Cops issue 'do not approach' warning in manhunt for ex-soldier after kids found dead
Travis Decker, 32, is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping after he disappeared with his three daughters; Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and five-year-old Olivia after an arranged visit.
Police have issued a "do not approach" warning as they launched a manhunt for an ex-army soldier with "extensive training" after his three missing young daughters were found dead.
Travis Decker, 32, is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping after he disappeared with his three daughters; Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and five-year-old Olivia after an arranged visit. However, he failed to return the girls' back home to their mother on Friday sparking a major search.
As the Mirror reports, the girls were tragically discovered dead today, after police scoured a campsite west of the US city of Leavenworth, Washington. Travis is understood to be living out of a white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup and officers say he may be armed.
An urgent appeal was launched for anyone who knows is current whereabouts to contact 911. Police added: "Due to safety concerns do not attempt to contact or approach Decker."
Karina Shagren, Washington Military Department spokesperson, said: "This is an absolute tragedy. We are mourning along with the community."
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Authorities looked for the children and their father over the weekend. Decker's unoccupied truck was found Monday near the campsite in Leavenworth and the girls' bodies were discovered amid a search in the area.
Their school, Lincoln Elementary, which is in nearby Wenatchee, is offering pupils and staff counselling services. The district asked people to respect the privacy of students, staff members and families and come to the campus only for regular school business.
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The girls' mother told police Decker picked the girls up around 5pm on Friday but had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail. Captain Brian Chance, from the police force, said the mum "expressed concern because Decker reportedly had never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues."
He added: "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."
Four missing persons investigations were swiftly launched and, upon the gruesome discovery of the bodies, police have now identified Decker as a wanted man in the murder and kidnap probe. This remains ongoing, police said in a press briefing today, during which they also confirmed Decker and the girls ' mother are divorced.
The dad transferred to the Washington National Guard eight years after joining the army. He was a full-time member of the Guard for two or three years until, in 2024, he went part time.
However, the military confirmed today 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.
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