Travis Decker: Three daughters allegedly kidnapped by dad cause of death revealed
WARNING: GRAPHIC
Harrowing details about the terrifying final moments of three young sisters allegedly murdered by their military veteran father have been revealed.
Travis Decker is on the run from police who are hunting him over the gruesome deaths of daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5.
He collected the girls for a scheduled visit on May 30, but failed to return them at the agreed time.
Their mother Whitney, who had previously raised concerns about Mr Decker's spiralling mental health, raised the alarm with police, sparking a large scale search.
That ended in tragedy three days later when the girls' bodies were found at a campground close to their father's white 2017 GMC Sierra truck at the Rock Island campground in Wenatchee, Washington State.
Police say the girls' remains were found with plastic bags on their heads and zip ties around their wrists. Mr Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate.
It is believed the girls died of asphyxiation, according to a police court affidavit obtained by
NCWLife Channel
.
They were wearing the same clothes they had worn when they left for their visit with Mr Decker.
Mr Decker is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, and an AUD$30,000 reward has been issued for any information that leads to his capture.
Mrs Decker divorced her husband in 2024 but they are believed to have separated around 2022.
In the past two years, she documented a number of bizarre incidents in which Decker allegedly barged into her home, left the young girls crying unattended and hitchhiked over to the house three hours late.
'Since our separation, it has become increasingly clear that Travis has been struggling to maintain stability in his life,' she said in a declaration cited by KIRO 7 News.
The three girls were 'deeply affected,' which led to 'heightened emotional stress'.
'This is demonstrated through screaming/crying bouts at drop off or when they get off a phone call.
'Travis also has some emotional/mental health issues that were the primary catalyst to the end of our marriage. His borderline personality disorder and narcissism became rampant,' she wrote.
She continued: 'Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better for our girls. I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all.'
Police say Mr Decker is homeless and has been living in his car, or at various hotels/motels or at campgrounds around Wenatchee.
A $20,000 reward has been issued for any information that leads to his capture.
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7NEWS
a day ago
- 7NEWS
US father Travis Decker wanted on suspicion of murdering his three young daughters
A US man is wanted on suspicion of murder after his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead. Travis Decker, 32, is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, according to police in Wenatchee — a city in central Washington state, about 100 miles or two and a half hours east of Seattle. Police said it was unknown whether Decker, a former Army soldier with 'extensive training', was armed. Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were not returned home to their mother by Decker on Friday following a planned visit. She then reported them missing. Over the weekend, authorities looked for the children and for Decker, who was believed to be living out of a white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup with Washington plates. Decker's unoccupied truck was found on Monday near a campground west of the city of Leavenworth, which is about a half hour northwest of Wenatchee. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards away from the truck, The Seattle Times reported. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents said. Anyone who may have seen Decker since Friday or knows his current location was asked to call 911. 'Due to safety concerns do not attempt to contact or approach Decker,' police said. The Wenatchee School District said the girls were students of Lincoln Elementary and that counselling services were available. The mother told police that Decker picked the girls up around 5pm but had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail, court documents said. The detective said she 'expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues'. 'What prompted her to call us was that … he was late returning the girls and had not communicated to her that he was going to be late, which was his typical fashion and so this was out of the ordinary,' Captain Brian Chance said. Washington State Patrol was contacted Friday night to request an Amber Alert, but it did not meet the required criteria, Wenatchee police said. The following day, Wenatchee detectives contacted the patrol with additional information that led to an Endangered Missing Person Alert being issued. The lacking criteria was suspected abduction and imminent peril of death or serious injury, director of public affairs for the state patrol Chris Loftis said. 'In this case, it was a parent with custodial privileges, and the children had not been returned home on time,' he said. 'But that's a rather common occurrence and not something where you just automatically assume abduction.' There was no indication Decker, a custodial parent who had the children for a visit, would harm them, Loftis said. 'We're people too, you know, so the loss of a child, the loss of two children, the loss of three children is … devastating,' he said. 'Everybody always looks to how we can improve.' The alert systems are constantly evolving and this could prompt further change, Loftis said: 'Obviously it didn't work this time. Obviously, we have three children that are dead.' Decker joined the Army in 2013 and transferred to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Washington Military Department spokesperson Karina Shagren said. He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time. Decker stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge for him, Shagren said. 'This is an absolute tragedy,' Shagren said. 'We are mourning along with the community.' The Chelan County Sheriff's Office, which found the truck, was leading the search in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest area while other teams followed up on 'potential credible information and tips' regarding Decker's location, the agency said in a statement. The agency was working with US Marshals to locate and apprehend Decker and the search continued Tuesday evening. A reward of up to $US20,000 ($A30,700) was available for information leading directly to his arrest.
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
Travis Decker: Three daughters allegedly kidnapped by dad cause of death revealed
WARNING: GRAPHIC Harrowing details about the terrifying final moments of three young sisters allegedly murdered by their military veteran father have been revealed. Travis Decker is on the run from police who are hunting him over the gruesome deaths of daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5. He collected the girls for a scheduled visit on May 30, but failed to return them at the agreed time. Their mother Whitney, who had previously raised concerns about Mr Decker's spiralling mental health, raised the alarm with police, sparking a large scale search. That ended in tragedy three days later when the girls' bodies were found at a campground close to their father's white 2017 GMC Sierra truck at the Rock Island campground in Wenatchee, Washington State. Police say the girls' remains were found with plastic bags on their heads and zip ties around their wrists. Mr Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate. It is believed the girls died of asphyxiation, according to a police court affidavit obtained by NCWLife Channel . They were wearing the same clothes they had worn when they left for their visit with Mr Decker. Mr Decker is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, and an AUD$30,000 reward has been issued for any information that leads to his capture. Mrs Decker divorced her husband in 2024 but they are believed to have separated around 2022. In the past two years, she documented a number of bizarre incidents in which Decker allegedly barged into her home, left the young girls crying unattended and hitchhiked over to the house three hours late. 'Since our separation, it has become increasingly clear that Travis has been struggling to maintain stability in his life,' she said in a declaration cited by KIRO 7 News. The three girls were 'deeply affected,' which led to 'heightened emotional stress'. 'This is demonstrated through screaming/crying bouts at drop off or when they get off a phone call. 'Travis also has some emotional/mental health issues that were the primary catalyst to the end of our marriage. His borderline personality disorder and narcissism became rampant,' she wrote. She continued: 'Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better for our girls. I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all.' Police say Mr Decker is homeless and has been living in his car, or at various hotels/motels or at campgrounds around Wenatchee. A $20,000 reward has been issued for any information that leads to his capture.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Horrific details of sisters ‘murdered by dad' revealed
WARNING: GRAPHIC Harrowing details about the terrifying final moments of three young sisters allegedly murdered by their military veteran father have been revealed. Travis Decker is on the run from police who are hunting him over the gruesome deaths of daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5. He collected the girls for a scheduled visit on May 30, but failed to return them at the agreed time. Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were all found dead. Credit: Facebook Their mother Whitney, who had previously raised concerns about Mr Decker's spiralling mental health, raised the alarm with police, sparking a large scale search. That ended in tragedy three days later when the girls' bodies were found at a campground close to their father's white 2017 GMC Sierra truck at the Rock Island campground in Wenatchee, Washington State. Police say the girls' remains were found with plastic bags on their heads and zip ties around their wrists. Mr Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate. Travis Decker is a highly trained military veteran. Credit: Supplied It is believed the girls died of asphyxiation, according to a police court affidavit obtained by NCWLife Channel. They were wearing the same clothes they had worn when they left for their visit with Mr Decker. Mr Decker is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, and an AUD$30,000 reward has been issued for any information that leads to his capture. Mrs Decker divorced her husband in 2024 but they are believed to have separated around 2022. In the past two years, she documented a number of bizarre incidents in which Decker allegedly barged into her home, left the young girls crying unattended and hitchhiked over to the house three hours late. 'Since our separation, it has become increasingly clear that Travis has been struggling to maintain stability in his life,' she said in a declaration cited by KIRO 7 News. Whitney Decker with her girls Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5. Credit: Supplied The three girls were 'deeply affected,' which led to 'heightened emotional stress'. 'This is demonstrated through screaming/crying bouts at drop off or when they get off a phone call. 'Travis also has some emotional/mental health issues that were the primary catalyst to the end of our marriage. His borderline personality disorder and narcissism became rampant,' she wrote. She continued: 'Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better for our girls. I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all.' Police say Mr Decker is homeless and has been living in his car, or at various hotels/motels or at campgrounds around Wenatchee. A $20,000 reward has been issued for any information that leads to his capture.
