MYNORTHWEST NEWS

‘They were so beautiful and so joyous,’ Wenatchee community remembers Decker sisters

Jun 4, 2025, 5:42 AM

wenatchee sisters...

9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker. (Photo courtesy of Xվ 7)

(Photo courtesy of Xվ 7)

The tragedy of three young girls who were found dead near a campsite in Leavenworth has Washington state residents in disbelief.

“I had seen over the weekend that this was going on and these girls were missing. And so when I got that notice from the school, who else could that be?” Maggie, a Wenatchee School District parent, said. “I hugged my daughter really hard today and just…yeah,” she continued.

Just hours after the news broke Tuesday, hundreds gathered at Memorial Park in Wenatchee to hold a vigil for 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker.



“I think that it speaks to the fact that these three little girls in their short time did so much in the community,” Ashley-Jo Pflueger, a family friend, told Xվ 7.

The vigil was put together by the group Music Theatre of Wenatchee. The Decker sisters were a part of the Short Shakespeare family. Ashley-Jo says she knew the girls for several years and that all of them were truly bright lights that lit up any stage they were on.

“They had life and love and they were so beautiful and so joyous,” Ashley-Jo said.

Although many will argue this will never make sense, those who attended Tuesday’s vigil say they are here for the Decker family.

“The community of Wenatchee is here for you. We love you. We support you. We want the best for you and we are incredibly sorry that this happened,” Maggie said.



 

MyNorthwest News

Seattle church shooting...

Jason Sutich

Shooting at Seattle Church near UW leaves one dead; suspect at large

A person was fatally shot at the Pursuit Seattle church near the University of Washington Campus on Thursday night, the Seattle Police Department confirmed.

39 minutes ago

Alaska Airlines Boeing flight attendants...

Jason Sutich

Boeing, Alaska Airlines face new lawsuits from crew aboard door plug blowout flight

Boeing is being sued by four flight attendants on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, who claim they suffered physical and psychological injuries, according to The Seattle Times.

1 hour ago

seafair seattle weekend events...

Paul Holden

Seattle area weekend events: Summer fun continues even as we hit August

There are a lot of Seattle weekend events. Wondering what to do? We've got you covered.

2 hours ago

blue angels...

Jake Skorheim and Spike O'Neill Show

Is Blue Angels protest going to stop festivities? — ‘Heck no!’ Jake Skorheim says

Jake and Spike talk about the Blue Angels ahead of Seafair weekend.

2 hours ago

tribal canoe journey tsunami...

Ranji Sinha, Xվ 7

Tribal canoe journey disrupted by tsunami advisory

A tribal canoe journey was impacted by the tsunami alerts this week.

2 hours ago

Photo: Two river otters. WDFW recently reported a child was involved in an animal attack when an ot...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

‘I think there’s some liability’: Xվ hosts debate who’s at fault for Bremerton otter attack

The mother of a young child who was violently attacked by a river otter at the Bremerton Marina last year has filed a lawsuit against the Port of Bremerton

13 hours ago

‘They were so beautiful and so joyous,’ Wenatchee community remembers Decker sisters