Sequence ofEvents Concerning Travis Decker: From Doting Father to Accused Killer of His Three Daughters
The manhunt for Travis Decker, a former military member and father of three, has been ongoing for over a month as of early July 2025. Decker, aged 32, is wanted for the murder of his daughters Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5), whose bodies were found near Rock Island Campground in Chelan County on June 2.
Decker was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping following the discovery of his daughters' bodies. He was last seen on May 30, when he picked up his daughters for a scheduled visitation and failed to return.
Law enforcement agencies have been working tirelessly to locate Decker, with the U.S. Marshals Service offering a reward of up to $20,000 for any information leading directly to his arrest. The search has been described as one of the largest in Washington state history, with authorities urging residents to remain vigilant.
Authorities have not confirmed Decker's current whereabouts or whether he is alive or deceased. However, they acknowledge that his military training could enable him to evade capture and survive in the wilderness for an extended period. Cadaver dogs have been deployed in the search, and the National Park Service is planning to send out swift water search and rescue teams in the near future to conduct more searches of the bodies of water around the crime scene.
Whitney Decker, the girls' mother, contacted police on May 30 with a civil complaint, stating that Travis Decker had failed to bring the girls home at their scheduled time. The court had granted visitations for Travis Decker to visit the children for three hours on Fridays and eight hours every other weekend, as long as he remained in Wenatchee Valley with the girls.
In the weeks leading up to the incident, Decker made several internet searches about moving to Canada. The sheriff's office also collected a large amount of evidence, including human and non-human blood samples, from Decker's truck, which was found unoccupied near the Rock Island Campground on June 2. The bloody handprints found on the tailgate of the truck match the DNA profile that authorities believe is Decker's.
An autopsy determined the girls' cause of death to be suffocation, and the manner of death was ruled as a homicide. Whitney Decker had previously petitioned the court to "put restrictions in place on Travis Decker's parenting" due to "concerning factors regarding his mental health and stability."
Decker was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 while on active duty in the Army and was then transferred to the Washington National Guard in 2021. Preparations for an "administration separation" from the Washington National Guard were initiated in 2023 or 2024, but the process had not officially started at the time of the girls' disappearance.
Authorities continue to release updated suspect flyers, emphasizing that Decker remains a danger while at large. A new flyer, released recently, includes photos of potential ways Decker may have altered his appearance in the weeks since he was last seen. The manhunt for Travis Decker continues, with law enforcement urging anyone with information to come forward.
- The analysis of the blood samples found in Decker's truck has matched the DNA profile believed to be his, further implicating him in the crime.
- Apart from the manhunt for Decker in connection to the crime-and-justice topic, authorities are also concerned about the general-news issue of the increasing number of unsolved crimes in the region.
- As the manhunt for Travis Decker continues, public health officials have issued advisories about the safety of food and water surrounding Rock Island Campground due to the ongoing investigation.
- While the manhunt for Travis Decker dominates the politics of Chelan County, calls for stricter gun control laws have also resurfaced in light of the tragic event, sparking heated debates in the local legislature.
