An urgent manhunt continued Wednesday for Travis Decker, the homeless veteran wanted for the murder of his three young daughters, whose tied-up bodies were found with plastic bags over their heads three days after he picked them up for a scheduled custody visit.
Decker, 32, faces three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping following the deaths of his daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, who were found at a Washington campground Monday close to the pickup truck their dad had been living in.
The military veteran — whose ex-wife, the girls’ mom, had repeatedly warned was becoming alarmingly “unstable” — remained at large Wednesday with a $20,000 reward issued for info leading to his arrest.
Here is what is known about the suspected murderer.
Military background
Decker appears in multiple social media posts from armed forces members. He is believed to have been an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite “Ranger” tab, meaning he has elite wilderness evasion and survival skills, multiple Facebook and Instagram posts seen by Fox13 show.
Decker also qualified as an instructor at the US Army’s National Guard Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Georgia, reports show.
He was a member of the Washington National Guard since 2021 after transferring from the Active Component, however, he had been pending a disciplinary discharge for not showing up to his monthly drills, Fox13 reported.
The last drill he attended was around a year ago, according to reports.
Deteriorating mental health
Decker’s wife, Whitney, filed for divorce from her husband last year, citing mental instability as a reason, court paperwork shows.
He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder toward the end of the marriage, and Whitney didn’t believe he was taking any medication, court filings seen by KIRO 7 show.
“Travis also has some emotional/mental health issues that were the primary catalyst to the end of our marriage and have also affected the girls greatly,” she wrote in court paperwork seen by the Seattle Times.
“He was in the Army for many years. Upon separation from the Army and transition into the reserves, his borderline personality disorder (aka ‘BPD’) and narcissism became rampant,” she said.
In recent months, there was an escalation in Decker’s behavior, she said.
“He has had some outbursts where he has burst into my home against my objections and yelled for the girls,” she said in the court documents, adding that she didn’t want to stop him from seeing his daughters.
“Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better for our girls,” she said — warning that otherwise she would have to “keep Travis from the girls,” which she did not want to do.
Missing children
Decker went to pick up his three daughters on Friday at 5 p.m. for a planned visitation from their home in Wenatchee, where they lived with their mother.
Decker did not tell the girls’ mother where he was taking them, and at 9:45 p.m., when they still hadn’t been returned, she called the police.
A missing persons’ AMBER Alert request was put in with the Washington State Patrol on Friday night but it was refused because it didn’t meet the required criteria, Fox13 reported.
Officers began searching for Decker and the three children immediately, checking local motels without success.
Decker’s truck was seen traveling westbound on Highway 2 from Wenatchee on Friday, information from the local Flock database showed.
An Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA) was issued on Saturday after Wenatchee Police detectives provided additional information.
On Monday, the search for the four was broadened, with Chelan County deputies, detectives, Emergency Management and a Homeland Security helicopter joining the mission.
Horrific discovery
Decker’s unoccupied vehicle was spotted close to the Rock Island Campground west of the town of Leavenworth at around 3:45 p.m. on Monday by a Chelan County deputy.
The three girls’ bodies were discovered close by with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties on their wrists, but there was no sign of Decker, according to a court affidavit seen by the Seattle Times.
All three died from asphyxiation, police believe.
Two bloody handprints were found on the tailgate of the truck, and Decker’s cell phone records show him in the area on Saturday, according to court documents.
Manhunt stepped up
A large-scale search for Decker is underway, involving local, state and federal agencies, Chelan County Sheriff’s officials said in a statement.
Police have requested the public’s help in finding Decker and have released a description of the suspected murderer.
He is described as being about 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds with black hair, a mustache and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a light shirt and dark shorts.
It isn’t known if he is armed but he is considered dangerous, and anyone who sees him is urged to call 911 rather than approach him, police said.
On Tuesday, drones were brought in by the US Marshal’s Office for the search, while the FBI, the US Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations have also joined the hunt.
A $20,000 reward has been announced by authorities in return for information leading to Decker’s arrest.
“Travis, if you’re listening, this is your opportunity to turn yourself in. Do the right thing, do what you need to do, and take accountability for your actions. We’re not going to go away. We’re not going to rest,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told a Tuesday news conference, directing his words at the fugitive.
“You will be brought to justice. Those young ladies deserve it,” he said.
The post Who is Travis Decker, the homeless veteran being hunted for murders of his 3 daughters? appeared first on New York Post.
