Child Murders in Wenatchee Will Spur a Review of Amber Alert Notifications

In the initial search for three young sisters from Wenatchee who were later found murdered, the statewide Amber Alert was not triggered when it is possible the girls may have still been in the area and still alive.

The bodies of Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker were discovered 3 days later in a campground outside Leavenworth

The Wenatchee Valley has raised questions as to why the Amber Alert system wasn't activated.

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The Washington State Patrol's Communications Director Chris Loftus says the murders are a "tragedy beyond all tragedies" and  protocols used to trigger an Amber Alert will be reviewed and the agency will consider the facts that were presented to consider if changes should be made.

"It's not something that anyone saw coming.  I can tell you whether it's your local police in Wenatchee, the Chelan County Sheriff, Homeland Security who assisted or the Washington State Patrol, when there is a child in danger we move heaven and earth.  In this case there was a miscalculation in the danger the children were in."

 

Loftus has explained only three of the five criteria to initiate an Amber Alert were known to law enforcement on May 30th,  when the father of the girls,  32 year old Travis Decker was overdue returning them to their mother after a scheduled visitation.

Amber Alerts are triggered when the missing child is under 17 years of age and the subject of an active investigation. There must be credible descriptions available of the missing youngster, such as clothing, pictures and a suspected vehicle they may be traveling in.  Two other elements require evidence of an abduction and there must be a belief the missing child will be harmed.

"And in this case law enforcement looking at it did not think this person was going to or motivated to harm the children.  Now obviously that turned out to be in error and there is a tragedy here"

In the case of the Decker children, an Endangered Missing Person Advisory was issued instead of the Amber Alert, since all five guidelines were not known to law enforcement.