A Wisconsin community is mourning the loss of two young sisters and their father after all three were found dead inside a family home just hours after the parents attended a divorce hearing, a tragedy that has raised difficult questions as investigators continue their work.

Authorities were called to a residence in Winneconne on July 31 to conduct a welfare check. Inside the home, officers discovered the bodies of 57-year-old Jeffrey Manke and his two daughters, 16-year-old Jaely and 11-year-old Lenora.

Officials have not yet announced the cause of the deaths or released final findings about what occurred. The investigation remains ongoing.

Court records show that earlier the same day, Manke and the girls’ mother, Lindsey Lewandowski, attended a divorce hearing as part of a lengthy custody dispute. The couple had been involved in legal proceedings for nearly a year, and the court had previously granted them joint legal custody of their daughters.

According to court documents, both parents had been found legally fit to share custody. However, records also show that Manke was subject to certain conditions regarding firearm access and substance use while caring for the children.

In the days following the tragedy, Lewandowski shared an emotional public statement, saying she had repeatedly expressed concerns about her daughters’ well-being.

“I fought so hard to try to keep them safe,” she wrote, adding that her daughters had told others they felt unsafe and that she believed their concerns were not taken seriously.

She also said reports had previously been made to child welfare authorities and that she felt the family’s warnings had gone unheard during the custody process.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed whether investigators believe the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide, and officials have declined to comment on that possibility while the investigation continues.

As detectives work to determine exactly what happened, the heartbreaking loss has left family members and the local community grieving the deaths of two young girls whose lives ended far too soon.

Authorities say additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.