Chilling moment mum 'knew something was wrong' before daughters found dead
The heartbroken mum of three young girls who were found dead near an abandoned camping site after a trip with their dad, Travis Decker, 32, has spoken - a manhunt was launched to find the father
A mum whose three young daughters were found dead after a camping trip with their dad has revealed the chilling moment she knew "something was wrong".
Sisters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found dead on Monday, June 2, after their dad Travis Decker, 32, failed to return them back to their mum after a trip. A manhunt was launched to find the missing dad after cops found his car with two bloody handprints, close to where the girls' bodies were located, at the Rock Island Campground, in Leavenworth, Washington. The attorney for mother Whitney Decker has spoken about the mum's heartbreak for the first time.
The girls vanished during a planned visitation with their homeless dad and they were reported missing on Friday, May 30, after they had not been returned on time and their ex-soldier dad stopped answering calls.
Mum Whitney has spoken for the first time through her attorney, Arianna Cozart, after the heartbreaking ordeal, revealing when she knew something had gone wrong. Talking to The Seattle Times, the mum's attorney said: "As soon as he didn't bring those girls back at 8 o'clock, she knew something was going on."
The lawyer raised questions as to why local police did not issue an Amber Alert, which sends a notification to nearby phones. She said: "There should be enough concern for the police to say, 'These children are missing, they are in substantial danger, even though he didn't issue an overt threat.'"
Wenatchee police had reportedly wanted to send out an Amber Alert but were told by State Patrol the case did not meet the threshold, so an Endangered Missing Persons Advisory was issued.
The mum's lawyer also told the outlet the father's mental health was allegedly declining and described not returning his daughters as out-of-character behaviour. The lawyer added: "We may never know if it could've meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could've made a huge difference."
The dad had allegedly been seeking out mental health services but was unable to, as the lawyer added: "When you have a vet who is suffering from complex PTSD and other mental health issues, they do not have the mental bandwidth" to organise appointments.
Mother Whitney's lawyer added: "Whitney believes, as I do, that something broke inside of him. Travis would not have done what he did if he was himself. He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out."
This comes after a preliminary report into the tragic deaths said the sisters appeared to have died from asphyxiation, and the dad is believed to have strangled his girls to death. Authorities searching for the former Army solider said he is wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
Police have also warned the public"do not approach" the ex-solider with "extensive training" if he is seen - instead urging the public to call 911.
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Mom of three murdered girls' share bizarre Father's Day tribute to killer ex who suffocated them
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His ex-wife Whitney says she knew her daughters were in 'substantial danger' when Decker failed to return them after his visitation on Friday. Whitney, speaking through her lawyer Arianna Cozart on Thursday, said that she begged police to issue an Amber Alert but was told the case did not meet the requirements. But she has now alleged this 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of Decker and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed. 'He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. 'We may never know if it could've meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could've made a huge difference,' Cozart told the newspaper. The father-of-three was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, according to court documents. Whitney stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters. She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times. She also said Decker - was prone to 'outbursts' and would come into her house yelling for the girls - would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so. In one instance, Whitney wrote that her youngest daughter, Olivia, called her crying during a visit with Decker and said she could not find her father - before Evelyn came home with welts between her legs. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney wrote in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship. 'But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters. She said the girls had a, 'good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit. She said when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him. He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles. On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail. Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker's truck. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents state. Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console, police said. The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found.
