“He Was Never Supposed to Hurt Them”: Washington Mother Mourns Murder of Three Daughters, Father on the Run
A Washington mother is living every parent’s worst nightmare after her three young daughters were found murdered—allegedly by their own father, a former Army Ranger with a documented history of mental illness.
Whitney Decker had a sinking feeling something was wrong when her ex-husband, Travis Decker, failed to return their daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5—after a scheduled visit. Her desperate request for an Amber Alert was denied, authorities insisting the case didn’t meet the criteria.
Days later, the unimaginable became reality. The bodies of the three girls were discovered at a remote campground near Leavenworth. Their wrists had been zip-tied. Plastic bags had been used to suffocate them.
Now, Travis Decker, 32, is the subject of a statewide manhunt. Wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, he is considered highly dangerous, equipped with advanced combat and survival training from his military service in Afghanistan.
Travis had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and PTSD—conditions that reportedly worsened after his separation from Whitney. She had raised concerns to the court months earlier, citing his erratic behavior and unstable living environment. Still, the visits continued.
“He loved them,” Whitney had always believed. “He never once failed to bring them back—until now.”
She recalls he seemed cold and distant when he picked them up that Friday, but never imagined it would be the last time she’d see her daughters alive.
Authorities found Travis’s truck abandoned near the scene, along with evidence of a makeshift campsite. A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to his capture.
Whitney is left with unspeakable grief and a haunting question: How could the system fail three innocent girls who just wanted to go home?
