Decker children killings

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Murders of the Decker children
LocationWashington, U.S.
Date
  • Disappearance:
  • May 30, 2025
  • Discovery of bodies:
  • June 2, 2025
Attack type
Mass murder, child murder
Deaths3
MotiveUnknown

On May 30, 2025, sisters Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker (ages 9, 8 and 5 respectively) were reported missing in Wenatchee, Washington, after their father failed to return them from a custody visit on time. Three days later, their bodies were discovered in Chelan County, near the unoccupied and abandoned truck the father lived in. The father, 32-year-old Travis Caleb Decker of Pewaukee, Wisconsin,[1] who lived in Wenatchee at the time of the murders, was the main suspect and became the focus of a three-month-long nationwide manhunt. On September 25, human remains found near Leavenworth, Washington, a week prior were confirmed to be that of Decker; the confirmation came a day after he had been declared dead by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Background

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Travis Caleb Decker (born August 15, 1992) had a history of mental health issues, having been diagnosed with both borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.[2] He was raised in the Milwaukee suburb of Pewaukee, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Pewaukee High School in 2010. During his high school years, Decker played JV/Varsity football, and was a member of the Pewaukee wrestling team who later wrestled in the Wisconsin state finals that same year.[3][4]

According to authorities, in his later years, Decker served as a Green Beret and a member of the Army National Guard and served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from March 2013 until July 2021, including a four-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014. From 2014 to 2016, Decker served in the Washington National Guard as an automatic rifleman with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. According to the Washington Military Department, Decker possessed special skills and training from his military experience, which were feared to potentially make him difficult to locate during the manhunt.[5] During his time in the army, he was a former part of the 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team while stationed in Italy in 2017. Before joining the 503rd, Decker had reportedly been removed from the elite Ranger Regiment after failing to complete Ranger School.[6]

In Pewaukee, where Decker was raised, Milwaukee Fox affiliate WITI-TV spoke to his brother TJ by phone, stating that he had a falling out with Decker a decade prior and the two haven't spoken since.[7] Decker's former neighbor in Pewaukee described Decker in an interview with NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV as "extremely athletic" and a kind teenager who excelled at sports, alongside his grandfather who was in the special forces, and that he followed in his father's footsteps by joining the military.[8]

Decker was married to his ex-wife, the mother of the three children, for 10 years, before they divorced in 2023. His ex-wife's attorney stated that while Decker did have mental health issues, there were no red flags with him, and that he and his ex-wife "were able to communicate on a regular basis, not just as co-parents, but as friends". The attorney also stated that the ex-wife emphasized that Decker was an "active dad", with no previous history of violence to either her or their children.[9]

Disappearance and murders

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On May 30, 2025, Decker picked his three daughters up from his ex-wife at 5pm for a planned visitation. Without explanation, he failed to return them at 8pm as planned.[10] On June 2, law enforcement in Chelan County discovered the unoccupied white 2017 GMC Sierra truck that Decker had lived in near the Rock Island Campground. The bodies of the three girls were nearby; they had been found zip-tied, with plastic bags over their heads. A preliminary examination concluded they had likely been killed by asphyxiation. Decker's wallet was located in the truck, which also had a bloody handprint on its tailgate.[11]

Manhunt

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After the discovery of the girls' bodies, a manhunt for Decker began. The Washington State Patrol was criticized for not initially issuing an Amber alert, despite being asked by the Wenatchee Police to do so.[12]

A deputy U.S. Marshal with the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force revealed in a U.S. Marshals Service affidavit that Decker's Google account, days before the murders, included searches such as "how does a person move to Canada," "how to relocate to Canada," and "jobs in Canada", raising concern that Decker had been planning to flee to Canada. According to the Chelan County Sheriff’s office, Decker is well-versed in outdoor survival and has previously lived off-grid for up to almost three months, but had struggled to maintain stability in his life and stable housing. Decker was homeless, living at campgrounds and motels.[13]

On July 5, several law enforcement agencies began searching Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest for Decker after law enforcement officials received a tip from a family that he may have been in the area.[14] On July 9, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force located a hiker who matched Decker's general appearance and was initially suspected to be him; later that day, the manhunt in Idaho was called off after it was confirmed that the hiker was not Decker.[15]

On August 28, investigators discovered bones in Chelan County during the search for Decker. Authorities conducted forensic analysis to determine whether the bones were human; on September 3, they were verified to be animal bones, unrelated to the case.[16]

Discovery of Decker's remains

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On September 18, about three and a half months after Decker disappeared, human remains were found south of Leavenworth, Washington.[17] Six days later, the U.S. Marshals Service officially declared him deceased,[18] and DNA analysis the following day confirmed the remains belonged to Decker.[19] On September 26, the Chelan County coroner announced that due to the advanced state of decomposition on the remains, an autopsy to determine the time and manner of Decker's death would be impossible.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pewaukee native on the run after death of his three daughters in Washington state". WISN-TV. WISN-TV. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  2. ^ "Police say father suspected of killing his 3 daughters could be hiding in the wilderness". USA Today. USA Today. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  3. ^ "What we know about Travis Decker, the Pewaukee, Wisconsin native accused of killing his daughters in Washington". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  4. ^ "Former Pewaukee resident wanted for murder, kidnapping, after 3 daughters found dead in Washington state". WDJT-TV. WDJT-TV. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  5. ^ "Search expands for former Army soldier accused of killing his 3 young daughters in Washington state". Associated Press. Associated Press. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  6. ^ "Former Army squadmate shares insight into military past of WA's Travis Decker". KCPQ-TV. KCPQ-TV. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "Pewaukee native wanted after 3 daughters found dead in Washington". WITI-TV. WITI-TV. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  8. ^ "Former neighbor shocked as manhunt continues for Pewaukee native accused of killing his daughters in Washington state". WTMJ-TV. WTMJ-TV. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  9. ^ Forrester, Megan (June 6, 2025). "Father who killed 3 daughters was 'active dad' but the 'system failed' him, ex-wife's attorney says". ABC News. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "Father who killed 3 daughters was 'active dad' but the 'system failed' him, ex-wife's attorney says". ABC News. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  11. ^ "Grim details revealed in the deaths of three Washington girls as the search for their father continues". WTMJ-TV. NBC News. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  12. ^ Liddell, James (June 5, 2025). "Officials defend why they did not issue an AMBER Alert for 3 missing Washington sisters who were found murdered". The Independent. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  13. ^ Slauson, Tyler; Matsuzawa, Shirah (June 6, 2025). "Travis Decker googled ways to move to Canada". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  14. ^ Corbin, Clark (July 7, 2025). "Search for suspect Travis Decker underway in Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  15. ^ "Search for Travis Decker in Idaho ends after lookalike hiker found and cleared".
  16. ^ Neumann, Sean (August 29, 2025). "Bones Found During Manhunt for Travis Decker, Missing Father Suspected of Killing 3 Daughters". People. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  17. ^ Moon, Grace; Ho, Vivian (September 19, 2025). "Human remains may be of Travis Decker, accused of killing 3 daughters". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  18. ^ "ABC News: Travis Decker declared dead before DNA confirmation on remains: US Marshals Service".
  19. ^ "CNN News: Travis Decker confirmed dead after DNA results show human remains belong to fugitive".
  20. ^ "Travis Decker's autopsy 'cannot be done,' coroner says".