The Washington mother of three little 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 said. "Through the girls' time with some incredible therapists, we discovered the 'three feelings.' Paityn, of course, always had more than three. Evelyn would talk about her feelings one-on-one. Olivia was still working on how to describe her feelings — but she was always happy."
The bodies of the girls - Olivia, 5, Evelyn 8, and Paityn, 9 - were found June 2. Police began searching for the girls after they did not return with their father, Travis Decker, 32, on May 30 from a visitation.
Police have said the girls were asphyxiated. The girls were found near the Rock Island Campground, and since then a massive manhunt has been launched to find Decker, a U.S. Army veteran with survivalist skills.
The murders shocked the community of Wenatchee. The community lowered flags to half-mast and held a town hall meeting to provide guidance to parents about how to talk to their children about death, grief, and loss.
A GoFundMe set up to support Whitney Decker raised more than $1.2 million. Through the GoFundMe, a memorial event for the girl's was announced for June 20: "This memorial offers our community a meaningful space to come together in shared grief, love, and support. Out of deep respect for Whitney and her family, we ask all attendees to be present with care and compassion as we cherish the lives and memories of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia."
At the event, Decker addressed the community for the first time regarding the deaths of her daughters.
"You all look beautiful, and I know Evelyn would have loved to ooh and ah over all your outfits," Decker said. "Paityn would have given each and every one of you a compliment," adding that the 9-year-old would frequently tell her, 'You look beautiful, Mom,' even when they were out grocery shopping.
She thanked the community for their outpouring of love and support, and she said she was thankful for the time she had with her daughters.
"I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives on in everyone's heart forever. They were incredible," she said.
