5 days ago
Travis Decker Missing Update: Police Hunt Father After Daughters Found Dead
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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U.S. Marshals, the FBI, and local police are searching for the father of three girls who were found dead after spending time with their father, Travis Decker.
The three girls, Evelyn, Paityn, and Olivia Decker, were reported missing on June 1 after Decker failed to return them home from their regular visitation hours with him. They were found deceased on June 3 near their father's white truck, but their father remains missing.
Wenatchee Police Department (WPD) is urging the public to assist in locating Decker but has also warned he "may pose a significant risk, if approached," given his military background.
WPD has been contacted via Facebook, and the Wenatchee Mayor's Office has been contacted via email for comment.
Images of Travis Decker released by Wenatchee Police Department
Images of Travis Decker released by Wenatchee Police Department
Wenatchee Police Department via AP
Why It Matters
WPD did not issue an Amber Alert for the children when they went missing initially as although they had always come home on time in the past, failing to return from visitation hours is not an atypical occurrence for children and does not qualify as an Amber Alert issue. Some people are now questioning if issuing an Amber Alert could have saved the children.
Their deaths also raise concerns about the safety of his custody agreement and the mental health issues faced by veterans.
What To Know
The Decker girls, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, lived with their mother in central Washington and saw their father under his visitation rights.
Their mother, Whitney Decker, called the police on Friday, May 30, when they failed to return home after seeing Travis Decker. Whitney said this had never happened before, and she knew Travis, who is homeless, had been suffering from mental health issues.
Although the WPD was unable to issue an Amber Alert on Friday, they created an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA) on Saturday, May 31, and notified the public via social media about the missing girls on June 1.
The search for the girls ended when police found Decker's white 017 GMC Sierra pickup near Rock Island Campground in Chelan Count. They then searched the area, uncovering the girls' bodies nearby.
According to court documents obtained by KIRO, the girls likely died from asphyxiation.
WPD has issued a warrant for Decker's arrest for multiple counts of murder in the 1st degree and kidnapping in the 1st degree.
Crime scene data has been taken from his pickup and from the area where the girls were found dead, which police said would be processed by June 3.
Police have described Decker as a man with "extensive military training" who, prior to the deaths of his daughters, was homeless and living in a combination of his vehicle, motels, and campgrounds in the area.
From left: Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker.
From left: Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker.
Wenatchee Police Department via AP
What People Are Saying
Wenatchee Police Department posted to Facebook: "We want to express our sincere and deep heartfelt condolences to the family at this time."
Washington State Patrol public affairs director Chris Loftis told Sky News: "We're people too, you know, so the loss of a child, the loss of two children, the loss of three children is... devastating."
What Happens Next
The search continues for Travis Decker at this time.
