If you’ve been following the "Doomsday Prophet" case, you probably felt a sense of finality on June 1, 2024. That was the day an Idaho jury decided Chad Daybell deserved to die for the murders of Tylee Ryan, J.J. Vallow, and Tammy Daybell. But if you’re asking when will Chad Daybell be executed, the answer isn't a date on a calendar. Honestly, it’s a decade-long "maybe."
The justice system moves slow. Like, glacially slow.
Right now, Daybell is sitting in a cell at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna. He spends his time writing letters to the outside world, maintaining his innocence, and working on appeals. While the headline said "Death Penalty," the reality in Idaho is that nobody gets executed quickly. In fact, Idaho hasn't successfully executed anyone since 2012.
The Long Wait: Why No Date Is Set
Don't expect an execution date for Chad Daybell anytime soon.
Under Idaho law, every death sentence triggers an automatic appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court. This isn't something Daybell can just "skip" to get it over with. It's a mandatory safeguard. While that's happening, the execution is stayed. Basically, everything hits the pause button.
To give you some perspective, the average stay on Idaho’s death row is about 27 years. Thomas Creech, another high-profile inmate, has been waiting for over 40 years. Daybell is the newest arrival on a very short list—only nine people are currently on death row in the state. He is at the very back of a very long line.
🔗 Read more: The Faces Leopard Eating Meme: Why People Still Love Watching Regret in Real Time
The Construction Delay
There’s another reason for the wait that sounds like something out of a weird movie. Idaho is currently renovating its execution chamber.
The state has had a nightmare of a time getting lethal injection drugs. Because of this, they passed a law making the firing squad the primary method of execution if drugs aren't available. But they didn't actually have a place to do it.
As of early 2026, the F-Block at the maximum-security prison is totally offline for construction. They’re retrofitting the room to handle a "mechanized" firing squad. Officials say they won't even be ready to consider an execution until at least July 2026, when the new law and the chamber are both fully ready to go.
The Appeals Process: A Legal Marathon
Daybell’s legal team isn't just sitting around. They have a massive mountain of paperwork to climb.
- State Supreme Court: This is the first stop. They look for trial errors.
- Post-Conviction Relief: This happens almost at the same time. It’s where lawyers argue about things like "ineffective counsel" or new evidence.
- Federal Courts: Once the state is done, the case goes to the U.S. District Court, then the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
- U.S. Supreme Court: The final "Hail Mary" move.
Every single one of these steps can take years. We are talking about thousands of pages of transcripts and dozens of hearings.
💡 You might also like: Whos Winning The Election Rn Polls: The January 2026 Reality Check
What Daybell is Doing Now
Surprisingly, Daybell has stayed somewhat vocal. Through his daughter, Emma Murray, he’s been releasing "Letters from Chad." He claims he’s "settled in" and is focusing on his upcoming appeals. He still sticks to his story that he’s innocent, despite the horrific evidence found in his own backyard.
His co-conspirator and wife, Lori Vallow Daybell, is currently fighting her own legal battles. While she was sentenced to life without parole in Idaho, she’s been busy with trials in Arizona for the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. Her appeals are also moving through the Idaho system, and the state is fighting back hard against her claims of "ineffective counsel."
Firing Squad or Lethal Injection?
When the time finally comes—if it ever does—how will it happen?
Idaho is one of only a few states authorizing the firing squad. But it won't be a line of men with rifles like in the old West. The plan involves a "mechanized version" with an electronic triggering system.
They had to go this route because pharmaceutical companies refuse to sell drugs for executions. Idaho tried to execute Thomas Creech via lethal injection in February 2024, but the medical team couldn't find a vein. They poked him eight times before giving up. It was a mess.
📖 Related: Who Has Trump Pardoned So Far: What Really Happened with the 47th President's List
That failure is why the firing squad is now the "go-to" plan.
What Happens Next for the Victims' Families?
For the families of Tylee, J.J., and Tammy, the "when" of the execution is often less important than the "why" of the delay. They’ve already spent years in courtrooms.
- Lori Vallow's Status: She’s serving multiple life sentences. Even if she wins an appeal on one case, she has others keeping her behind bars forever.
- The Property: The Fremont County home where the bodies were found has been a grim landmark, though its future remains tied to the dark history of this case.
- The Appeals Timeline: Expect the first major rulings on Daybell's state appeals to stretch through 2026 and 2027.
The reality of the death penalty in 2026 is that a "sentence" is often just a change of address to a more restrictive cell for the rest of an inmate's natural life.
If you want to stay updated on the legal filings, the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) website maintains a public roster of death row inmates and their current status. Following local Idaho journalists like those at East Idaho News is usually the best way to catch the minute-to-minute updates on hearing dates, as these rarely make national headlines until a major ruling drops.
For now, the best thing to do is keep an eye on the July 2026 deadline for the firing squad chamber completion. That's the next real "functional" hurdle the state has to clear before they can even think about setting a date for anyone.