Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Tammy Daybell's siblings released a statement as Chad Daybell's murder trial started in Boise, Idaho.
Daybell's family members released the statement through the charity they started in her honor, the Tammy Douglas Daybell Foundation, which advocates for literacy programs in Utah and Idaho.
"While the trial brings its own set of challenges, our love for Tammy fuels our determination to make a positive, lasting impact in her name. Through our work together, we honor her memory and foster literacy in our community, something she worked her whole life to achieve," said Michael Douglas, Tammy Daybell's oldest sibling and the foundation's chief financial officer.
"Though we are dedicated to continuing Tammy's life work, we also carry the weight of profound grief as we navigate the challenges ahead. Today, as the trial begins, our hearts are heavy with the reminder of the woman we have lost," the statement, which was posted on the foundation's website and social media channels, continued.
Tammy and Chad Daybell grew up in Utah County. They married and raised their five children in Springville until 2015, when the family moved to Salem, Idaho.
With Chad Daybell a struggling writer, Tammy Daybell worked as a librarian at a local school and had a deep love for children's education and literacy. She also loved ducks, which her family included in her headstone and as the logo for their foundation.
Chad Daybell is accused of the first-degree murder of his first wife Tammy Daybell and the children of his second wife, Lori Vallow Daybell. He has pleaded not guilty. The remains of the children were found on his property on June 9, 2020. He also faces two charges of life insurance fraud connected to Tammy Daybell's death.
Prosecutors allege Chad Daybell planned and carried out the September 2019 murders of Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow and then the murder of Tammy Daybell on Oct. 19, 2019. Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow Daybell in Hawaii on Nov. 5, 2019.
Tammy Daybell's death was initially reported as being from natural causes, but her body was exhumed from the cemetery in Springville in December 2019. An autopsy report later revealed she died of asphyxiation.
If convicted, Chad Daybell could face the death penalty.
The Tammy Douglas Daybell Foundation was established on Oct. 19, 2020 — the first anniversary of her death.
Tammy Daybell's family members, except for her aunt Vicki Hoban, did not attend the first day of jury selection for Chad Daybell's trial. However, her sister, Samantha Gwilliam, is expected to testify in the coming weeks. Gwilliam testified in Lori Vallow Daybell's trial last year.
A jury found Lori Vallow Daybell guilty on all charges last April. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
KSL will have reporters in court throughout the entire trial and will stream Chad Daybell's trial live on KSL.com.
