The Zombie Murders - "WHEN THE DEAD SPEAK: Bodies Break the Perfect Murder Plot"

Reid Carter concludes the shocking Vallow-Daybell saga with justice delivered from beyond the grave. June 9th, 2020: investigators discover JJ and Tylee's horrific remains on Chad's property - Tylee dismembered and burned, seven-year-old JJ suffocated and wrapped in plastic. The bodies provide devastating evidence destroying Chad and Lori's claims of divine mission. Lori receives life sentences in 2023, Chad gets death penalty in 2024. Recent Arizona convictions ensure Lori dies in prison. Reid examines how ordinary people become family annihilators through narcissism, greed, and religious delusion. Sometimes the most powerful testimony comes from victims who refuse to stay buried and silent.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Caalarogus Shark Media. Good morning, I'm read Carter, and welcome
to the final episode of our Valor day Bell series
on celebrity trials. For nine months, Chad day Bell and
Lauri Valo believed they had committed the perfect crimes. They
had murdered five people, buried two children, and convinced themselves

(00:26):
they would never face consequences for their actions. They were wrong.
Today were exploring how the dead spoke from their graves
to destroy their killer's delusions and bring justice to two
families torn apart by evil disguised as divine mission. What
happened on June ninth, twenty twenty changed everything. It was

(00:48):
the day investigators finally found JJ and Tyley's bodies, the
day physical evidence replaced speculation, and the day Chad and
Laurie's lies collapsed under the weight of horrific truth. But
this story isn't just about discovery and justice. It's about
what happens when the victims refuse to stay buried and silent.
Because sometimes the most powerful testimony doesn't come from witnesses

(01:12):
or experts. Sometimes it comes from the dead themselves, speaking
through evidence that no amount of spiritual delusion can explain away.
The search for JJ and Tyley Vallo had captured national
attention for months. True crime podcasters analyzed every development, Amateur
investigators scoured social media for clues, Concerned citizens organized search

(01:35):
parties and distributed missing persons flyers. But while the public
focused on finding living children, investigators had already shifted to
a much darker mission, recovering bodies. By spring twenty twenty,
authorities were convinced that JJ and Tyleye were dead. The
timeline of their disappearance, combined with Chad and Laurie's behavior

(01:57):
and financial motives, painted a clear picture of family annihilation.
The question wasn't whether the children had been murdered, It
was where their bodies were hidden and what evidence they
might provide. Phone records became the key to solving that puzzle.
Investigators had discovered that Chad's phone had pinged at specific
locations on his Fremont County property on the exact dates

(02:20):
when JJ and Tyley disappeared. The electronic trail led directly
to Chad's backyard, where ground penetrating radar detected suspicious soil disturbances.
June ninth, twenty twenty, Armed with search warrants and cadaver dogs,
investigators descended on Chad day Bell's property in Salem, Idaho.

(02:41):
Chad watched from his house as law enforcement began systematically
searching his land, but he still believed his secrets were safe.
After all, he had buried the bodies months earlier, and
decomposition should have eliminated much of the physical evidence. Chad
day Bell was about to learn that the dead don't
always cooperate with their killer's plans. The first discovery came

(03:04):
around nine thirty that morning. Cadaver dogs alerted to an
area near Chad's fire pit, where investigators found human remains
that had been partially burned. Dental records would later confirm
these were the remains of sixteen year old Tylee Ryan,
but the condition of Tilee's body told a story more
horrific than anyone had imagined. The teenager hadn't just been killed,

(03:28):
She had been dismembered and burned in an attempt to
destroy all evidence of her existence. Someone had taken extraordinary
measures to erase Tiley Ryan from the world, using tools
and techniques that suggested both planning and rage. The discovery
of Tiley's remains was devastating enough, but investigators weren't finished.

(03:49):
Cadaver dogs led them to a second location on the property,
where they found something that would haunt even experienced law
enforcement officers for years to come. Buried in a shallow grave,
wrapped in multiple layers of plastic bags and duct tape,
was the body of seven year old JJ Valow. The
little boy's body was so carefully packaged that investigators initially

(04:10):
thought they had found evidence, not human remains, But when
they opened the packages, they discovered JJ's small body, preserved
in a way that told its own horrific story. JJ
had been suffocated. The plastic bags and duct tape that
covered his face made the cause of death unmistakable, But

(04:31):
what made the discovery even more chilling was the level
of planning. It revealed. Someone had carefully wrapped this child's
body for burial, taking time to ensure that decomposition would
be slowed and evidence preserved. Chad Dabell was arrested at
his home within hours of the body's discovery. As investigators
led him away in handcuffs. Neighbors reported that he showed

(04:53):
no emotion, no shock, no grief at the discovery of
two children's bodies on his property. He looked like a
man who had been expecting this moment for months. The
discovery of the bodies transformed the valodbl case from a
missing person's investigation into a death penalty murder case. Physical
evidence now supported every theory investigators had developed about the

(05:16):
couple's crimes. The timeline, the motives, the methods. Everything fell
into place with the discovery of JJ and Tyley's remains.
But the bodies provided more than just proof of murder.
They provided evidence of the systematic, calculated nature of Chad
and Laurie's crimes. The different methods used to dispose of

(05:36):
Tyley and JJ suggested that their murders had been planned separately,
carried out at different times, and covered up with careful
attention to detail. Most importantly, the condition of the bodies
proved that these weren't crimes of passion or sudden violence.
These were executions carried out by people who had convinced

(05:56):
themselves that murdering children was not just acceptable, but necessary
for their spiritual mission. Lauri Valo was already in custody
in Idaho, having been extradited from Hawaii on the original
charges of desertion and non support, but with the discovery
of the bodies, both she and Chad now faced first
degree murder charges that could result in the death penalty.

(06:18):
The evidence against them was overwhelming. Phone records placed both
suspects at the burial locations during the times of the murders.
Financial records showed they were benefiting from the victim's deaths.
Witness testimony revealed their beliefs about eliminating zombies and preparing
for the apocalypse, But perhaps most damning of all were
their own words. Text messages between Chad and Laurie discussing

(06:42):
death percentages and divine plans for the children's elimination. Recorded
conversations where they casually discussed rating people's spiritual darkness. Their
own communications had created a documentary record of their planning
and motivation. The trials that followed would captivate a Marriae
and reveal the full scope of Chad and Laurie's evil,

(07:03):
But even facing overwhelming evidence and potential execution, both defendants
maintained their innocence and their belief in their divine mission.
Laurie Valodabell's trial began in April twenty twenty three, nearly
three years after the discovery of her children's bodies. Prosecutors
presented a case that was both legally complex and emotionally devastating.

(07:27):
They had to prove not just that Laurie had murdered
JJ and Tyly, but that she had done so with
premeditation and specific intent. The evidence was overwhelming. Investigators had
recovered the children's DNA from tools in Chad's garage. They
had documented Laurie's lies about the children's whereabouts. They had
traced the financial benefits she continued to collect after their deaths.

(07:49):
But the most powerful evidence came from the victims themselves.
JJ's body, preserved by the plastic wrapping, provided clear evidence
of suffocation. Tyleye's de gental records recovered from the fire
pit proved her identity and the violent nature of her death.
In May twenty twenty three, after deliberating for just seven hours,

(08:11):
the jury found Laurie Valo da Bell guilty on all counts,
two counts of first degree murder for JJ and Tyly,
and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Tammy
day Bell. Judge Stephen Boyce sentenced her to multiple life
terms in prison without the possibility of parole. During the
sentencing hearing, victim impacts statements revealed the ongoing devastation caused

(08:35):
by Laurie's crimes. Kay Woodcock, JJ's grandmother spoke about the
daily pain of losing her grandson. Tammy Day Bell's sister
described how Chad and Laurie's actions had destroyed their family's
ability to trust and heal. But perhaps most telling was
Laurie's own statement to the court. Even facing life in prison,

(08:56):
she maintained her innocence and her belief that she had
been chosen by God for a special mission. She showed
no remorse for her actions and no acknowledgment of the
pain she had caused. Chad Dabell's trial followed in twenty
twenty four, and if anything, the evidence against him was
even stronger. As the alleged spiritual leader of their cult

(09:20):
of two, Chad was portrayed as the mastermind who had
convinced Laurie to murder her own children. Prosecutors argued that
Chad had used religious manipulation to convince Laurie that killing
was not just acceptable, but necessary. The jury heard evidence
about Chad's failed career as an author, his financial desperation,

(09:41):
and his use of apocalyptic beliefs to justify murder. They
learned about his systematic rating of family members and his
claims of divine revelation about who needed to die. Back
in a moment, welcome back to celebrity Trials, I'm Red

(10:05):
Carter and were concluding our series on the Valoda Bell
murders with the trials that brought justice for five victims.
Chad Dabell's trial in twenty twenty four revealed new details
about the couple's crimes and their twisted relationship. Unlike Laurie,
who had been spared the death penalty due to prosecutorial
discovery violations, Chad faced execution if convicted. The evidence against

(10:30):
Chad was devastating. Investigators had found the murder weapon, a pickaxe,
and shovel with Tyley's DNA in his garage. They had
documented his presence at the burial sites through phone records.
They had recorded his lies about Tammy's death and his
immediate attempts to collect insurance money. But Chad made a
crucial mistake during his trial. He chose not to present

(10:53):
any mitigating evidence during the penalty phase. When given the
opportunity to explain his actions or ask for Mr. Percy,
Chad remained silent. He seemed to believe that his divine
mission justified his crimes and that earthly courts had no
authority over him. The jury disagreed. In June twenty twenty four,

(11:14):
Chad Dabell was sentenced to death for the murders of
JJ Tyley and Tammy. Judge Stephen Boyce formally imposed the
death sentence, calling Chad's crimes especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel.
But the Valo da Bell story didn't end with the
Idaho convictions. Prosecutors in Arizona had been building their own
case against Lourie for the murder of Charles Valo and

(11:36):
the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreau, her niece's ex husband.
In twenty twenty five, Laurie faced two additional trials in Arizona,
representing herself as her own attorney. The evidence in these
cases was just as damning as what had been presented
in Idaho. Prosecutors showed that Laurie had conspired with her
brother Alex Cox to murder Charles and had planned Brandon's

(11:59):
assassination as well. In April twenty twenty five, Laurie was
convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in Charles Valow's death.
In June twenty twenty five, she was convicted of conspiracy
to commit murder in the attempted killing of Brandon Boudreaux.
These convictions ensured that, even if her Idaho sentences were

(12:20):
somehow overturned, Laurie would spend the rest of her life
in prison. The trials revealed the full scope of Chad
and Laurie's crimes. Five murders, two attempted murders, multiple insurance
fraud schemes, and the systematic destruction of two families. They
had used religious delusion to justify evil, convinced themselves that

(12:40):
murder was divine work, and shown no remorse even when
faced with overwhelming evidence of their guilt. But what does
the Valo debl case teach us about family annihilation in America?
How do ordinary people become capable of murdering their own
children and spouses. The answer lies in the dangerous combination
of narcissism, financial desperation, and religious extremism that drove Chad

(13:04):
and Laurie's crimes. They weren't mentally ill in the traditional sense.
They were selfish people who created a belief system that
justified eliminating anyone who inconvenienced them. Chad day Bell was
a failed author desperate for relevance and financial security. Laurie
Valo was a serial bride searching for meaning and validation. Together,

(13:25):
they created a twisted theology that made them the heroes
of their own apocalyptic story and everyone else expendable characters.
Their case shows how dangerous it is when people convince
themselves they're chosen by God for special missions. Once you
believe you're above human law and morality, once you decide
that other people aren't really human but spiritual obstacles, murder

(13:48):
becomes not just possible but righteous. The Valoda Bell murders
also reveal the importance of listening to family members who
raise concerns about abuse and strange behavior. Charles Valow went
to police months before his death, warning them about Laurie's
dangerous beliefs. The Woodcock family persistently demanded contact with JJ

(14:09):
when Laurie began making excuses. These weren't isolated concerns, they
were warning signs that could have prevented murders if taken
more seriously. Most importantly, this case shows that justice while
sometimes slow, is often inevitable. Chad and Laurie thought they
had committed perfect crimes, but their own arrogance and need

(14:30):
for validation led them to create the very evidence that
would convict them. Their text messages, their lies, their financial greed,
all of it came back to destroy their claims of innocence. Today,
Laurie Valoda Bell sits in an Idaho prison, serving multiple
life sentences with no possibility of parole. She continues to

(14:51):
maintain her innocence and her belief in her divine mission,
even as she faces the reality of dying behind bars.
Chad day Bell sits on dea row, awaiting execution for
his crimes. Like most death penalty cases, his appeals will
likely take years or even decades to resolve, but barring
successful appeals or commutation, Chad will eventually face the same

(15:13):
fate he imposed on his victims. The families they destroyed
continue to rebuild their lives around the holes left by
murdered loved ones. Kay and Larry Woodcock established a foundation
in JJ's memory to help other families dealing with missing children.
Tammy day Bell's family works to preserve her memory as
a loving mother and educator, not just as a murder victim,

(15:35):
and somewhere in shallow graves in Idaho, JJ and Tyley's
voices finally spoke loud enough to convict their killers. The
dead don't always stay silent, and sometimes their testimony is
the most powerful of all. This has been our five
part series on the Valo day Bell Doomsday murders. It's
a story about how love became obsession, religion became justification

(15:59):
for murder, and family bonds became death sentences. But it's
also a story about justice, persistence, and the truth that
emerges even from carefully buried lies. I'm read Carter with
celebrity trials. Remember that the most dangerous criminals aren't always
the ones who look evil. Sometimes they're the ones who
think they're saints. And the most important lesson from cases

(16:22):
like this isn't just how people become killers, but how
we can recognize the warning signs before it's too late
to save the innocent. Justice isn't always fast, but it's
always riveting, and sometimes it speaks through the voices of
the dead.