LISTEN: Chad Daybell called funeral home hours after Charles Vallow was killed, police reports show
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The following story was originally posted Oct. 15. EastIdahoNews.com obtained an audio recording of the phone call on Oct. 19. Listen in the video player above.
CHANDLER, Arizona — Chad Daybell called an Arizona funeral home the day Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori Vallow Daybell’s brother, according to newly released police documents. He spelled his name as Chad “Dabal” and asked how much a cremation would cost.
A transcript of the phone call to Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery was included in a Chandler police report. The call was made just before 8 p.m. on July 11, 2019. Vallow would have been shot and killed about 12 hours earlier, according to documents.
“Um, we just had a death in the family and, we really don’t want anything but a cremation and then to send the cremains to a family in Louisiana,” Daybell asks the funeral home employee in the recorded call. “Just a simple no, nothing other than the cremation and sending him to his family for a service in Louisiana. So, is, is there any way to know a ballpark price on that.”
Daybell claimed to be from Iowa and said his uncle “John Dabal” had died at the hospital. He said the body would be taken to the medical examiner and explained he wanted the body cremated in Chandler before shipping the cremains to New Orleans.
“And we’ll deal with the service later (giggles),” the transcript of the call reads. “So just trying to get a ballpark price.”
The funeral home gave Daybell a quote for around $2,000, which included shipping of the remains. Daybell said he would call other funeral homes for estimates and the call ended.
The day after Vallow was shot and killed, Lori Vallow sent a text to his two sons who lived in another state.
“Hi boys. I have very sad news. Your dad passed away yesterday. I’m working on making arrangements and I’ll keep you informed with what’s going on. I’m still not sure how to handle things. Just want you to know that I love you and so did your dad,” Lori said in the text shared with EastIdahoNews.com.
READ: The text messages Lori Daybell sent Charles Vallow’s sons after he died
Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery ended up handling arrangements for Vallow’s remains, according to his obituary. His body was reportedly cremated and funeral staff told detectives they only dealt with Lori for arrangements.
Lori’s brother Alex Cox told investigators he shot and killed Vallow in self-defense but a grand jury indicted Lori in June for felony conspiracy to commit murder. Cox could not face charges since he died in December 2019.
Arizona detectives recommended that Daybell be charged in connection to Vallow’s death but prosecutors declined saying there is “no reasonable likelihood of conviction.” Court records show there is “no obvious communication” between Daybell and Lori to indicate he was directly involved in the planning of Charles’ shooting.
While authorities declined to charge Daybell in the Vallow shooting case, he and Lori face a lengthy list of charges in Idaho. Both were indicted by a Fremont County grand jury in May on charges including first-degree murder for the deaths of Tammy Daybell, Chad’s previous wife, and Lori’s two kids, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. The couple is also facing charges concerning the destruction, alteration and concealment of the children’s bodies.
There is no date yet scheduled for Daybell’s trial and Lori’s case remains on hold after a judge committed her to a mental health facility.
Here is a transcript of the call Daybell made the funeral home:
