The children of “doomsday” dad Chad Daybell insist their father is innocent — and was “framed” by his new wife, Lori Vallow, in the deaths of his two stepchildren.
“I think he was fooled in the worst and most deadly way possible,” his daughter, Emma Murray told CBS’ “48 Hours.”
“None of this would have ever happened if Lori Vallow hadn’t come into his life.”
Daybell, 53, is facing charges for allegedly murdering 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and burying their mutilated remains in a pet cemetery at his Idaho backyard with the help of their mother, and his wife, Vallow.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019.
Speaking for the first time, Daybell’s five adult children — Emma Murray, Garth Daybell, Seth Daybell, Leah Murphy and Mark Daybell — all insisted their father is innocent.
“It’s just not possible,” Mark told “48 Hours.”
“Anyone who says that my dad could kill a person doesn’t know my dad.”
The siblings believe that as a former gravedigger, their father would not have made the mistake of burying the bodies in a shallow grave so close to the home.
“He knew how to dig graves and that just doesn’t sound believable to me,” Seth said.
Instead, Daybell’s children believe he was framed by Vallow and her late brother, Alex Cox — who shot and killed his sister’s ex-husband, Charles Vallow, during a confrontation in July 2019, in what he claimed was self-defense.
Cox died of natural causes in December 2019 at 51.
“He was framed. This is his property. If there’s bodies buried here, it would be attributed to him,” Murray said.
“I think it’s pretty clear it was Lori and Alex… Alex came and left for periods of time… We don’t know what exactly he was doing,” she added.
Meanwhile, in another bizarre twist, Daybell was also hit with charges in the death of his first wife, and mother to his five children, in May.
Tammy Daybell, who died in October 2019, was previously said to have passed away in her sleep.
It is another charge his children insist their father is innocent of.
“No,” the siblings answered in unison when asked by “48 Hours” if they believed Daybell killed their mother.
Daybell and Vallow are reportedly members of the doomsday cult, Preparing a People, and allegedly drew on their zealous beliefs to justify their kids’ deaths, prosecutors have alleged.
The couple were indicted on murder charges and both face the death penalty if convicted.
Chad Daybell’s trial is scheduled to start in November 2021.
