Why wasn’t an Amber Alert issued? 3 missing Wenatchee, WA girls found dead
AMBER Alert never issued for sisters found dead
Three young girls from Wenatchee were found dead days after going missing, leading to questions about why an Amber Alert wasn't issued.
WENATCHEE, Wash. - Three young girls from Wenatchee went missing Friday night. By Monday, they were declared dead. Now, serious questions are being raised about why an Amber Alert was never issued — despite local police trying twice to get one activated.
What we know:
According to the Wenatchee Police Department, officers were first contacted on Friday, May 30 at 9:45 p.m. The girls' mother reported her daughters — ages 9, 8, and 5 — had not been returned after a scheduled visitation with their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker of the Wenatchee area.
Officers began working immediately to locate the girls. They had a description of Decker’s truck — including the make, model, and license plates — and checked all motels in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee without success. Investigators also had information that Decker’s GMC Sierra pickup was seen traveling westbound on Highway 2 that night.
That same evening, Wenatchee Police claim local law enforcement contacted the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and requested an Amber Alert. The request was denied.
Amber Alert criteria
1. The child is under eighteen (18) years of age, is known to be abducted, and is not a runaway or thrown away from home.
2. The abducted child is believed to be in danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury.
3. There must be enough descriptive information available to believe that an AMBER Alert activation will assist in the recovery of the child. Must include as much of the following information as possible:
- Where the abduction took place
- A specific physical description of the child [can include clothing worn when last seen; height; weight; age; hair and eye color; hair length; any additional distinguishing physical characteristics]
- A physical description of the abductor [can include approximate height; weight; hair color/length; eye/skin color; clothing; any distinguishing physical characteristics]
- Place last seen
- Description of the vehicle [color, make, model, license number, approximate year (older, newer)
4. The incident must be reported to and investigated by a law enforcement agency and the child, suspect and vehicle information entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) if there is sufficient information available.
"All elements 1 through 4 should be satisfied, after considering all the facts and circumstances of the incident, for the incident to qualify as an AMBER Alert," according to an AMBER Alert flier in Washington.
What they're saying:
According to WSP, the case did not meet the required criteria — specifically, that there was no belief at the time that the children were in "imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury."
The next day, Wenatchee detectives contacted WSP again, this time with additional information. An Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA) was issued — but not an Amber Alert.
An EMPA is a step below an Amber Alert. According to WSP, it is distributed via email, posted to Department of Transportation signage, and shared on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). However, it does not trigger emergency broadcast interruptions or phone alerts like an Amber Alert does. WSP told FOX 13 that the missing element in the Amber Alert criteria was the immediate threat to the children’s lives.
Authorities are actively searching for the girls' father, Travis Decker, 32, who is wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. (Wenatchee Police Department)
Washington’s Amber Alert system is managed by WSP, which uses the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to broadcast alerts. A local law enforcement agency — in this case, Wenatchee Police — must initiate the alert and provide the necessary information. WSP is then responsible for notifying the state’s Emergency Management Division, which disseminates the alert to the public and media.
Questions remain about how decisions were made in the critical early hours of the case. The Washington State Amber Alert Coordinator and Washington State Patrol leadership have been contacted for comment.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Patrol, Wenatchee Police Department and FOX 13 Seattle original reporting.
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