A Washington state mother is speaking out through tears after her three young daughters were found murdered. And their father, Travis Decker, is now the subject of a massive manhunt.
The girls, Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia Decker (5), were reported missing on May 30 after what was supposed to be a routine three-hour custody visit with their father. Days later, their bodies were discovered at a remote campground in Chelan County, leaving a community shattered and a family forever broken.
“Something Broke”
Speaking through her attorney, Whitney Decker says nothing seemed unusual when she last saw her daughters. Travis, 32, picked them up around 5 p.m. that Thursday. He told her, “See you at 8,” and drove away. That moment, in hindsight, marked the beginning of a nightmare.
“When that man picked up those girls, his babies, he did not have a plan to kill them,” attorney Arianna Cozart told ABC News. “There’s nothing that indicates that he did.”
But by 8 p.m., Travis wasn’t answering his phone. And by the time police reached Rock Island Campground, it was too late.
Authorities found the girls’ bodies down an embankment near the abandoned truck. Zip ties and plastic bags, later revealed to have been used in the killings, were scattered around the site. The girls had likely died of asphyxiation, police confirmed, and the tailgate of the truck had two bloody adult-sized handprints.
The Manhunt
Travis Decker, a former soldier with extensive wilderness survival training, vanished after the killings. His military background has triggered major concern from local law enforcement. They warn that he may be able to live off the grid for weeks or even months.
Authorities have since issued alerts across five counties, Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish, and Okanogan. They urged residents to lock windows, doors, and take extra precautions, especially in remote cabin areas.
A surveillance video released by police shows Decker with his hair pulled back in a ponytail, along with recent photos highlighting distinctive tattoos on his arms.
Officials now believe he may be traveling along the Pacific Crest Trail, and the U.S. Forest Service has ordered an emergency closure of the Icicle River area until at least June 28, with violators facing possible $5,000 fines.
A Devastated Family
Whitney Decker, who divorced Travis in 2022, says she never imagined this outcome, even with his visible decline over the past year.
Cozart revealed that Travis suffered from PTSD following years in the Army and Washington National Guard. He often woke up screaming during the night. After exiting the active reserves in 2023, he became homeless. He lived out of his truck and sometimes stayed at an armory with the girls during visits.
“Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable,” Whitney had written in a September 2024 court filing, asking the court to stop overnight visits. “He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country… but he has got to get better for our girls.”
Despite her concerns, she never saw violence from him. Until now.
“He was a loving man,” Cozart said. “But something broke… and whatever monster came out of him, it’s something that he was trained to do in the military.”
A Community Responds
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe created for Whitney and her family has raised over $1 million as of Friday morning. The page is filled with condolences from strangers, and officials are begging the public to report any sightings of Travis Decker immediately by calling 911.
The Search Continues
As the manhunt enters its fourth day, the fear remains very real: a trained, possibly armed fugitive is still in the woods. And grieving parents are left searching for answers.
“We just want this nightmare to end,” Cozart said on Whitney’s behalf. “And for Travis to be found, before anyone else gets hurt.”
