The mother of three young girls who were allegedly murdered by their father has spoken out.
The shocking discovery of Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five, came just days after their mother, Whitney Decker, reported them missing on May 30.
The girls had been on a scheduled visitation with their father, and were expected back that same day in Wenatchee. But when Travis Decker failed to return them, and calls to his phone went straight to voicemail, Whitney’s worst fears began to unfold.
“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,” Capt. Brian Chance told NBC4 Washington.
At around 3:45PM on June 2, the bodies of the three girls were found near the Rock Island Campground, approximately 40 miles from their home.
According to the Wenatchee Police Department, they had been zip-tied at the wrists and are believed to have died from asphyxiation.
The girls’ bodies were discovered about 75 to 100 yards down an embankment, close to their father’s abandoned white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck.
Inside the vehicle, police recovered disturbing personal items including food, blankets, car seats, a wallet, and two bloody handprints, as reported by the New York Post.
Police also traced Decker’s cell phone, which confirmed he had been at the campground the day before the girls were reported missing.
Now, Whitney Decker is channeling her grief into action, calling for reforms to Washington State's Amber Alert system.
She believes that had an alert been issued when her daughters were first reported missing, the outcome could have been different.
“It’s very important to Whitney to get that fixed,” said her attorney, Arianna Cozart, in a statement to KING of Seattle.
She also added: "Something broke inside of Decker, and that he would not have done what he did if he were himself.
"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," per the Seattle Times.
The current criteria for issuing an Amber Alert in Washington have been under scrutiny, as some argue that procedural delays may hinder efforts in urgent abduction cases.
Decker, 32, is a former U.S. Army member who later joined the Washington National Guard. His training includes mountain survival school, and authorities say he has extensive knowledge of how to live off the grid.
"It sounds like at times he would go out and would be [living] off grid for sometimes up to two and a half months,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said at a press conference.
“He could have scoped out this area before [he] put supplies out there and has the ability and the knowledge to survive for a long period of time.”
Reports also state that Decker was homeless and living out of the same pickup truck where evidence was recovered.
The manhunt for Decker is now a massive, multi-agency operation involving local law enforcement, Homeland Security, and the FBI.
Authorities have warned the public not to approach Decker, describing him as posing a “significant risk” due to his military background.
“It remains unclear if the suspect is or was armed,” police said.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning on June 5: “If you see, or believe you have seen, Mr. Decker please call 911 immediately and do not attempt or contact or approach him.”
Decker is described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall, 190 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
Sheriff Morrison also issued a direct plea: “Travis, if you're out there seeing us, we'd like you to turn yourself in. We want a peaceful resolution to this, but we're not going to relinquish our efforts. So please turn yourself in. Let's wrap this up and do what's right for your kids.”