A Washington state mother is grieving the loss of her three daughters, allegedly murdered by their father, a former Army Ranger with a history of mental illness.
Whitney Decker says she knew her daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5—were in danger when their father, Travis Decker, failed to return them after a scheduled visit. Her pleas for an Amber Alert were denied, officials claiming the case didn’t meet the criteria.
On Monday, the girls’ bodies were discovered at a campground near Leavenworth. Their wrists were zip-tied, and they had been suffocated with plastic bags. Travis, 32, is now wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping. He remains at large and is considered highly dangerous due to his combat training and survival skills.
Decker, a former paratrooper and Afghanistan veteran, had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. His mental health had reportedly deteriorated following his separation from Whitney. She had voiced concerns to the court months earlier about his unstable living conditions and unpredictable behavior during visitations.
Despite this, Whitney had maintained that Decker loved the girls and had never failed to return them before. But she noted he seemed unusually quiet and detached when picking them up that Friday.
Authorities found Decker’s truck near the bodies, along with signs of a makeshift campsite. A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to his capture.
