Human remains found on Daybell property were missing children, family says

REXBURG, Idaho – Authorities announced two sets of unidentified human remains have been found on Chad Daybell’s Idaho property.

Idaho authorities said an autopsy is pending. During Daybell’s first court appearance Wednesday, prosecutor Rob Wood confirmed the bodies are those of children.

He noted that officials have not yet confirmed the identities of the bodies, but it’s believed the two are Daybell’s stepchildren, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan.

Kay Woodcock, JJ Vallow’s grandmother, and Colby Ryan, Tylee’s brother, said authorities told them the remains belonged to JJ and Tylee.

“We are filled with unfathomable sadness that these two bright stars were stolen from us, and only hope that they died without pain or suffering,” they said in a statement released Wednesday.

Daybell was arrested Tuesday after officials served a search warrant.

Neighbor Matt Price told KSL he noticed a change in Daybell’s character last fall, before seeing large bonfires in Daybell’s backyard.

“He normally is more outgoing, but he didn’t carry on a conversation with us or make eye contact,” he said. “We thought that was very odd behavior.”

Then this spring, Price said he noticed Daybell starting the fires in the same area.

“This year, they had two really big fires that we noticed, probably less than a month ago,” he said.

Price said what he felt were minor details helped detectives put the pieces together.

“They told me that it helped them get a warrant to go over there,” he said.

According to court documents, Daybell has been charged with two felony counts of evidence destruction, alteration or concealment.

The court documents allege Daybell “… did willfully destroy, alter and/or conceal human remains, and/or did aid and abet another to willfully destroy, alter and/or conceal human remains knowing that said human remains were about to be produced, used and/or discovered as evidence in felony proceeding, inquiry and/or investigation authorized by law, with the intent to prevent it from being so produced, used and/or discovered.”

Judge Faren Eddins set Daybell’s bail at $1 million.

Daybell’s wife, Lori Vallow, his also in custody in connection to the disappearance of Ryan and JJ Vallow. Lori Vallow’s bail is also set at $1 million.

The children were last seen in September 2019, but they weren’t reported missing until the following November.

Click here for KSL TV’s continuing coverage on Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell.