In just two weeks, three families separated by thousands of miles have been left shattered by unimaginable violence and suspected murder-suicides, leaving both police and communities grappling for answers.
In Chelan County, Washington, Whitney Decker’s deepening concern turned into a nightmare on May 30, 2025. Her three daughters, who were supposed to return home after a planned visit with their father, Travis Decker, never made it back. As hours ticked by, calls to Travis went unanswered.
On June 2, that nightmare became reality. The bodies of 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 9-year-old Paityn Decker were discovered near Rock Island Campground, close to where Travis’ abandoned truck was found. Police revealed that the girls had been zip-tied and suffocated with plastic bags, with asphyxiation suspected as the cause of death.
Authorities have named Travis Decker, 32, as the primary suspect and have cautioned the public that he is likely armed and dangerous. He has military experience, no fixed address, and has been moving between his truck, campsites, and motels.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign launched to support Whitney Decker has seen an outpouring of support, raising over $330,000 of its $380,000 goal as of June 4, helping her navigate both the emotional aftermath and mounting financial burdens.
Washington isn’t alone in facing such heartbreak. Days earlier in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a neighborhood was shaken by tragedy. Firefighters responding to a house fire on Georgia Street Northeast around 6 a.m. on May 24 discovered three bodies inside, all believed to have been shot before the fire began.
The victims were identified as Stephen William Bockemeier, 76, Marcia Elizabeth Bockemeier, 77, and their son Erik Josef Bockemeier, 48. The violence continued that morning when another son, 35-year-old Andrew Stephen Bockemeier, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound outside the State Bar of New Mexico, using the same weapon as in the murders.
Police found a note at the family’s home but haven’t shared its contents. Investigators believe Andrew, who may have been suffering from a mental health crisis, killed his family before taking his own life.
“It’s hard to understand,” said Gilbert Gallegos, communications director for the Albuquerque Police Department. “Some families are dealing with things we just don’t see from the outside.”
Tragedy also struck in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where on May 21, 2025, a housekeeper discovered the body of a young boy near the entrance of an apartment in the Villa Crespo neighborhood. Inside, police found the lifeless bodies of 53-year-old Bernardo Adrián Seltzer, his wife Laura Fernanda Leguizamón, 50, and their two sons, Ian, 15, and Ivo, 12, all stabbed to death.
Investigators believe Laura, who had been under psychiatric care and may have recently stopped her medication, carried out the killings before ending her own life. Friends and neighbors had noticed disturbing changes in her behavior in the days before the tragedy.
A final Facebook post by Laura on March 1 now haunts those who knew her. Filled with disjointed thoughts and old family photos, it hints at a growing turmoil that remained hidden from the outside world.
These three devastating incidents, separated by distance but eerily similar in their violence, serve as a stark reminder of the often unseen struggles of mental health and the heartbreaking consequences when they go unchecked.
