'Killer' dad Travis Decker is seen in haunting new doorbell footage after three daughters were found murdered

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

New doorbell camera footage shows an Army veteran accused of murdering his three young daughters as the search for him continues.
Travis Decker, 32, was caught on a Ring doorbell approaching a home in a light colored T-shirt and dark shorts in the days leading up to his visitation with his daughters Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five, Chelan County Undersheriff Dan Ozment announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
He could be seen with a goatee and a mustache, with his long hair pulled back.
Authorities are sharing images of the wanted suspect in a bid to familiarize the public with his appearance as he remains at-large.
Photos of Decker were a from before he went missing, showing him with sunglasses that obscured his eyes and tattoos all down his arm.
'These are the most recent photos and videos we have that reveal his last known appearance,' Ozment said, according to NCW Life.
Decker has not been seen since he picked up his three little girls for a three-hour visit on Friday.
The girls' mother later reported them missing, and their bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth on Monday - with police saying there were plastic bags over each of their heads and their wrists were bound with zip ties.
It is now believed the girls died of asphyxiation, and Decker is facing three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office released Ring doorbell camera footage showing Travis Decker, 32, in a light colored T-shirt and dark shorts in the days leading up to his visitation with his three young daughters
The sheriff's office is now working with the Wenatchee Police Department, US Border Patrol and Homeland Security investigations to track down Decker, who is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
The US Marshals Service also said it would offer a reward of up to $20,000 for any information leading to Decker's arrest - though police say the veteran could 'pose a significant risk if approached' as he has extensive combat training.
He also underwent extensive outdoor survival training, which authorities admitted Wednesday may make the search efforts more difficult, with Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison saying Decker was 'well-versed in outdoor survival,' KOMO reports.
'In talking with his father, it sounds [like] at times he would go out and live off-grid, sometimes for two months,' the sheriff told reporters.
Decker joined the US Army in 2012 and served a tour in Afghanistan two years later.
He likely has advanced combat training as a result, and was an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of 'Ranger,' indicating he would have excellent wilderness and survival skills, Fox 13 Seattle reported, citing social media posts.
Decker then transferred to the Washington Army National Guard in 2021, rising to the rank of sergeant.
But he stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge.
It now appears that Decker had been suffering from mental health issues.
Court documents state that when Whitney, his ex-wife, reported her daughters missing on Friday, she 'expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues.'
She explained to law enforcement officials that Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents.
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 has followed through with the plan - which he refused to sign, the court documents show.
Still, Whitney told police 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.'
But she noted that when Decker arrived to pick up the girls on 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.
Decker does not have permanent housing and is known to stay at hotels and campgrounds, police said.
That seemed to produce its own problems, with Whitney writing in September divorce proceedings that Decker would sometimes have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard - despite her objections.
She went on to say he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters and was prone to 'outbursts,' according to the Seattle Times.
At times, Whitney said her ex would come into her house yelling for the girls - whom he 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.'
The girls' maternal grandmother similarly wrote that Decker would drop off the girls at inconsistent times and they would sometimes be upset or crying when they returned home.
'They are all happy, smart, well-adjusted girls with the exception of when Travis brings them back to me after his visitations,' she wrote, according to the Seattle Times.
Even so, Whitney told police, whenever Decker would be running late to return the girls, he would usually call first.
Washington State Patrol was contacted Friday night to request an Amber Alert, but it did not meet the required criteria, Wenatchee Police said.
The lacking criteria was suspected abduction and imminent peril of death or serious injury, said Chris Loftis, director of public affairs for the state patrol.
'In this case, it was a parent with custodial privileges, and the children had not been returned home on time. But that's a rather common occurrence and not something where you just automatically assume abduction,' he said.
He added that there was no indication Decker would harm them.
'We're people too, you know, so the loss of a child, the loss of two children, the loss of three children is... devastating,' Loftis said. 'Everybody always looks to how we can improve.'
The following day, Wenatchee detectives contacted the patrol with additional information that led to the issuance of an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA).
State police later dropped the EMPA on Monday evening without releasing a public reason. The following day, Wenatchee Police Department announced the girls' deaths.
Decker is described as 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, with black hair worn in a ponytail and brown eyes.
He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, and on Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe set up for Whitney had raised over $689,000 as of Wednesday evening.
'These girls were true light in this world and it is a darker place without them. I will miss seeing their sweet little faces,' a note on the fundraising page read.
'Send Whitney all of your prayers, love and support. Take some time to today to tell someone you love them.'