US4 min(s) read
Published 15:27 05 Jun 2025 GMT
Travis Decker is wanted for allegedly murdering his three young daughters. Here is everything we know about him.
Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five, were reported missing on the night of May 30. Their mother, Whitney Decker, contacted police after their father failed to return them following a scheduled visit.
“What prompted her to call us was that… he was late returning the girls and had not communicated to her that he was going to be late, which was his typical fashion and so this was out of the ordinary,” Capt. Brian Chance told NBC4 Washington.
A massive search followed. By June 2, Chelan County deputies discovered Decker’s white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck abandoned near Rock Island Campground, about 18 miles west of Leavenworth.
Roughly 100 yards away, the bodies of the three girls were found hidden down an embankment.
Court documents say they had plastic bags over their heads and signs of having been zip-tied. Two bloody handprints were discovered on the tailgate of Decker’s truck.
Inside the vehicle, officers found disturbing items, including zip ties, plastic bags, blankets, food, car seats, and Decker’s wallet, per Fox 13 Seattle.
Preliminary investigations indicate the girls most likely died from asphyxiation.
In a newly released video, Decker was seen days before the murders on a Ring doorbell camera approaching a stranger’s home, knocking, and oddly sliding his hand up and down the door surface.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the video was captured before the killings and remains the most recent footage of Decker, per the New York Post.
He is described as 5'8", 190 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and multiple arm tattoos. In some photos, he is seen with a ponytail, bushy mustache, and goatee. He was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
Authorities warn: “It is unknown if he is armed at this time but he should be considered dangerous and should not be contacted or approached.”
Decker, 32, is a former U.S. Army member who transferred to the Washington National Guard in 2021. He stopped attending mandatory drills about a year ago and was in the process of being discharged.
According to FOX 13 Seattle, multiple social media profiles and posts show Decker with elite infantry combat training, including earning a Ranger tab and training as an airborne paratrooper.
A separate account suggests he also qualified as an instructor at the US Army’s National Guard Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Karina Shagren, a spokesperson for the Washington Military Department, confirmed Decker had gone from full-time to part-time status between 2023 and 2024 and had been absent from service.
Sheriff Mike Morrison said Decker is capable of surviving “off-grid” for long periods: “We understand that at times, he would do caching… put some supplies out there, and has the ability and knowledge to survive for long periods of time.”
As of this week, authorities are continuing an expansive search across Chelan County.
Aerial and ground teams - including two helicopters from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office - are combing national forests and wilderness areas. Federal agencies, including Homeland Security, are now involved.
A reported sighting in McCall, Idaho, is under investigation, though Sheriff Morrison later said it “likely wasn’t Decker.” The focus remains on the Leavenworth area.
Decker’s ex-wife told police their divorce had been civil, and prior visitations had been without incident.
However, court documents show he refused to sign a final parenting plan that required him to seek mental health and anger-management counseling, services he never followed through on.
Decker had been living out of his truck and was reportedly homeless at the time of the incident.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said in a press conference: “The girls are a motivating force for us” as investigators continue to hunt for Decker.
A GoFundMe campaign organized to support their mother, Whitney, has raised over $788,000 to help cover funeral expenses and offer emotional support.
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