Grim twist in hunt for dad who ‘murdered' three daughters
Cadaver dogs have been called in as the search for Travis Decker enters its fourth week, with police believing the military veteran may have died.
Authorities have been scouring thick forest in Washington State after the bodies of Mr Decker's daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were all found with their hands bound and plastic bags over their heads. Travis Decker. Credit: Supplied
In an update on social media, the Kittitas County Sheriff's office said that despite a flood of tips, there was no specific evidence that Mr Decker remained alive or even in the search area.
'Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching. Still, we can't and won't quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice. And Decker remains a danger to the public as long as he's at large,' the post read.
It went on, 'Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search — a possibility that increases every day.
'Visible extra patrols continue in the area. The US Marshals service has turned their fugitive-finding resources to the task of finding Decker if he's left our area.'
Mr Decker 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.
But 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. The sisters with their mother Whitney Decker. Credit: Supplied
During an emotional memorial on the weekend, their Ms Decker spoke of her 'incredible' girls.
'I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives on in everyone's heart forever,' she said, before going on to describe a family tradition that she developed with the girls after her divorce called 'three feelings'.
That is where, at the end of every day, she would ask each daughter about three feelings they experienced that day and what was happening when they felt those emotions.
'I'm so thankful for the time that I had with the girls. And how the three feelings allowed us to connect when the world slowed down. And it really gave me an inside look into their day,' she said. 'I believe doing this with them allowed them to come into the world with open hearts and kindness.'
'I hope that you are all able to do some version of the three feelings with your loved ones,' she told the grieving crowd.
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News.com.au
10-07-2025
- News.com.au
Police plead with tourists to help find father accused of killing three daughters
Known as the American Alps, the Cascades near Leavenworth in Washington state have always been a popular tourist destination in the US — especially during the summer period with activities like hiking and camping. Authorities, however, hope the influx of holiday-makers to the region will help catch an alleged child killer, who has not been seen since his three daughters were found suffocated to death at a campground more than a month ago. On June 2, five-year-old Olivia, eight-year-old Evelyn and nine-year-old Paityn were found lifeless at an abandoned campsite, prompting police to launch an intense manhunt for their father, Travis Decker. The search ever since has been challenging and without locating the 32-year-old, with difficult terrain and conditions continuously working against authorities. The fact the alleged killer is also an Army veteran skilled in wilderness survival and who had a three-day headstart on police has also hindered the manhunt. But as tourists begin to fill the region, police have hopes that a sighting will occur and the manhunt for the alleged killer will come to an end. Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told CNN that the next few weeks will be crucial, and with more people moving about the area — chances of a sighting should increase. 'It may work in our favour now that we have that many people out there just saturating that part of the county with camping, hiking and other recreating,' he said. 'We're not going to glorify his abilities. We don't think that he's some kind of special forces guru … but he could get lucky at times, and eventually luck runs out. 'This search is unmatched. We've never had anything like this in Chelan County.' But while authorities hope Decker is still in and around the American Alps, a recent sighting of a man who resembles Decker could throw any hope of finding him in surrounding national parks out the window. The sighting happened in Idaho, at Sawtooth National Forest, by a family who said they saw a man fitting Decker's description. The family described the person as a white male wearing a black mesh cap, black gauged earrings, a cream-coloured T-shirt, black shorts, a long ponytail, an overgrown beard and moustache, a black JanSport backpack and either Converse or Vans low-top shoes. Morrison said that while having extra tourist boots on the ground exploring tourist trails, creeks and bike riding around the mountains — he appreciates that while they hope to find him alive, there's a big chance he might turn up dead. As reported by CNN, Decker was charged with murdering his three daughters by suffocating them with plastic bags not long after he picked them up from their mother for what was supposed to be a three-hour joint custody visit on May 30. The man's truck was found abandoned in the area of Rock Island Campground on June 2, and the bodies of his daughters less than 100 metres down an embankment, along with zip ties and plastic bags found strewn throughout the area. Morrison said the manhunt — which has cost millions in resources — assumes Decker is on foot, given his truck was left behind. Morrison said that he also left equipment behind, meaning he is likely unprepared unless he had stashed supplies out in the woods. 'That's a strange item to leave behind, and hopefully that leaves him less prepared to survive long term,' Morrison told CNN. 'We'd rather have him give himself up. I guarantee that we're going to treat him with respect and dignity, but he is going to be pursued as a suspect, and we'll continue to do our job.'
7NEWS
25-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Travis Decker: Grim theory on what happened to dad accused of murdering his three young daughters
The manhunt for a father who is believed to have murdered his three young daughters in a crime that shocked the world has taken a grim turn. Cadaver dogs have been called in as the search for Travis Decker enters its fourth week, with police believing the military veteran may have died. Authorities have been scouring thick forest in Washington State after the bodies of Mr Decker's daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were all found with their hands bound and plastic bags over their heads. In an update on social media, the Kittitas County Sheriff's office said that despite a flood of tips, there was no specific evidence that Mr Decker remained alive or even in the search area. 'Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching. Still, we can't and won't quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice. And Decker remains a danger to the public as long as he's at large,' the post read. It went on, 'Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search — a possibility that increases every day. 'Visible extra patrols continue in the area. The US Marshals service has turned their fugitive-finding resources to the task of finding Decker if he's left our area.' Mr Decker 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. But 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. During an emotional memorial on the weekend, their Ms Decker spoke of her 'incredible' girls. 'I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives on in everyone's heart forever,' she said, before going on to describe a family tradition that she developed with the girls after her divorce called 'three feelings'. That is where, at the end of every day, she would ask each daughter about three feelings they experienced that day and what was happening when they felt those emotions. 'I'm so thankful for the time that I had with the girls. And how the three feelings allowed us to connect when the world slowed down. And it really gave me an inside look into their day,' she said. 'I believe doing this with them allowed them to come into the world with open hearts and kindness.'
West Australian
25-06-2025
- West Australian
Travis Decker: Grim theory on what happened to dad accused of murdering his three young daughters
The manhunt for a father who is believed to have murdered his three young daughters in a crime that shocked the world has taken a grim turn. Cadaver dogs have been called in as the search for Travis Decker enters its fourth week, with police believing the military veteran may have died. Authorities have been scouring thick forest in Washington State after the bodies of Mr Decker's daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were all found with their hands bound and plastic bags over their heads. In an update on social media, the Kittitas County Sheriff's office said that despite a flood of tips, there was no specific evidence that Mr Decker remained alive or even in the search area. 'Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching. Still, we can't and won't quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice. And Decker remains a danger to the public as long as he's at large,' the post read. It went on, 'Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search — a possibility that increases every day. 'Visible extra patrols continue in the area. The US Marshals service has turned their fugitive-finding resources to the task of finding Decker if he's left our area.' Mr Decker 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. But 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. During an emotional memorial on the weekend, their Ms Decker spoke of her 'incredible' girls. 'I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives on in everyone's heart forever,' she said, before going on to describe a family tradition that she developed with the girls after her divorce called 'three feelings'. That is where, at the end of every day, she would ask each daughter about three feelings they experienced that day and what was happening when they felt those emotions. 'I'm so thankful for the time that I had with the girls. And how the three feelings allowed us to connect when the world slowed down. And it really gave me an inside look into their day,' she said. 'I believe doing this with them allowed them to come into the world with open hearts and kindness.' 'I hope that you are all able to do some version of the three feelings with your loved ones,' she told the grieving crowd.
