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21 Aug, 2025
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Who Is Travis Decker? What to Know About the Missing Washington Father Charged with Killing His Daughters
@Source: people.com
Nearly three months after his daughters' deaths, the manhunt for Travis Decker continues. Authorities have been searching for the Washington dad since June 2025, after his three young daughters — Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia — were found dead on June 2, days after they were reported missing during a "planned visitation" with him. Their deceased bodies were found near their dad's abandoned truck, and subsequent autopsies helped authorities determine that the young girls had died from suffocation. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. After the Decker sisters' deaths were announced, police revealed in a press release that Travis had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping. But nearly three months later, he has yet to be apprehended, though authorities reiterated in a press release on Aug. 19 that he is the "only suspect involved in committing these homicides." "At this time, we do not have any evidence to suggest Travis Decker is either alive or deceased," the press release continued, noting that officials would continue their search efforts. So, who is Travis Decker? Here's everything to know about the Washington dad accused of killing his three daughters. He is an Army veteran who reportedly has shown signs of PTSD Following in the footsteps of his parents, who were both soldiers, Travis enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2013. Arianna Cozart, the attorney for Travis' ex-wife Whitney, told PEOPLE in June 2025 that Travis "seemed to suffer from PTSD as a result of combat." Travis left the Army and joined the Washington National Guard in 2021, leading his family life to become more difficult, Cozart explained. “His issues seemed to spiral once he was out of what Whitney calls the bumpers of the military that kept him in line," she said. "He tried to get help — he went to the VA, he called the Veterans Crisis Line." Though he struggled with mental health issues and was unable to receive help through veterans' resources, Cozart told ABC News in June 2025 that Travis showed "no red flags" before his daughters' disappearance. "The courts didn't fail these girls. It wasn't the judge and it wasn't Whitney; it was our system," Cozart said. "[Whitney] feels like the system really let Travis down. If somebody would have provided Travis with the help that he needed, those girls would be alive." According to the Wenatchee Police Department, Travis was "homeless and living in his vehicle or at various hotels/motels or at campgrounds in the area" at the time of his daughters' deaths. He divorced his ex-wife in 2022 Travis and Whitney met when he was stationed at the joint army-air force base in Washington and "never spent a day apart after they met," Cozart told ABC News. They wed and welcomed three daughters: Paityn, Olivia and Evelyn. Cozart elaborated to PEOPLE that "his mental health struggles, including his feelings of isolation, paranoia and Borderline Personality Disorder led to the crumbling of their marriage in 2022." Per the affidavit, Whitney spoke to investigators about her relationship with Travis and denied any domestic violence, but did "mention moments of power or control he used." “She provided the examples of randomly leaving or waking her up by screaming at her in the middle of the night," the affidavit stated. "She also said near the end of the marriage he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder that she believes he currently does not take medications for." He was a "present and active father" Cozart told PEOPLE in June 2025 that Travis, who later went on to work in construction, was a "present and active father up until the end — still attending the girls’ soccer games, dance, and theater productions." "Although Travis was struggling with his own mental health, he was a good co-parent, always communicating frequently with Whitney up until Friday evening when the girls went missing," she continued. The attorney noted that he was "not a violent man with Whitney or the girls, ever." Travis and his ex-wife had a parenting plan in place after he lost custody Travis lost overnight custody in September 2024, according to court audio obtained by News Nation, which captured him fighting to keep his daughters for overnight visits and swearing he's never done anything to put them at risk. In the audio, he can be heard claiming he regularly took his daughters to paid campsites, but claimed to have "never done anything that was unsafe." In a separate filing viewed by PEOPLE, Whitney claimed that Travis had "neglected his parental duties towards a child" and "has a long-term emotional or physical problem that gets in the way of his ability to parent." According to the parenting order filed in September 2024 and obtained by PEOPLE, the ex-spouses had a parenting plan in place that limited Travis' visitation to eight hours every other weekend and three hours on Fridays. He was also not granted overnight visits, though the schedule was temporary due to the court process, per Whitney's attorney. Travis' daughters were found dead in June 2025 during a visitation On May 30, Whitney reported her three daughters missing after Travis failed to bring them home that night after a "planned visitation." The next day, the Wenatchee Police Department released an endangered persons alert and said that the young girls were "believed to be missing and unable to return home on their own." The missing persons alert was canceled days later, after officials found the three sisters dead near Travis' abandoned pickup truck at the remote Rock Island Campground in Chelan County on June 2. In a press release, the Wenatchee Police Department shared that Travis was not at the scene, despite authorities locating his car near the campground. Fox 13 Seattle reported that his vehicle was found "with two bloody handprints" nearby where the girls' deceased bodies were located, adding that various personal items were found inside the car, including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet. Autopsies for the Decker sisters were completed on June 6, when authorities announced that the siblings had each died of asphyxiation, and their manner of death was ruled a homicide. Per an affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE, each girl was found with plastic bags over their heads and at least one was restrained with zip ties. Travis is wanted on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping Following the announcement of the girls' deaths, police said in a press release that Travis had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping. For nearly three months, authorities have been searching for Travis, who they've reiterated remains the sole suspect in the killings, citing DNA evidence linking him to the plastic bags and zip ties found with his daughters. While the manhunt continues, a $20,000 reward has been offered by the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to his arrest. Officials believe he may have fled the country after he allegedly searched "how to relocate to Canada" online, per a U.S. Marshals Service affidavit. Meanwhile, Cozart previously told PEOPLE she thinks Travis likely died by suicide. Authorities are asking anyone who has seen Travis to call 911 immediately and not attempt to approach him. People can also call the CCSO tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit information to the tip line. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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