The three young girls from Three Lakes whose parents were murdered by a sibling have faced tragedy before.
Last week, Thomas and Jennifer Ayers were found dead in their northern Wisconsin home, and Jennifer’s 17-year-old daughter Ashlee Martinson is charged with killing them. The husband and wife had blended their families and started a new chapter in their lives in Oneida County. They had a daughter together, and Thomas had a 9-year-old and an 8-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.
Thomas Ayers and the two oldest girls had already experienced tragedy. Thomas’ second wife Angela was killed in a North Dakota car crash in 2012.
The three girls now have no parents, and for now, are being cared for by Oneida County Social Services officials. The Tri-County Council has been collecting donations of toys, books, and money for the girls. So far, they’ve received over $1,000 since Thursday.
There are two more children from Thomas Ayers’ first marriage. They live in Colorado with their grandmother.
WSAU