Mother of slain sisters blames Amber Alert failure – “The system let my children down”

Three young sisters were found dead in a remote Washington forest, and now their grieving mother says it all could have been prevented—if only an Amber Alert had been issued.

The murder of Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia Decker (5) has shocked the nation. Their bodies were found near their father’s pickup truck in a remote area near Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington. Now, their mother, Whitney Decker, is speaking out through her attorney, saying authorities made a devastating mistake that may have cost her daughters their lives.

Their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker, is the main suspect and is now wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. But he hasn’t been caught—he’s still on the run.

Chilling details emerge

According to court documents, the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists tied with zip ties. Near Decker’s truck, police found more zip ties, plastic bags, and bloody handprints on the tailgate.

Decker had been living in his truck and staying at motels and campgrounds. Authorities say he took the girls during a scheduled visit but didn’t return them. Their mother called police when they hadn’t come home by 10 p.m., something she said had never happened before. She also warned police that Decker was struggling with mental health issues.

Whitney Decker, still too heartbroken to speak publicly, is pushing for answers. Her lawyer, Greg Joyce, said she believes the system failed her daughters. Decker, a former Army Ranger, had a history of severe mental illness likely connected to his military service. Despite trying to get help through veterans’ services, he was reportedly blocked by red tape and bureaucracy.

“She really feels that the system let her children down,” said Joyce. “It was the inadequacies in the services for our veterans that killed those children. That’s it.”

Why wasn’t an Amber Alert issued?

One of the biggest questions people are asking: why wasn’t an Amber Alert sent out?

Washington State Patrol declined to issue one, even though local police requested it. Officials said the case didn’t meet all five federal criteria, which include proof of an abduction and imminent danger. Instead, they sent out an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA), which doesn’t create push notifications to phones like Amber Alerts do.

“The difference between EMPA and AMBER, the AMBER has that push notification that we all get on our phones… The EMPA does not have that,” explained WSP spokesperson Chris Loftis.

That missing alert may have delayed critical action. Now, Whitney wants laws to change so future alerts aren’t held back by strict technicalities.

Where is Travis Decker?

As of now, Travis Decker remains missing. Authorities believe he may be hiding in the wilderness. Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said Decker had survival skills and may have prepared supplies in advance.

“He could have scoped out this area before, put supplies out there, and has the ability to survive for a long period,” Morrison told reporters.

As Whitney Decker mourns her unimaginable loss, she hopes her daughters’ deaths won’t be in vain. She wants reforms to the Amber Alert system and better mental health care for veterans. Her story is not just one of loss, but of a mother fighting to make sure no one else has to endure the same heartbreak.

“This shouldn’t have happened,” Joyce said. “It was preventable.”