Search intensifies for Travis Decker, accused in slaying of 3 daughters
Search intensifies for Travis Decker, accused in slaying of 3 daughters
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Manhunt for Travis Decker intensifies
Authorities warn that Travis Decker, who is accused of kidnapping and killing his daughters, may be capable of surviving off the grid for months.
Fox - Seattle
Authorities in Washington have intensified the search for Travis Decker, who is wanted in the killing of his three young daughters.
The state's governor on June 6 said he would tap into emergency funds and Washington National Guard resources to aid in the search.
The bodies of Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were found on June 2 at a remote campground. The girls' mother, Whitney Decker, reported to police that her ex-husband failed to return them after a scheduled custody visit on May 30, police said. The girls were found near Travis Decker's white truck having been suffocated, with Decker nowhere in sight, court records say.
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Decker is wanted on charges of murder, kidnapping and custodial interference.
Gov. Bob Ferguson said on June 6 he was "tapping emergency funds and ordering Washington National Guard resources" to help in the search for Decker. Ferguson said he would also provide helicopters to law enforcement combing through remote areas of the state.
"As a parent, my heart goes out to Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia's mom, Whitney, and all those who love them. The brutal murder of these young children has shocked our state. I'm committed to supporting law enforcement as they seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia," Ferguson said.
He reiterated a warning from local authorities to keep windows and doors locked. Chelan County Undersheriff Dan Ozment previously told residents in remote areas of Chelan, Kittitas King, Snohomish, and Okanagan counties to remain on alert.
What happened to the 3 sisters?
The Decker sisters went with their father for a regularly scheduled custody visit on May 30 in central Washington but never returned. The parents were divorced, and Travis Decker was homeless and staying primarily in his truck. Whitney Decker reported them missing that day.
Washington State Patrol issued an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA) alert for the girls on May 31 after authorities found criteria wasn't met for an Amber Alert.
Wenatchee police tracked Travis Decker's truck, a white 2017 GMC Sierra, and found it June 2 near Rock Island Campground, about 40 miles northwest of Wenatchee. Travis Decker was not there, but the bodies of Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia were about 75 to 100 yards away from the truck.
The girls likely died of asphyxiation, according to a probable cause affidavit. Each girl was found with a plastic bag over her head, and also showed signs of being zip-tied.
Decker could be hiding in wilderness, authorities say
Authorities said Travis Decker could be using his outdoor survival skills to be staying off law enforcement's radar. Decker went to mountain survival school and served in the U.S. Army, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said on June 4.
"It sounds like at times he would go out and would be (living) off grid for sometimes up to two and a half months," Morrison told reporters. "He could have scoped out this area before (he) put supplies out there and has the ability and the knowledge to survive for a long period of time."
Police have said he is a former military member with extensive training who "may pose a significant risk, if approached."
Chelan County Sheriff's Office said on June 5 it was narrowing its search for Decker after gathering "new information" in the case.
"Our teams have written and executed several search warrants around the area and on electronic devices that belonged to Travis Decker," Ozment said, adding that officials had "gathered new information which in turn has given us more leads to follow up on."
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
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Newsweek
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Yahoo
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Of those, about 140 were deemed preventable cases due to court failures. In those cases, the center found that a protective parent attempted to restrict an abusive parent's access to the victims, or that there were risk factors that should have been detected by a trained judge or child advocate. Some of the deaths are also attributed to failures by law enforcement or child protective agencies. Media reports of children murdered by a parent involved in a divorce, separation or custody issue can be found all across the United States. According to the Center for Judicial Excellence, fathers are the perpetrators in these cases 70% of the time, while mothers kill their children 18% of the time. More: A child dies every 6 days amid custody fights, family court lapses. Advocates want change. 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Hines sought full custody of Jayden and said he feared for the boy's safety while with his mother, but the court did not immediately act. The mother's boyfriend, Alegray Damiah Jones, was charged with the boy's murder and aggravated child abuse. The deaths of children at the hands of their parents have occurred under many different circumstances, including during custody disputes and after courts have ordered the children spend time with a parent accused of being unsafe. The Center for Judicial Excellence said domestic violence experts believe the most dangerous time for a victim of abuse and their children is in the days immediately following separation from the alleged perpetrator. Meier's research revealed a disturbing pattern, she said: When a mother alleges abuse by the father against the children or says she fears for the children's safety, courts may often end up giving more custody to fathers. In a review of about 2,000 court decisions from January 2005 through December 2014, Meier found that courts believed less than half (41%) of mothers who claimed any kind of abuse by the father, with an even lower rate when the allegation involved abuse of the children. "There's a very strong bias... – it's embedded and unstated – against believing that a father's dangerous to a child and believing a mother who's saying it or child who's saying it," Meier said. The Center for Judicial Excellence said on its website that court transcripts show that judges and other court officials were warned about a parent's violent history before placing child victims into their care unsupervised. "There is a crisis in the family court system that is putting children in danger,' said Kathleen Russell, executive director of the Center for Judicial Excellence, said in 2023. 'When a child is murdered, the system failed. It's irrefutable evidence that something went wrong.' Meier said a big red flag that a custody issue could end in tragedy include demonstrated behaviors of what's known as "coercive control," which many states consider a form of domestic abuse and is defined as "a pattern of threatening or intimidating behavior that interferes with the free will of another person," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Coercive controllers sometimes take their children's lives as a means of controlling or retaliating against the other parent, Meier said. Other potential signs include prior threats to kill or threats of suicide, along with firearm ownership, she said. Advocates are hoping to pass legislation known as Kayden's Law in many states, which would require courts to consider past evidence of abuse in custody cases along with other requirements they hope will curb deadly and violent outcomes. The law is named after 7-year-old Kayden Mancuso, who was killed by her father during an unsupervised visit in 2018 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, before he also killed himself, the Bucks County Courier Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. The law passed in Pennsylvania last year despite initial opposition by groups including the ACLU of Pennsylvania which argued that while the measure had good intentions, it could end up harming mothers' contact with their children, especially within families of color, because it would require courts to consider any history of abuse, no matter how old, against any household member. The ACLU later withdrew its opposition after an amendment it said changed the focus to any "on-going risk of abuse." An important step forward is the education of family judges on the realities of domestic abuse and child abuse, Meier said, adding that serious change is needed in the culture of the family court system in the United States. "How many kids need to be murdered?" Meier said. Contributing: Ken Alltucker and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Death of Decker sisters is a familiar custodial tragedy
