Two sisters and their father were discovered dead inside their Wisconsin home last week, only hours after the girls’ parents appeared in court for a divorce hearing, relatives said.
The tragic discovery was made Friday when officers went to a residence in Winneconne for a welfare check, WLUK reported, citing police.
Authorities found 57-year-old Jeffrey Manke inside the home along with his daughters, 11-year-old Lenora and 16-year-old Jaely.
Earlier that same day, Manke and 38-year-old Lindsey Lewandowski had been in court for a divorce proceeding, according to court records.
Court documents obtained by The Post said the marriage between Lewandowski and Manke was “irretrievably broken with no chance for reconciliation,” and the case had led to an almost year-long custody dispute.
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment Tuesday when asked whether investigators were treating the three deaths as a possible double murder-suicide.
A restraining order filed against Manke earlier this year stated that he had access to firearms, according to NBC 26.
Court documents also barred him from using drugs or alcohol while the children were in his care.
RELATED: UCLA Student Killed in Accidental Fall From Seattle Window
Lewandowski had fought for sole custody of her daughters, but a court granted joint legal custody between her and Manke.
Both Manke and Lewandowski were deemed “fit and proper persons to be given joint legal custody” of the children, according to court documents.
But Lewandowsk alleged in a Monday Facebook post that her daughters “felt unsafe” in their father’s care.
“I’m so sad. Everyone they talked to knew they were not safe in his care. And I fought so hard to try to keep them safe,” wrote Lewandowski, who goes by the alias “Lindsey Dash” on Facebook.
“The family counselor dismissed them and refused to continue working with them. The gal knew they didn’t want to be there,” Lewandowski’s post continued, adding that CPS reports were filed and the authorities were contacted before she was “forced to send [her daughters] when they felt unsafe.”
The heartbroken mother said her concerns fell on deaf ears.
“Nobody wanted to listen. If someone listened to their cries for help for the last 2 years, they would still be here,” said Lewandowski, adding that “the system failed my babies.”
The Winnebago Circuit Court and the Winnebago County Department of Human Services could not immediately be reached for comment.
