GitLab

The search for a father-of-three accused of eliminating his children has narrowed in on a remote mountain trail in Washington State after hikers tipped off cops.

Travis Decker, 32, is implicated of killing his daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, whose bodies were discovered at a camping site in Leavenworth, after he failed to return them to their mom in Wenatchee following an arranged three-hour see.

A tip from hikers has actually offered cops new hope on finding Decker alive after witnesses reported a lone person who seemed ill-prepared for the conditions.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office stated Tuesday that tracking groups responded immediately, and a helicopter crew identified an off-trail hiker by themselves near Colchuck Lake, in a popular Cascade Range backpacking location called The Enchantments.

As authorities search for Decker, who is believed to be mentally unstable, locals have been alerted that he could be hazardous due to his military background.

Late Monday night an alert was provided to homeowners in the Ingalls Creek and the Valleyhi neighborhood to lock homes and automobiles and to be on the lookout for Decker.

'Residents and visitors are urged to secure homes and vehicles, stay alert, and report any suspicious activity to 911,' an alert stated.

'An increased police existence will continue as a preventive step.'

Travis Decker, 32, is implicated of eliminating his children, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, after he stopped working to return them back to their mom following a scheduled three-hour visit in Washington on Friday

Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies discovered the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from Decker's truck at a campsite. Police believe the ladies passed away from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents stated

The vast land surrounding Colchuck Lake is now an area of interest to authorities

Decker signed up with the Army in 2013. He served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Karina Shagren, communications director for the Washington Military Department, verified to the Daily Mail.

He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he changed to part-time.

Decker stopped participating in compulsory regular monthly drills a little over a year back, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge.

He likely has advanced battle training and was an air-borne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of 'Ranger,' showing he would have exceptional wilderness and survival skills, Fox 13 Seattle reported, pointing out social networks posts.

It is unknown if the veteran is currently armed, however local police warned people from approaching him.

Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after discovering Decker's truck.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the women' bodies about 75 to 100 backyards from the truck. Police think the women died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents said.

Decker's truck likewise had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, safety seat, and a wallet on the center console.

The camping site likewise revealed signs of current activity, with a camping tent and a cooler situated a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be discovered.

Decker attempted to fix the broken marital relationship with his ex-wife Whitney (visualized with children) simply a week before he supposedly suffocated and eliminated their 3 young children in Washington State

The sis' lifeless bodies were found at a camping area in Leavenworth recently, about 20 miles from their home

The girls' mother, Whitney Decker, who is divorced from the veteran, told cops that he had actually picked the girls up around 5pm however had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went directly to voicemail, court files said.

Detectives said she 'revealed concern due to the fact that Decker reportedly has actually never done this before and ... is presently experiencing some mental health issues.'

She also told police officials that Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and thinks he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents.

The father-of-three was expected to seek mental health treatment and anger management therapy as part of a parenting strategy, however there was no sign he had followed through with the plan - which he refused to sign, the court documents reveal.

Still, Whitney informed authorities she did not think her ex was hazardous and said he loved his daughters.

She stated the ladies had a 'great relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and kept in mind that he had never stopped working to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit.

Whitney added that when Decker went to pick up the girls for the see on Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him.

He had also presumably been discussing getting rid of his canine due to housing and monetary struggles.

When Decker stopped working to return with the women that night, Whitney reported them missing out on.

'What triggered her to call us was that ... he was late returning the women and had actually not communicated to her that he was going to be late, which was his normal style and so this ran out the normal,' Captain Brian Chance stated.

A helicopter team identified a rogue hiker off-trail near Colchuck Lake (imagined) in the popular Cascade Range backpacking location called The Enchantments

Snohomish County Sheriff's Special Operations, in coordination with the Snohomish County Region 1 SWAT group and Air Support Unit, have come together in a unified effort to support the Chelan County Sheriff's Office

Her lawyer, Arianna Cozart, said in a statement on her behalf to the Seattle Times that 'something broke inside' her daughters' father.

'He plainly had some sort of break and whatever that he had actually been coping with, whatever that had been repressed within him for so long as far as injury, simply triumphed,' the declaration checked out.

The declaration added that Whitney believed an Amber Alert must've been released after the women disappeared due to Decker's intricate PTSD and borderline personality condition.

Chilling red flags everybody missed before 'killer' father Travis Decker 'murdered his three daughters'

Washington State Patrol was called to request an Amber Alert, but it did not fulfill the needed requirements, Wenatchee Police said.

The lacking criteria were believed abduction and impending danger of death or serious injury, said Chris Loftis, director of public affairs for the state patrol.

'In this case, it was a moms and dad with custodial opportunities, and the children had not been returned home on time. But that's a rather typical event and not something where you just instantly presume abduction,' he said.

He added that there was no indication Decker would harm them.

'We're people too, you know, so the loss of a kid, the loss of 2 kids, the loss of three kids is ... devastating,' Loftis stated. 'Everybody constantly seeks to how we can enhance.'

Wenatchee detectives contacted the patrol with extra info that resulted in the issuance of an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA).

State authorities later on dropped the EMPA without launching a public reason. The following day, the Wenatchee Police Department announced the girls' deaths.

Whitney likewise stated in September divorce procedures that he had actually been 'having a hard time to keep stability' considering that they separated and it was starting to affect their children.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office cautioned that Decker might be armed and not to approach him

The look for 32-year-old Decker intensified today, as more than 100 Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) officers searched numerous square miles of the Rock Island Campground in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Park in the Cascade Mountains

She stated that sometimes he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, in spite of her objections, according to the Seattle Times.

She likewise said Decker was susceptible to 'outbursts' and would come into her home screaming for the ladies, whom he would often fail to pick up after guaranteeing to do so.

In one instance, Whitney composed that her youngest daughter, Olivia, called her weeping throughout a check out with Decker and stated she might not find her dad - before Evelyn got back with welts between her legs.

'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney composed in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to help with that relationship.

'But I can not have our girls remaining in what is basically a homeless shelter, sometimes unsupervised, with dozens of strange males or remaining in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in severe temperatures and unknown locations for their security.'

The ladies' maternal grandma similarly wrote that Decker would drop off the women at inconsistent times, and they would often be upset or crying when they returned home.

'They are all delighted, wise, well-adjusted women with the exception of when Travis brings them back to me after his visitations,' she composed, according to the Seattle Times.

On Tuesday last week, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered that he be held without bail.

with 3 counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in connection with his daughter's deaths

A GoFundMe was introduced for Whitney as she grapples with the terrible deaths of her daughters

Decker is explained as 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, with black hair worn in a ponytail and brown eyes.

He is charged with 3 counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe established for Whitney had raised over $1 million since Tuesday night.
redflagdeals.com
'These girls held true light in this world and it is a darker location without them. I will miss out on seeing their sweet little faces,' a note on the fundraising page read.

'Send Whitney all of your prayers, love and support. Take a while to today to inform someone you like them.'