Latest news with #Leavenworth
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Wife of 'killer dad' Travis Decker rejected his bid to rekindle marriage before he 'murdered their three girls'
'Killer' dad Travis Decker attempted to repair the broken marriage with his ex-wife just a week before he allegedly suffocated and killed their three young daughters in Washington State. Authorities started searching for Travis Decker's children, Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five, after they failed to return home from a scheduled visit with him on May 30. The sisters' lifeless bodies were discovered at a campsite in Leavenworth last week, about 20 miles from their home. Their wrists had been bound with zip ties and each of them had been suffocated with a plastic bag. Whitney Decker, the fugitive father's ex-wife and mother of their late daughters, said she had no indication that he could be on the verge of carrying out a heinous act when he arrived to pick up their girls for their scheduled three-hour visitation. 'Last week he tried to reconcile our marriage and had even made comments to the girls about him moving back in,' Whitney wrote in a June 3 court filing obtained by KXLY News. 'And I rejected his advancements.' The grieving mother said she knew her daughters were in 'substantial danger' when Travis failed to return them after his visitation and begged police to issue an amber alert. However, authorities informed her that the case failed to meet the requirements. Daily Mail has approached the police department for comment on the alleged decision to decline an alert. Travis, an Afghanistan veteran, has suffered from 'complex PTSD' and 'other mental health issues'. Whitney blames a failure of the adequate support for the killings. In a statement from her attorney Arianna Cozart, Whitney alleged this 'was a tragedy that could have been completely avoided had officials intervened '. She believes 'something broke inside' of Travis and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed last week. 'He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. Travis was diagnosed with complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder after leaving active military service, Cozart said. The attorney also noted that it was uncharacteristic of Travis not to return his daughters after a scheduled visitation. His 'declining mental health' and 'out-of-character behavior' should have prompted 'enough concern' for an Amber Alert, Cozart argued. She believes authorities should have acknowledged the sisters were 'missing' and in 'substantial danger', even though Travis 'didn't issue an overt threat'. 'We may never know if it could have meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could have made a huge difference,' Cozart told the newspaper. On June 3, Whitney filed for an order of protection against her ex-husband, citing escalating behaviors in the weeks leading up to their daughters' disappearance, as reported by KXLY News. 'He had seemed better, then it seemed like things just started happening one after another,' the mother wrote in the filing, describing the actions that led to the legal request. But a supervisor at his construction job told Whitney shortly after her ex-husband vanished that he had seemed 'on the brink of something extreme' earlier that day while on the job. The protection order filing also revealed that Travis, for months, had been receiving daily, on-the-phone counseling from a pastor in Georgia - but the calls abruptly ended just four weeks before the killings, as reported by KXLY. Travis had also wrecked his uninsured car in the weeks leading up to the murders, which Whitney said only led to more erratic behavior. In the new document, Travis is said to have called his children after the car crash to tell them 'he was going to jail', the outlet reported. He then apologized to Whitney on the doorstep of her home. A week before the senseless murders, Travis attempted to rekindle his relationship with Whitney and made several calls to his brother to reconcile theirs as well, as they had not spoken to each other for years. He also called his father. The search for 32-year-old Travis intensified this week, as more than 100 Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) officers scoured hundreds of square miles of the Rock Island Campground in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the Cascade Mountains. Yet despite their exhaustive efforts by land, water and air, he remains missing. On Monday morning, the Sheriff's Office announced that the desperate manhunt for the alleged 'killer' dad has been officially handed over to federal authorities. After finding the girls and obtaining several search warrants for records contained in Travis's Google accounts, investigators discovered that the father appeared to be researching how to relocate to Canada, according to court docs obtained by KOMO News. In the days before Decker allegedly kidnapped his daughters, he searched 'how does a person move to Canada', 'how to relocate to Canada', and 'jobs Canada', according to the outlet. On May 26 - the Monday before he took the girls, according to the court docs - Decker also visited the 'find a job' section on the Canadian government's website. As hundreds of officers tirelessly searched for Travis in the rugged terrain of the Cascade Mountains, more than 500 tips had poured in from the public regarding his whereabouts. In an update shared early Tuesday morning, the Sheriff's Office revealed that law enforcement had once again moved their search efforts. 'Law enforcement is searching for suspect Travis Decker in the area of Ingalls Creek and Valley High,' the release read. 'Please secure your homes and vehicles, stay alert and report and suspicious activity to 911,' it added. The Kittitas County Sheriff posted a second update just one hour later, informing the public that authorities have since narrowed the search down to around Ingalls Creek. 'This is just a few miles north of several trails and trailheads accessible from the North Fork Teanaway Road,' the update read. 'Deputies and tactical teams are in place and patrolling to find and arrest Decker if the search drives him into our area,' it added. According to the court docs obtained by KOMO, Travis has extensive training in 'navigation, woodland/mountainous terrain, long-distance movements, survival' and other skills needed to flee thanks to his previous time serving in the Army. Decker has extensive training in 'navigation, woodland/mountainous terrain, long-distance movements, survival' and other skills needed to flee thanks to his previous time serving in the Army An updated wanted poster showed Decker wearing a tan shirt with the number 59 on the sleeve, dark shorts, flip flops with his hair tied back, carrying pizza boxes (pictured) The children's remains were also found 'relatively close to the Canadian border and approximately 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, a well-established trail that leads directly to Canada,' per the affidavit obtained by The Independent. A spokesperson for the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said the girls' autopsy results revealed that 'the cause of death was determined to be homicide' - specifically suffocation - and they were most likely killed three days before they were found. Investigators also revealed 'blood samples taken from the scene have come back positive for belonging to a male, and another was not human blood.' Travis's dog - who was abandoned when his owner went on the run - has since been recovered and turned over to the humane society for safe care. 'Further DNA and fingerprint analyses are still being conducted.' Decker is wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. He is also facing an additional federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Last week, law enforcement warned citizens residing in the remote areas of Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish, and Okanogan counties to lock their doors - including any sheds and outbuildings - and to leave window blinds open. Residents are also strongly urged to leave outside lights on, as Decker is considered very dangerous given his extensive military training and propensity for violence. Decker is 5'8'' with black hair and brown eyes. An updated wanted poster showed the father wearing a tan shirt with the number 59 on the sleeve, dark shorts, flip flops with his hair tied back, carrying pizza boxes.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Man's blood found at campsite where 3 young sisters found dead as search for their father continues in Washington state
Blood discovered at a campsite where three young Washington state sisters were found dead last week belonged to a male, authorities said Monday, as the search continued for their father, a former soldier with extensive survival skills. Investigators have been looking for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, since the night of May 30, when he failed to return the girls to their mother's home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. Three days later, a sheriff's deputy discovered the bodies of 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker down an embankment at a campsite in the Cascade Mountains. The campsite, west of Leavenworth, is about 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the U.S.-Mexico border to the U.S.-Canada border. Decker has been charged with murder and kidnapping. According to a probable cause statement filed in Chelan County Superior Court last week, Decker's truck was left at the campsite, and it had two bloody handprints on the tailgate. In a news release Monday, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said tests revealed that one blood sample taken from the scene belonged to a male, and another turned out to be from an animal. The sheriff's office did not say whether the tested samples had been taken from the tailgate. DNA and fingerprint analyses are pending, the news release said. Decker's dog was also found alive at the scene and turned over to the humane society for care. Late Monday night, the sheriff's office said that search teams were looking for Decker in the area of Ingalls Creek and Valley High "as he is believed to potentially be in this area." "Please secure your homes and vehicles, stay alert, and report any suspicious activity to 911," the office said. New images released by sheriff's office over the weekend show tattoos on Decker's ankle and arms. Another photo of his right side appears to show him walking. Images of Travis Decker released by the Chelan County Sheriff's Office on June 7, 2025. Chelan County Sheriff's Office The sheriff's office said that while it is retaining command of the criminal investigation, it had turned over control of the search efforts to federal authorities to give its personnel time to rest. Officials have searched hundreds of square miles, much of it mountainous and remote, by land, water and air. Decker has also been charged in federal court with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. According to an affidavit filed by deputy U.S. marshal Keegan Stanley in that case, Decker has training in navigation, survival and other skills that make him "a very avid and well-versed outdoorsman." Decker once spent 2.5 months in the backwoods living off the grid, Stanley wrote, and in the days before he took the girls, he searched online for how to relocate to and find a job in Canada. Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing. An autopsy on Friday determined the cause of death to be suffocation, the sheriff's office said. The girls had been bound with zip ties and had plastic bags placed over their heads. Authorities have reopened popular camping and backpacking areas in the Icicle Creek area, near where the girls were discovered. Other trails in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area have reopened for day use but not camping. Last week, officials released recent Ring camera footage and photos of Decker as they seek help from the public in finding him. Authorities previously urged people who live or own cabins in remote areas of several Washington state counties to lock their doors. Decker is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 190 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
Washington Post
15 hours ago
- Washington Post
Male blood found where 3 sisters in Washington were killed, while search for their father continues
LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Blood discovered at a campsite where three young Washington state sisters were found dead last week belonged to a male, authorities said Monday as the search continued for their father, a former soldier with extensive survival skills. Investigators have been looking for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, since the night of May 30, when he failed to return the girls to their mother's home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit.
The Independent
15 hours ago
- The Independent
Male blood found where 3 sisters in Washington were killed, while search for their father continues
Blood discovered at a campsite where three young Washington state sisters were found dead last week belonged to a male, authorities said Monday as the search continued for their father, a former soldier with extensive survival skills. Investigators have been looking for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, since the night of May 30, when he failed to return the girls to their mother's home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. Three days later, a sheriff's deputy discovered the bodies of 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker down an embankment at a campsite in the Cascade Mountains. The campsite, west of Leavenworth, is about 11 miles (18 km) from the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the U.S.-Mexico border to the U.S.-Canada border. Decker has been charged with murder and kidnapping. According to a probable cause statement filed in Chelan County Superior Court last week, Decker's truck was left at the campsite, and it had two bloody handprints on the tailgate. In a news release Monday, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said tests revealed that one blood sample taken from the scene belonged to a male, and another turned out to be from an animal. The sheriff's office did not say whether the tested samples had been taken from the tailgate. DNA and fingerprint analyses are pending, the news release said. Decker's dog was also found alive at the scene and turned over to the humane society for care. The sheriff's office said that while it is retaining command of the criminal investigation, it had turned over control of the search efforts to federal authorities to give its personnel time to rest. Officials have searched hundreds of square miles, much of it mountainous and remote, by land, water and air. Decker has also been charged in federal court with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. According to an affidavit filed by deputy U.S. marshal Keegan Stanley in that case, Decker has training in navigation, survival and other skills that make him 'a very avid and well-versed outdoorsman.' Decker once spent 2.5 months in the backwoods living off the grid, Stanley wrote, and in the days before he took the girls, he searched online for how to relocate to and find a job in Canada. Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing. An autopsy on Friday determined the cause of death to be suffocation, the sheriff's office said. The girls had been bound with zip ties and had plastic bags placed over their heads. Authorities have reopened popular camping and backpacking areas in the Icicle Creek area, near where the girls were discovered. Other trails in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area have reopened for day use but not camping.
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Associated Press
Male blood found where 3 sisters in Washington were killed, while search for their father continues
LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — Blood discovered at a campsite where three young Washington state sisters were found dead last week belonged to a male, authorities said Monday as the search continued for their father, a former soldier with extensive survival skills. Investigators have been looking for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, since the night of May 30, when he failed to return the girls to their mother's home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. Three days later, a sheriff's deputy discovered the bodies of 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker down an embankment at a campsite in the Cascade Mountains. The campsite, west of Leavenworth, is about 11 miles (18 km) from the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the U.S.-Mexico border to the U.S.-Canada border. Decker has been charged with murder and kidnapping. According to a probable cause statement filed in Chelan County Superior Court last week, Decker's truck was left at the campsite, and it had two bloody handprints on the tailgate. In a news release Monday, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said tests revealed that one blood sample taken from the scene belonged to a male, and another turned out to be from an animal. The sheriff's office did not say whether the tested samples had been taken from the tailgate. DNA and fingerprint analyses are pending, the news release said. Decker's dog was also found alive at the scene and turned over to the humane society for care. The sheriff's office said that while it is retaining command of the criminal investigation, it had turned over control of the search efforts to federal authorities to give its personnel time to rest. Officials have searched hundreds of square miles, much of it mountainous and remote, by land, water and air. Decker has also been charged in federal court with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. According to an affidavit filed by deputy U.S. marshal Keegan Stanley in that case, Decker has training in navigation, survival and other skills that make him 'a very avid and well-versed outdoorsman.' Decker once spent 2.5 months in the backwoods living off the grid, Stanley wrote, and in the days before he took the girls, he searched online for how to relocate to and find a job in Canada. Decker was an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, according to Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro. From 2014 to 2016, he was an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Last September his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, wrote in a petition to modify their parenting plan that his mental health issues had worsened and that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck. She sought to restrict him from having overnight visits with the girls until he found housing. An autopsy on Friday determined the cause of death to be suffocation, the sheriff's office said. The girls had been bound with zip ties and had plastic bags placed over their heads. Authorities have reopened popular camping and backpacking areas in the Icicle Creek area, near where the girls were discovered. Other trails in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area have reopened for day use but not camping.
