Why wasn’t an Amber Alert issued? Attorney calls system ‘broken’ after Wenatchee murders
Jun 9, 2025, 10:19 AM | Updated: 10:20 am
Two varying photos of Travis Decker, the man accused of kidnapping and killing his three young daughters near Leavenworth, Washington. (Photos courtesy of Wenatchee Police Department, KIRO 7)
(Photos courtesy of Wenatchee Police Department, KIRO 7)
As the manhunt for Travis Decker, the man accused of kidnapping and killing his three young daughters near Leavenworth, stretches into Day 10, the girls’ mother’s attorney stated an Amber Alert should have been issued by Washington State Patrol (WSP), and that the way the Amber Alert system currently operates is broken.
“Yes, the Amber Alert system is broken,” Arianna Cozart, the attorney for Whitney Decker, the girls’ mother, said, according to KOMO News. “It needs to be fixed. We’re working on that.”
When Decker failed to return his daughters to their mother on May 30, police were notified, but no Amber Alert was issued. Instead, WSP issued an Endangered Missing Persons Alert, canceling it approximately 12 hours before the public was notified that the girls’ remains were found. The bodies of the three sisters were found around 100 yards away down an embankment in a campground near Leavenworth.
According to investigators who responded to the scene, several zip ties and plastic bags were found scattered throughout the area. The children are believed to have died from suffocation.
WSP stated that the case of the Wenatchee girls did not meet Amber Alert requirements, as Travis Decker had no history of violence with his daughters and no evidence of abduction was found when they were reported missing.
“We all wish we could go back in time, but we can’t,” WSP stated, according to KOMO News. “We have a system, we have thresholds set, they’re through 50 states, it’s a success, but in this case, whatever alert we had did not work.”
Difference between Amber Alert and Endangered Missing Persons Alert
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An Amber alert is only used for those under the age of 18 who are feared to have been abducted. WSP uses this alert when the agency believes a child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death. An Endangered Missing Persons Alert is much broader in its scope, used for adults who have gone missing or are feared to have been abducted. These alerts can still be used for children, including children who may be in danger because of a custody dispute, or children who become lost and may have a disability that puts them in danger.
The biggest difference between the two alerts is that an Amber Alert issues automatic push notifications to people’s phones, whereas an Endangered Missing Persons Alert does not.
“With the training and skill that he has and used…that should be an automatic Amber Alert,” Cozart said, according to KOMO News.
Latest on Decker manhunt
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office reopened the Icicle Creek area near Leavenworth Sunday, according to a post from the sheriff’s office, after it had previously been closed to the public. It was allegedly the last known location of Travis Decker.
The U.S. Forest Service also announced that overnight permits for the Enchantment area will resume on Monday, according to KIRO 7.
Roadblocks throughout Chelan County have also begun to be lifted, as the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office stated that there is no longer a credible threat in certain areas.
Law enforcement officials are urging anyone returning to the outdoors in Chelan County to stay alert. If anyone sees Decker, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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