Samantha Gwilliam: Tammy Daybell's sister testifies to Chad's 'weird' behavior before alleged murder
MADISON COUNTY, IDAHO: Tammy Daybell's sister recalled Chad Daybell's "weird" behavior in the months leading up to his wife's death. At Lori Vallow's murder trial on Thursday, April 27, Samantha Gwilliam testified how her sister and Daybell "seemed very awkward" in June and July of 2019. By this time, Daybell was having an affair with Vallow.
Vallow, 49, and Daybell, 54, are currently facing charges for the murder of Tammy in October 2019, just a month after they allegedly killed and buried Vallow's two children, JJ, 7, and Tylee,16, in Rexburg, Idaho. The couple proceeded to get married in Hawaii a mere two weeks after Tammy's death.
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'Something seemed off'
During the trial, Gwilliam testified that she noticed strange behavior from Daybell and a sense that something was "off" in their relationship in June and July 2019. Gwilliam became emotional when shown photos of her sister, who was suffocated in a similar manner to Vallow's adopted son, JJ. Tammy's death was initially ruled as natural causes but was later investigated again after Vallow's children were reported missing.
Gwilliam testified in court that Daybell and Tammy visited her and her husband in Springville, Utah. "Something seemed off, they were very awkward at our house, and Chad wouldn't converse with my husband like they normally did," Gwilliam told jurors. "It seemed really strange and we didn't know what was going on."
Gwilliam also recounted another strange incident in which Tammy arrived at her house in July with a birthday gift for her. But Daybell "stayed in the car the whole time with it running - so she just stood in my house for five minutes." "He didn't even bother to come in and say anything it was really weird," she added. According to Gwilliam's testimony, Daybell had called her on the morning of Tammy's death.
Tammy Daybell was all set to celebrate her 50th birthday
"He told me that she had been really sick and that she'd been coughing all night and she had gotten up with a coughing fit around midnight," Gwilliam said. Daybell informed her that Tammy went back to sleep, and later he was woken up by her lifeless body falling off the bed. Gwilliam became emotional as she told the court that Tammy was in good health and that they had planned a celebration for her upcoming 50th birthday. She considered Tammy a close friend, and they spoke every day.
Before Daybell relocated his family to Rexburg, the sisters, along with their three brothers, lived just two blocks from each other and would see each other regularly. "We talked everyday and saw each other everyday and we did everything together with our children," Gwilliam told the court.
The testimony given by Gwilliam was interrupted on Thursday and will resume on Friday morning. The court proceedings for Vallow's murder trial began on April 10, and the prosecution is anticipated to conclude its presentation of evidence later this week. Daybell's trial is being conducted separately.