The Washington mother of three young girls who police say were murdered by their father during a visitation spoke out for the first time in front of thousands of supporters this week.
“After my divorce, there were a lot of feelings flowing through my house — especially with three small, tiny women,” Whitney Decker told CNN. “We discovered the ‘three feelings’ after the girls spent time with some incredible therapists. Paityn always had more than three.
Evelyn would express her feelings one on one. Olivia was still figuring out how to express her emotions, but she was always happy.
The bodies of the girls, Olivia, 5, Evelyn, 8, and Paityn, 9, were discovered June 2. Police began looking for the girls after they failed to return home with their father, Travis Decker, 32, from a visitation on May 30.
According to police, the girls were asphyxiated. The girls were discovered near the Rock Island Campground, and since then, a massive manhunt has been launched to locate Decker, a US Army veteran with survival skills.
The murders shocked Wenatchee residents. The community lowered flags to half-mast and held a town hall meeting to help parents talk to their children about death, grief, and loss.
A GoFundMe page created to support Whitney Decker raised more than $1.2 million. A memorial event for the girls was announced via GoFundMe on June 20: “This memorial provides a meaningful space for our community to express its grief, love, and support. We respectfully request that all attendees be present with care and compassion as we cherish the lives and memories of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia.”
At the event, Decker spoke to the community for the first time about her daughters’ deaths.
“You all look beautiful, and I know Evelyn would have loved to ooh and ah over all your outfits,” Decker told me. “Paityn would have given each and every one of you a compliment,” she said, adding that the 9-year-old would frequently tell her, ‘You look beautiful, Mom,’ even when they were grocery shopping.
She thanked the community for their outpouring of love and support, and she expressed gratitude for the time she spent with her daughters.
“I sincerely hope that the girls’ lives leave an indelible mark on everyone’s hearts. “They were incredible,” she stated.
