Police released a haunting new photo of triple murder suspect Travis Decker as they continue their hunt to find the ex-soldier.
Decker, 32, is accused of killing his daughters, Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia Decker, five, after he failed to return them to their mother in Wenatchee following a scheduled three-hour visit.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office released a new photograph of the suspected killer today, revealing tattoos commemorating his service as an Army paratrooper.
The three sisters’ bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth, 20 miles from their Washington state home, on Monday. Their wrists had been bound with zip ties and each of them had been suffocated with a plastic bag.
He vanished into the woods and authorities believe he is still on the loose.
Police issued a new warning today, urging locals with cabins in remote areas of Washington state to ‘lock their doors and windows’ while Decker remains at large, KIRO 7 reports.
The warning, which includes sheds and outbuildings, applies to residents in Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish and Okanagan Counties. Officials have also recommended locals keep their window blinds open and outside lights on.
Decker is considered dangerous, given his extensive military training and propensity for violence.
Police released a haunting new photo of triple murder suspect Travis Decker as they continue their hunt to find the ex-soldier
Army paratrooper Travis Decker, right, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, is pictured in 2016 during the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Expert Infantryman Badge testing phase at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany
Investigators are trying to track down Decker, who is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in connection to the deaths of his daughters Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia (pictured with their mother)
Decker joined the US Army in 2012 and served a tour in Afghanistan two years later.
He likely has advanced combat training as a result, and was an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of ‘Ranger,’ indicating he would have excellent wilderness and survival skills.
Decker was a paratrooper for 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment – an unit within the 173rd Airborne Brigade known for conducting specialized airborne operations, including parachute jumps and air assault.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade has a rich history with its soldiers having been deployed to Vietnam and operations in Corregidor during World War II.
The brigade’s current deployments are in Europe as part of the Army’s contingency response forces.
Decker transferred to the Washington Army National Guard in 2021, rising to the rank of sergeant. He was a full-time member of the National Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time.
He stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge.
It is unknown if the veteran is currently armed, but local law enforcement cautioned people from approaching him.
The girls’ bodies were found approximately 38 miles from their mother’s home. Decker is still on the run, as authorities warn locals that he could be dangerous due to his military training
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office released Ring doorbell camera footage showing Travis Decker, 32, in a light colored T-shirt and dark shorts in the days leading up to his visitation with his three young daughters
Decker was reportedly diagnosed with complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder after leaving active military service.
Whitney, who spoke out for the first time today, says she knew her daughters were in ‘substantial danger’ when Decker failed to return them after his visitation on Friday.
She said, through her lawyer Arianna Cozart, that she begged police to issue an Amber Alert but was told the case did not meet the requirements.
But Whitney has now alleged this ‘was a tragedy that could’ve been completely’ avoided had officials intervened.
She believes ‘something broke inside’ of Decker and that he ‘would not have done what he did if he was himself’, Cozart revealed in a heartbreaking statement early Thursday morning.
‘He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out,’ Cozart told the Seattle Times.
‘We may never know if it could’ve meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could’ve made a huge difference,’ Cozart told the newspaper.
Mother-of-three Whitney Decker (pictured with her daughters) said today through her lawyer that she begged police to issued an Amber Alert after they failed to return home on Friday but was told the case did not meet the requirement
The girls’ mother had hoped they were missing in the woods with their father before the devastating discovery
Court documents state that when Decker’s ex-wife Whitney Decker reported her daughters missing on Friday, she ‘expressed concern’ over his alleged deteriorating mental state.
Whitney told police Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents.
The father-of-three was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, the documents show.
Whitney stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been ‘struggling to maintain stability’ since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters.
She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times.
She also said Decker – was prone to ‘outbursts’ and would come into her house yelling for the girls – would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so.
In one instance, Whitney wrote that her youngest daughter, Olivia, called her crying during a visit with Decker and said she could not find her father – before Evelyn came home with welts between her legs.
Travis Decker is accused of suffocating his three daughters. He remains on the run and is considered dangerous
Authorities also released photos of Decker from before he went missing, showing him with sunglasses that obscured his eyes and tattoos all down his arm
‘I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,’ Whitney wrote in the court filing. ‘To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship.
‘But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.’
But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters.
She said the girls had a, ‘good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,’ and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit.
She said when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was ‘quieter than usual’ which was ‘out of character’ for him.
He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles.
On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker’s arrest and ordered he be held without bail.
The children’s lifeless bodies were discovered in a campsite in rural Washington state
Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker’s truck.
Chelan County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the girls’ bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents state.
Decker’s truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console, police said.
The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found.
