Authorities in Washington state are continuing their extensive search for a former Army paratrooper wanted in connection with the deaths of his three young daughters, whose bodies were found near his abandoned vehicle in a remote campground.
Former Army paratrooper slays his own daughters
Travis Decker, 32, is currently the subject of a multi-agency manhunt after officials charged him with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping.
The charges follow a disturbing discovery that unfolded days after Decker failed to return his daughters—9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia—to their mother, in violation of a custody agreement.
The girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, alerted law enforcement late Friday evening after her former spouse missed the scheduled custody hand-off.
Decker’s phone, when called, went directly to voicemail, prompting Whitney to immediately contact police.
According to legal documents, Whitney told officers that her ex-husband had recently been dealing with mental health issues.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office began searching that same night, around 9:45 p.m., for both Decker and his daughters.
Officers also looked for his white GMC Sierra pickup truck, which Decker had been using as a makeshift residence while homeless.
As the search gained urgency, local authorities were joined by the Wenatchee Police Department, the Washington State Patrol, and the FBI. An Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA) was issued the following day.
The decision to issue an EMPA instead of an Amber Alert came after officials determined the case did not meet the criteria typically required for such alerts, given that Decker had custodial rights and there was no immediate sign of foul play.
“In this case, it was a parent with custodial privileges, and the children had not been returned home on time. But that’s a rather common occurrence and not something where you just automatically assume abduction,” said Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis. He added that there had been no early signs suggesting the children were in danger.
Police discover children’s bodies, but no sign of Army paratrooper dad
Investigators tracked Decker’s truck and discovered it had been driven west along Highway 2 from Wenatchee on May 30. A warrant for his arrest was obtained on Monday, based on the initial custodial interference charges.
Later that same day, a deputy located the white 2017 GMC Sierra parked near Rock Island Campground, roughly 40 miles from Wenatchee.
Police made a grim discovery, when they found bodies of the three young girls around 75 to 100 yards from the vehicle.
All three children had plastic bags placed over their heads, with their wrists bound by zip ties, court records detailed.
They were still dressed in the clothing they wore when last seen with their father. Authorities believe the likely cause of death was asphyxiation.
Digital data from Decker’s cell phone showed he had visited the same campground one day before the girls went missing.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison provided additional details during an interview, noting the presence of bloody hand prints on the truck, believed to be from an adult.
Morrison did not confirm whether those belonged to Decker. “We’re not ruling anything out,” he said.
Law enforcement released recent Ring camera footage and still photos of Decker taken in the days leading up to the visitation with his daughters.
“These are the most recent photos and videos we have that reveal his last known appearance,” officials noted in a statement.
Authorities have described Decker, a former Army paratrooper as highly proficient in surviving under harsh outdoor conditions. According to police, he is capable of living off the grid for extended periods with minimal supplies.
Despite no indication that he is armed, authorities have warned the public that he should still be considered dangerous.
Decker has been previously diagnosed with complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder, reportedly as a result of his time in military service.
Mother of murdered children blames law enforcement for their deaths
His ex-wife has since spoken out, alleging that the situation might have turned out differently had authorities acted more decisively early on. She believes a quicker Amber Alert might have saved her daughters.
“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,” her lawyer commented.
“We may never know if it could’ve meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could’ve made a huge difference.”
On June 5, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office issued a new update regarding the manhunt and investigative developments.
Undersheriff Dan Ozment announced that officers had executed multiple search warrants in the region and had gathered additional evidence.
“Our teams have written and executed several search warrants around the area and on electronic devices that belonged to Travis Decker,” Ozment said, adding, “We’ve gathered new information which in turn has given us more leads to follow up on.”
Officials also issued warnings to residents living in rural areas across several counties, including Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish, and Okanagan, urging them to take safety precautions while Decker remains at large.
“As law enforcement conducts their searches, we are asking for those owners to lock all of their doors, to include any sheds or outbuildings, and leave their window blinds open and we recommend leaving outside lights on,” he stated in the release.
He is a vet. If he has a medical record at the VA it had to refer to his mental condition.
We can only hope that any medical records of parents who suffer from mental conditions would include this reference and would have to be considered when joint custody is involved.