WENATCHEE, Wash. — It’s been one year since police say Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker were taken from their Wenatchee home and killed by their father.
Their bodies were found at the Rock Island Campground, 16 miles outside of Leavenworth. Their father’s remains were found less than a mile away from that site. Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison tells us he believes Decker died from hypothermia 24-48 hours after killing the girls.
The search for his remains lasted four months. Investigators say that was due to the treacherous nature of the mountainside.
On Thursday, KIRO 7 brought you brand new details on the intense four-month hunt for Travis Decker.
You can see that here: One year since Wenatchee father killed three daughters: New details in Travis Decker case revealed
It was a search that left its mark not just on the community, but also on the law enforcement departments conducting the search.
The officers we spoke with say the heaviness of this case is still felt by the Wenatchee community and first responders.
FBI Senior Supervisory Agent Peter Orth said the horrifying case immediately broke hearts across Wenatchee, the country, and beyond.
“They are the most innocent of victims. When you have three young girls, at the hands of their father, there’s a lot of emotions in that,” Orth said.
Wenatchee Police Chief Edgar Reinfeld said those emotions are still felt today. The gravity of the loss hard to comprehend for most.
“They are the future of our community, and they didn’t get to have that future that’s never going to go away; this community will never be the same because they were supposed to be the future moving on,” he said.
WPD Det. Sgt. Joe Eaton said the city pulls together when it matters most.
“That was definitely one of those moments when the community showed just how tight and close-knit it really is,” Eaton said.
So close-knit that the girl’s favorite colors, pink, green, and purple, still shine around town.
“When I drive in, I drop down, turn right, and there are two cars with the three-color hearts on them,” Reinfeld said.
A true testament of how heavy their deaths weigh, even for the investigators.
“These things never leave you; everybody involved with this case will carry every element of it until their death,” Reinfeld said.
“The case agent has pictures of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia up on his desk. It does stick with us; it was an intense experience,” Orth said.
Sheriff Morrison said that for some, asking for help was necessary.
“We’ve sent a couple of deputies out to get treatment for PTSD because of this case, and we are trying to figure out how to provide good services to take care of them both mentally and physically,” Morrison said.
Chief Reinfeld says he watches each officer closely to help those who are hurting.
“I have 50-odd teammates, and I worry about every one of them every day and what they experience, how they’re feeling about this, and their ability to stay committed to what we do,” Reinfeld said.
These agencies say officers have been dealing with PTSD for decades, but because of this case, they are now putting extra emphasis on mental health.
“We try now more than ever to have tools and resources in place to try to help process it and help the longevity of our careers and our mental health,” Morrison said.
None of the agencies say they have any regrets about how the case was handled, but they do wish it could have been prevented.
“I can’t think of anything that I’m disappointed in other than we didn’t bring it to closure sooner, that’s the only thing,” Orth said.
Now, one year later, the case is closed, but the memory of the girls will always remain.
“To Whitney and the family, my heart goes out to you. I’m 20-plus years in law enforcement, and this is the only case I’ve ever felt any kind of twinge in my heart. We will always remember Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia. They are in our prayers, they will be remembered by this community, and I’m sorry,” said Morrison.
Watch this story air live on KIRO 7 on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
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