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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying Google search 'killer dad' Travis Decker made before allegedly murdering his three daughters
The dad accused of murdering his three daughters in Washington State searched how to move to Canada just days before they were found dead. 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. On Monday, the sisters' lifeless bodies were discovered at a campsite in Leavenworth - 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. After finding the girls, investigators 'obtained and served multiple search warrants for records contained in Decker's Google accounts,' leading them to discover that the 32-year-old appeared to be planning how to relocate to Canada, according to an affidavit reviewed by the Independent. In the affidavit, Deputy U.S. Marshal Keegan Stanley wrote that Decker made several searches on May 26, including: 'how does a person move to Canada,' 'how to relocate to Canada' and 'jobs Canada.' The father, who remains on the run, then visited the website 'Find a job - Stanley detailed. His daughters' 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. Decker, who is wanted on three counts each of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, also 'has training in navigation, woodland/mountainous terrain, long distance movements, survival and numerous other disciplines needed to be able to flee,' the affidavit continued. 'Prior to the above alleged crimes, Decker frequently recreated in outdoor, woodland and mountainous areas throughout the Eastern District of Washington and surrounding states,' it read. 'Amongst other outdoorsman activities, Decker frequently engaged in hiking, camping, survival skill practice, hunting and even lived off the grid in the backwoods for approximately 2.5 months on one occasion.' Decker is also facing an additional federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The charges against him 'are all very serious violent felonies which all carry significant prison sentences if convicted,' the affidavit stated. The legal statement also noted that 'those facing significant prison sentences have a propensity' to run. There is currently a 'very public national campaign to locate Decker' and 'it is publicly known there is a warrant for his arrest,' the affidavit stated. He is considered very dangerous given his extensive military training and propensity for violence. Whitney Decker, the fugitive father's ex-wife and mom of their late daughters, never imagined he might have been on the verge of carrying out a heinous act after he arrived to pick up their girls for a scheduled three-hour visitation last week. To Whitney, it was a routine handoff. But those around Decker expressed to the grieving mother after her daughters did not return home that they had seen the warning signs. According to Whitney's attorney Arianna Cozart, a supervisor at his construction job told Whitney shortly after Travis vanished that he had seemed 'on the brink of something extreme' earlier that day while on the job. Even her ever-reliable neighbor, who Whitney trusted with the messy details of their divorce, recalled that Travis appeared 'very sad' during a brief exchange outside the house just before he abducted them. Yet, as Whitney's lawyer told Daily Mail in an exclusive interview on Thursday, there was nothing in Travis's behavior at the time of the 5pm pickup that raised any red flags. 'She had no reason to suspect anything was wrong,' the attorney said. Whitney did know, however, that he was having a hard week, having crashed his uninsured vehicle days earlier. Travis, who was living in his truck at the time, spent about 15 minutes talking with her, mostly about what to do with his pet dog for the hot summer, wondering if she'd take care of the animal, as she had in the past, or whether he should just give it to the Humane Society. It was only after Travis failed to return with the kids that night did she learn that he'd had some sort of mental health breakdown at his construction job earlier in the day. 'The supervisor told her he was acting like he was on the brink of something extreme on Friday,' Whitney's lawyer said, but said Whitney still doesn't know the specifics Decker did to raise such alarm in his higher-ups. After her daughters were found, Whitney said through her lawyer that she initially begged police to issue an Amber Alert for them but was told the case did not meet the requirements. The grieving mother alleged it 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of her ex-husband and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed in a heartbreaking statement early Thursday morning. '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. Following their tragic deaths, a GoFundMe campaign, created by Whitney's friend, has gone on to raise more than $1 million. 'Their light touched so many, and the pain of this loss is immeasurable,' Amy Edwards wrote. Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Decker's arrest. Police believe he is hiding out in the woods along the Canadian border. Officers have urged locals, specifically those in remote areas of Okanogan County, to lock all doors and windows while he remains at large.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Father Accused of Murdering His 3 Daughters Allegedly Made These Chilling Online Searches Days Before They Went Missing
Travis Decker, the man accused of murdering his three young daughters, searched online about how to move to Canada on May 26, days before the girls went missing, according to authorities Decker searched the keywords "how to relocate to Canada" and "how does a person move to Canada" His three young daughters went missing on May 30 after a "planned visitation" and were found dead on June 2Travis Decker, the man accused of murdering his three young daughters, reportedly conducted online searches about how to move to Canada days before the killings. According to a U.S. Marshals Service affidavit obtained by Fox 13 Seattle, the Independent and NBC Right Now, Decker searched "how to relocate to Canada" and "how does a person move to Canada" on May 26. He also allegedly searched a Canadian job site. Authorities, who have not yet located Decker, said they were worried that he was attempting to flee the U.S. into Canada. "The location of the victims' remains is relatively close to the Canadian border and approximately 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, a well-established trail that leads directly to Canada," the affidavit states, per Fox 13 Seattle. The U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, June 7. The manhunt continues for Decker, who has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping in the deaths of his daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5. Police have described him as posing "a significant risk, if approached" due to his prior military experience. "We are searching anywhere and everywhere for him," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The three girls were last seen on May 30 during a "planned visitation" with their father. The following day, the Wenatchee Police Department issued an endangered missing persons alert, and said that the young girls were "believed to be missing and unable to return home on their own." Police said the girls headed out with their dad at around 5 p.m. local time on May 30 and hadn't been heard from or seen since then. On June 2, authorities canceled the alert and revealed that they had found the bodies of the three children. Decker's pickup truck was found near the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, Wash., where the three sisters' bodies were discovered, Fox 13 Seattle reported. The cause of death for all three sisters is likely to be "asphyxiation," according to a preliminary report seen by Fox 13 Seattle. According to the outlet, investigators found two bloody handprints on Decker's truck, while inside there were items including a blanket, food and car seats for the girls. Police also found a wallet on the center console of the vehicle. Court documents obtained by the outlet also state that Decker's cell phone activity showed "he drove to and left the same campground a day prior to the kidnapping.' According to ABC News, police are offering a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Decker's arrest. Read the original article on People
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
Campgrounds closed along Pacific Crest Trail in search for man wanted in daughters' deaths
SEATTLE — Authorities have closed a wide swath of popular campgrounds and backpacking areas along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as they search for a former Army soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters . Dozens of additional law enforcement officers from an array of agencies joined the investigation and search Friday for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, four days after the girls — 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker — were found dead at a remote campsite outside Leavenworth.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Campgrounds closed along Pacific Crest Trail in search for man wanted in daughters' deaths
Authorities have closed a wide swath of popular campgrounds and backpacking areas along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as they search for a former Army soldier wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters. Dozens of additional law enforcement officers from an array of agencies joined the investigation and search Friday for Travis Caleb Decker, 32, four days after the girls — 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 5-year-old Olivia Decker — were found dead at a remote campsite outside Leavenworth. The girls' mother reported them missing the night of May 30 when Decker failed to return them to her home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle, after a scheduled visit. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that there were more than 100 officers involved in the search, which covered rugged terrain in the Cascade Mountains of central Washington, and more than 500 tips had poured in from the public. 'Out of an abundance of caution, we have been given notice to, and are working in conjunction with our surrounding counties in the event Mr. Decker moves through the forest into their jurisdiction,' the statement said. 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. 'He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better,' she wrote. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all. ... 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.' Authorities warned people to be on the lookout for Decker and asked those with remote homes, cabins or outbuildings to keep them locked, to leave blinds open so law enforcement can see inside and to leave exterior lights on. It was unclear if Decker was armed, but the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said he should be considered dangerous. A reward of up to $20,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest. An online fundraiser for Whitney Decker raised more than $1 million, and friends Amy Edwards, who taught the girls in a theater program called 'Short Shakespeareans,' and Mark Belton thanked supporters during a news conference Thursday. 'Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us,' Edwards said. 'They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts.' Edwards and Belton said Whitney Decker hopes the tragedy prompts changes to the state's Amber Alert system as well as improvements in mental health care for veterans. The night the girls were reported missing, Wenatchee police asked the Washington State Patrol to issue an Amber Alert but it declined, saying that as a custody matter without an imminent threat, the case did not meet the criteria for one. The patrol did issue an 'endangered missing person alert' the next day, but those do not result in notifications being sent to mobile phones. As searches expanded for the girls last weekend, a sheriff's deputy found Decker's pickup in the area of Rock Island Campground, northwest of Leavenworth. There were two bloody handprints on the tailgate. The girls' bodies were discovered down an embankment nearby with evidence that they had been bound with zip ties, according to an affidavit filed in support of murder and kidnapping charges against Decker. County Coroner Wayne Harris said Friday that his office was awaiting pathology results to determine when and how the girls were killed. Authorities issued closure notices the previous day for that camping area, which lies in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, as well as for a large swath of rugged territory to the north. That included trails and campgrounds along the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the Canadian border to Mexico, and around Stehekin, at the northern end of Lake Chelan.
Tatler Asia
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
10 movies that don't sugarcoat the realities of solo travel and what we can learn from them
2. '127 Hours' (2010) Danny Boyle's retelling of Aron Ralston's harrowing ordeal in the Utah canyons is visceral and claustrophobic. What starts as an adrenaline-fuelled solo travel experience turns into a nightmare of survival, isolation and profound psychological reckoning. The film strips away the romantic veneer of adventuring alone, reminding viewers that nature doesn't care about your spiritual journey—it just is, and it can be brutal. What it teaches us: When you travel solo, be prepared to rely only on yourself. 3. 'Wild' (2014) Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of Cheryl Strayed on the Pacific Crest Trail is far from glossy. Wild acknowledges the grit, exhaustion and mental unravelling that come with solo travel, especially when done as a form of emotional healing. This isn't a neatly packaged 'finding oneself' narrative—it's a raw exploration of grief, addiction and the uncomfortable silence that descends when you're truly alone with your thoughts. What it teaches us: Healing on the road is possible, but it's slow, painful and entirely self-led. 4. 'The Beach' (2000) Leonardo DiCaprio plays a backpacker in search of paradise in Thailand, only to find a utopian community that devolves into paranoia and violence. The Beach is less about the logistics of solo travel and more about the toxic allure of escapism. It captures the darker side of Western travellers chasing authenticity abroad: selfishness, cultural blindness and the naïve belief that isolation equals enlightenment. What it teaches us: Not all solo travel is noble. Sometimes, solo travellers are just running from reality. 5. 'All Is Lost' (2013) With barely any dialogue, Robert Redford delivers a haunting performance as a man lost at sea. This is solo travel at its starkest. No support network, no rescue, no inner transformation arc—just survival. The film's realism lies in its refusal to give its protagonist a backstory or emotional payoff. It's a masterclass in portraying solitude as a place of fragility. What it teaches us: Solitude is often romanticised, but it's not always a place of peace and enlightenment. 6. 'The Shallows' (2016) A shark thriller may seem an odd entry, but The Shallows captures the vulnerability of being alone in a foreign place. When a surfing trip turns deadly, Blake Lively's character must rely entirely on herself in an environment that's both beautiful and lethal. Beneath the suspense lies a cautionary tale: solo travel doesn't come with lifeguards, literal or metaphorical. What it teaches us: Independence is different from isolation. 7. 'Red Eye' (2005) Wes Craven's psychological thriller unfolds almost entirely on a red-eye flight, where a solo female traveller finds herself ensnared in a terrorist plot. The film plays on the unsettling truth that travel can expose one to unpredictable danger. It's a reminder that vulnerability doesn't just come from nature or circumstance, but from human malice hiding in plain sight. What it teaches us: Safety is a myth when you're alone, and danger can look charming. 8. 'The Martian' (2015) Though set on Mars, Ridley Scott's film is ultimately a story about radical solitude. Mark Watney's survival hinges on intellect, humour and sheer willpower, but the psychological toll of being truly alone in an unfamiliar place is made plain. While more optimistic in tone, The Martian doesn't gloss over the intense loneliness and mental strain that can come with solo travel in any form—even interplanetary. What it teaches us: Survival is about more than tools. It's about mental resilience in total isolation. 9. 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' (2013) This might seem like an odd pick—Ben Stiller's globe-trotting adventure is undeniably whimsical—but underneath the visual charm is a man whose first solo trip is propelled by fear and regret. Walter Mitty is about stepping into the unknown when unprepared, socially awkward and emotionally repressed. It quietly shows that solo travel isn't always romantic. Sometimes, it can be awkward, disorienting and surprisingly hard to enjoy. What it teaches us: Messy and magical can co-exist when stepping out of one's comfort zone. 10. 'Tracks' (2013) Robyn Davidson's real-life trek across the Australian desert with camels is stripped of sentimentality. Tracks is harsh, unglamorous and deeply introspective. It shows the physical toll of long-term solo travel and the loneliness of walking away from people, not toward them. Davidson's journey is a face-off with self-imposed isolation. What it teaches us: Solitude has a cost, and only you can decide if it's worth paying.
