direct deposit $1,000 a month and fund an investing account for a 0.25% increase.

Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA, SIPC, not a bank.