A Washington father suspected of fatally suffocating his three little girls has an extensive military background and served in Afghanistan, the Daily Mail has learned – as police warned the public not to approach him during their ongoing manhunt.
Travis Decker, 32, is accused of killing his daughters, Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia Decker, five, whose bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth, after he failed to return them to their mother in Wenatchee following a scheduled three-hour visit.
As authorities search for Decker, who is believed to be mentally unstable, they warned locals that he could be dangerous due to his military background.
Decker joined the Army in 2013, according to the Associated Press. He served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Karina Shagren, communications director for the the Washington Military Department, confirmed to the Daily Mail.
He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time, the AP reported.
Decker stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge.
He likely has advanced combat training and was an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of ‘Ranger,’ indicating he would have excellent wilderness and survival skills, Fox 13 Seattle reported, citing social media posts.
It is unknown if the veteran is currently armed, but local law enforcement cautioned people from approaching him.
‘Due to safety concerns do not attempt to contact or approach Decker,’ police said.
‘This is an absolute tragedy,’ the military spokeswoman told AP. ‘We are mourning along with the community.’
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 said.
Decker’s truck also had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console.
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.
The girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, who is divorced from the veteran, told police that he had picked the girls up around 5pm but had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail, court documents said.
Detectives said she ‘expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues.’
She also told law enforcement officials that 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 has followed through with the plan – which he refused to sign, the court documents show.
Still, Whitney told police 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 for a scheduled three-hour visit on 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.
When Decker failed to return with the girls that night, Whitney reported them missing.
‘What prompted her to call us was that… he was late returning the girls and had not communicated to her that he was going to be late, which was his typical fashion and so this was out of the ordinary,’ Captain Brian Chance said.
Washington State Patrol was contacted Friday night to request an Amber Alert, but it did not meet the required criteria, Wenatchee Police said.
The lacking criteria was suspected abduction and imminent peril of death or serious injury, said Chris Loftis, director of public affairs for the state patrol.
‘In this case, it was a parent with custodial privileges, and the children had not been returned home on time. But that’s a rather common occurrence and not something where you just automatically assume abduction,’ he said.
He added that there was no indication Decker would harm them.
‘We’re people too, you know, so the loss of a child, the loss of two children, the loss of three children is… devastating,’ Loftis said. ‘Everybody always looks to how we can improve.’
The following day, Wenatchee detectives contacted the patrol with additional information that led to the issuance of an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA).
State police later dropped the EMPA on Monday evening without releasing a public reason. The following day, Wenatchee Police Department announced the girls’ deaths.
Whitney also 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, whom he 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.
‘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.’
The girls’ maternal grandmother similarly wrote that Decker would drop off the girls at inconsistent times and they would sometimes be upset or crying when they returned home.
‘They are all happy, smart, well-adjusted girls with the exception of when Travis brings them back to me after his visitations,’ she wrote, according to the Seattle Times.
On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker’s arrest and ordered he be held without bail.
Decker is described as 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, with black hair worn in a ponytail and brown eyes.
He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe set up for Whitney had raised nearly $366,000 as of Wednesday morning.
‘These girls were true light in this world and it is a darker place without them. I will miss seeing their sweet little faces,’ a note on the fundraising page read.
‘Send Whitney all of your prayers, love and support. Take some time to today to tell someone you love them.’