The adult children of an Idaho man facing murder charges say that their mother’s death was initially listed as natural causes, but investigators told them she was asphyxiated.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, during an interview with “48 Hours,” Chad’s five adult children said they are skeptical that their father killed their mother, Tammy Daybell. They are also skeptical that he killed his current wife’s two kids and buried their bodies on his property.

The two children of Lori Vallow Daybell, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow, vanished in September 2019. Chad’s former wife, Tammy, died in October 2019, shortly after the children disappeared, and Chad and Lori married just weeks afterward.

The children’s bodies were found in shallow graves on Chad’s property near Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020. At the time, their mother was in custody on charges of obstruction of justice and deserting her kids.

Prosecutors charged Chad and Lori with murdering Tylee and JJ. Lori was found incompetent to stand trial and is receiving mental health treatment, but Chad has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a jury trial.

Speaking about his mother, Garth Daybell recalled hearing a thump, then running to Tammy, who was unresponsive.

“My room was down the hall. And I heard a thump,” Garth Daybell said. “And heard my dad yell, ‘Garth, Garth, come quick,’ with the most panic I’d ever heard in his voice.”

“My dad was just pacing back and forth,” Garth recalled. “Just saying, ‘Why? How could this happen?'”

Garth Daybell added that his mother was already deceased when he called 911.

The children said they were told that their mother’s death was due to natural causes; they weren’t surprised since Tammy’s health had been deteriorating.

However, the family said after 2019, when they reopened the investigation into Tammy’s death, authorities told him that their mother was asphyxiated. Chad Daybell is now facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with Tammy’s death.

“Asphyxiation doesn’t necessarily mean smothered,” Chad Daybell’s son, Mark Daybell, said.

“According to my understanding, it just means the breath was interrupted. And in the end, she wasn’t able to breathe. And according to that, there’s more facts we need. We don’t just say, ‘Oh, well, bye, Chad.’ No there’s still love, there’s still a connection.”

Chad’s trial is scheduled for November.

Click here to read more CrimeOnline coverage on “Cult Mom” Lori Vallow

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[Feature Photo: Chad and Tammy Daybell/Facebook]