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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
A missed drop-off and tragedy at a campground. How a manhunt for a
father accused of killing his 3 daughters is unfolding
By Alaa Elassar, CNN
Updated:
8:00 AM EDT, Sun June 8, 2025
Source: CNN
The last time Whitney Decker saw her three daughters, she gave them
each a hug and kiss goodbye, not realizing it would be the last time
she saw them alive.
The sisters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn
Decker, were found suffocated to death at an abandoned campsite in
Washington state on Monday, police said, sparking an intense manhunt
for their father,
Whitney had handed the girls over to Decker, 32, for their regularly
scheduled custody visit on May 30, the Friday before the devastating
discovery. Though the couple had been divorced for several years, they
maintained communication as co-parents and friends, her attorney
Arianna Cozart told CNN.
“We’ll see you at eight,” he last told Whitney, Cozart said.
Whitney noticed he was quieter than usual, but the exchange took place
without any problems, and she didn’t think much of it – until the
sun slipped behind the hills, dusk spilling across the sky, and the
girls still weren’t home.
Decker wasn’t supposed to keep his daughters out after 8 p.m. and
their custody plan specified no overnight visits, Whitney told the
Wenatchee police when she reported the girls missing.
His phone was going straight to voicemail, she told police.
The mother appeared to have been crying when she arrived at the police
station, police said, telling them Decker “has never failed to return
the kids” and typically lets her know when he is running late,
according to a police affidavit filed in the Chelan County Superior
Court.
Whitney told police that while he had a “good relationship” with
his daughters and they enjoyed their time together, she believed he was
experiencing mental health issues, according to the affidavit.
“But he never displayed any sort of ‘red flags’ to Whitney,”
Cozart said.
After speaking with Whitney, police checked the hotels and motels in
Wenatchee as well as the camping roster at the state park, and then the
wider area. Decker’s name was not listed anywhere.
The Wenatchee Police Department requested the Washington State Patrol
issue an Amber Alert the day the girls went missing, but because
“there was no current evidence” the girls were at risk of serious
injury or death, an alert was not issued, according to the police
affidavit.
The following day, when Decker and the girls did not show up to a
running event scheduled at the park, police provided more information
to the Washington State Patrol, which then issued an Endangered Missing
Person Alert, seeking the community’s help in locating Olivia, Evelyn
and Paityn.
Their disappearance kicked off an intensive search that grew as
friends, family and volunteers came out to look for the girls. Then, on
Monday the father’s pickup truck was found unoccupied at a Chelan
County campground with two bloody handprints on the tailgate, according
to the affidavit.
The girls’ bodies were about 75 yards away, down a small embankment.
Authorities are now by land and air for Travis Decker – wanted for
three counts each of – across the county, sweeping through local
forests and wilderness areas, according to the Chelan County
Sheriff’s office.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Saturday he’s tapping emergency funds
and ordering Washington National Guard resources to support the
multi-agency search for Travis Decker, warning area residents to keep
their doors and windows locked and to avoid restricted areas.
Meanwhile, a portrait of Travis Decker is emerging: an Army veteran and
National Guardsman experiencing homelessness, skilled in wilderness
survival, an involved father and, according to his ex-wife, a man
struggling with mental health issues.
The hunt for Travis Decker
Nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Range, Wenatchee lies between
Seattle and Spokane, where rugged peaks give way to rolling orchards
and of the Columbia River as it winds through the valley – a scenic
view now punctured by tragedy.
The sisters were found about 30 minutes northwest, in the Wenatchee
River Ranger district, a remote, mountainous region of Washington that
encompasses approximately 696,000 acres. The girls had plastic bags
over their heads, and their wrists were zip-tied, according to police.
The discovery of their bodies triggered a , an area popular for
backcountry hiking and camping, as law enforcement combs the forest for
any signs of the tattooed Army veteran. Authorities have released of
Travis Decker from the days before his custody visit with the girls. He
was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts and had his
dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.
Decker is “well versed in wilderness survival and capable of spending
days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little
equipment” which will likely make the search more difficult, the
sheriff’s office said in a on Wednesday.
The former military member also has “extensive tactical training,”
according to the which is of up to $20,000 for information leading to
Decker’s arrest.
Travis Decker is a former US Army infantryman and staff sergeant with
eight years of service, including five months in Afghanistan, according
to a US Army spokesperson. He is currently a member of the Washington
National Guard but is in the midst of a disciplinary process of being
discharged because of missed drills, the National Guard confirmed to
CNN.
As the manhunt continues, the sheriff’s office has residents in
neighboring counties to lock their doors, including on outbuildings and
sheds, and leave their outdoor lights on and their blinds open.
Travis Decker was experiencing homelessness, living in his car, motels
or camping locally, his ex-wife told police. His dog and daughters
“are the two big positives in his life,” she said, according to the
affidavit.
“He was very active with their extracurricular activities, their
dance, their soccer games, all of those things. He was very
involved,” Cozart said.
But there were concerns. Whitney told police that near the end of their
marriage, her ex-husband was diagnosed with borderline personality
disorder, and she did not think he was taking his medication, according
to the police affidavit.
In September 2024, a judge granted Whitney and Decker a parenting plan
with limitations after an incident in which Decker kept the girls
overnight at a homeless shelter and allowed them to go to a corner
store unsupervised, according to Cozart.
The new parenting plan included a psychiatric evaluation for Travis
Decker, mandatory mental health counseling, and a domestic violence
evaluation, according to court documents. He was permitted to see the
children every other weekend.
Travis Decker had “displayed some volatile behaviors that seemed
concerning towards Whitney, never towards the girls,” Cozart said.
His ex-wife believes the tragedy may have been prevented if Travis
Decker had better access to mental health support as a veteran, Cozart
said, pointing to to accessing adequate resources for veterans
struggling with issues including post-traumatic disorder.
Central WA Veterans Counseling, a local agency serving veterans,
believes that if Travis Decker had sought their help, he would have
been redirected elsewhere or placed on a waitlist due to a lack of
funding and a shortage of alternative resources to adequately support
veterans in the region.
“This isn’t a hidden crisis—we’ve been vocal about it in the
media and with local, state, and federal officials,” the group said
in a statement.
It’s unclear whether Travis Decker was seeking help for the mental
health issues outlined in the police report. CNN has reached out to the
US Department of Veterans Affairs for information.
‘Living every mother’s worst nightmare’
The flag at the Chelan County Courthouse now flies at in memory of
Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn.
The killings of the three sisters – remembered by loved ones and in
their community as beacons of light and joy – have deeply impacted
Wenatchee and touched the hearts of parents across the country.
“Whitney is living every mother’s worst nightmare. The hole in her
heart is immeasurable. There are no words that can capture the weight
of this loss. Right now, she is surrounded by friends, family, and
neighbors doing everything they can to hold her up,” Amy Edwards, a
friend of Whitney’s, said in part in a statement released through
Cozart.
She remembered Olivia, Paityn and Evelyn as performers and dancers and
said, “their laughter, curiosity, and spirit left a mark on all of
us.”
“They were the kind of children everyone rooted for, looked forward
to seeing, and held close in their hearts. They are cherished - not
just by their family, but by an entire community who watched them grow,
perform, learn, and love. We ache with the love we still carry for them
- and always will.”
A launched by Edwards has raised more than $1.1 million as of Sunday to
support Whitney through the loss.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of three of our shining stars from
the Short Shakespeareans family,” the Music Theatre of Wenatchee said
in a .
“Their joy, creativity, and spirit lit up our stage and our hearts.
Though their time with us was far too short, their impact will forever
be part of our story. May their light continue to shine in every
performance we give. We carry them with us—always.”
The three sisters attended Lincoln Elementary School in the Wenatchee
School District.
“My heart, and the hearts of the entire Wenatchee School District
leadership, remain with the Decker family, the Lincoln Elementary
community, and all who knew and loved these precious girls,” district
superintendent Kory Kalahar said in a statement. “Every school, every
classroom, and every family within our district may be touched by this
tragedy in some way.
As the community grieves, no sorrow runs deeper than Whitney’s – a
mother devastated by unimaginable loss yet determined to ensure that
her daughters are known for the light, laughter, and love they brought
into the world.
“The girls were amazing little humans,” Cozart said. “I know
Whitney wants the world to remember them that way.”
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