Travis Decker, the daddy accused of murdering his three younger daughters close to a Washington campground, lacked psychological well being sources and struggled with post-traumatic stress dysfunction, his ex-wife’s legal professional informed ABC Information.
Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, had been killed after they left dwelling for a “deliberate visitation” with Decker at roughly 5 p.m. on Might 30, officers mentioned. At roughly 3 p.m. on Monday, officers situated Decker’s automobile unoccupied close to the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington, and the our bodies of the three ladies, however “Decker was not situated,” police mentioned.
As of Thursday, Decker could also be touring alongside the famed Pacific Crest Path, officers mentioned.
Authorities urged residents to maintain home windows and doorways locked and go away lights on at night time, Okanogan County Sheriff Workplace mentioned Thursday night.
Undated picture of Travis Caleb Decker who the police are asking the general public for assist in finding the Washington state father who is needed for homicide after his three younger daughters had been reported lacking after which discovered useless.
Wenatchee Police Division by way of AP
Arianna Cozart, the legal professional for Whitney Decker, the ex-wife of the suspected assassin, informed ABC Information that Decker — who was a former member of the army — struggled with psychological well being points, together with PTSD, and was unable to obtain assist by veterans’ sources.
“The courts did not fail these ladies. It wasn’t the choose and it wasn’t Whitney; it was our system,” Cozart mentioned. “[Whitney] feels just like the system actually let Travis down. If someone would have supplied Travis with the assistance that he wanted, these ladies can be alive.”
However earlier than the ladies disappeared final week, “there have been no crimson flags,” Cozart mentioned.
“He had some psychological well being points and a few instability in his life that basically led to the restrictions so far as in a single day visitation or him taking them out of the realm, however aside from that, he beloved these ladies very a lot and him and Whitney had been capable of talk regularly, not simply as co-parents, however as associates,” Cozart mentioned.
Three younger sisters in Washington, Olivia Decker, 5, Paityn Decker, 9, and Evelyn Decker, 8 who had not been seen since they left dwelling for a scheduled visitation with their father have been discovered useless, in response to the Wenatchee Police Division.
Wenatchee Police Division
The couple, who had been married for 10 years, met on-line when Travis Decker was stationed on the joint army-air power base in Washington and “by no means spent a day aside after they met,” Cozart mentioned. On account of Decker’s transfers whereas within the army, the 2 lived in Italy for 2 years and Georgia for one more two years earlier than shifting to Wenatchee Valley, Cozart mentioned.
Travis Decker’s PTSD was one thing he “all the time carried with him” all through their marriage, however didn’t start to “spiral” till he acquired out of the energetic reserves in 2023, Cozart mentioned. All through their time collectively, Cozart mentioned Travis Decker would scream in the course of the night time, soak the mattress and solely get one or two hours of sleep.
It was Travis Decker who initiated ending his marriage with Whitney Decker in 2023, as a result of he “felt like he wasn’t price it,” Cozart mentioned.
Arianna Cozard, the legal professional for ex-wife of father accused of killing three daughters in Washington, spoke to ABC Information on the couple’s marriage and custody agreements.
ABC Information
Then in September 2024, Whitney Decker — who had full custody of the youngsters — determined to hunt authorized counsel and petitioned the court docket to “put restrictions in place on his parenting” as a consequence of “regarding elements relating to Travis’ psychological well being and stability,” Cozart mentioned.
The court docket granted visitations for the daddy to go to the youngsters for 3 hours on Fridays and eight hours each different weekend, as long as he remained in Wenatchee Valley with the ladies, Cozart mentioned.
Cozart mentioned the parenting settlement was “working very well, till now.”
“One thing got here out of this man and he broke, that is it. When that man picked up these ladies, his infants, he didn’t have a plan to kill them; there’s nothing that signifies that he did,” Cozart mentioned.
In accordance with Cozart, Travis Decker picked up the ladies on Might 30, talked to his ex-wife for about 15 to twenty minutes after which left: “He mentioned, ‘Hey, I’ll see you at 8 [p.m.]’ and he left, and he by no means got here again,” Cozart mentioned.
Cozart mentioned Whitney Decker emphasizes that his ex-husband by no means was violent towards her or her daughters, saying that he was an “energetic dad” who was all the time in attendance at his children’ dance lessons, theater productions and soccer video games.
Previously week, Travis Decker started telling his ex-wife that he had “nothing apart from you and the ladies,” however that didn’t increase concern for Whitney Decker, Cozart mentioned.
Regardless of her ex-husband being on the run for killing their daughters, Cozart mentioned Whitney Decker has “plenty of love and empathy for Travis and who he’s in his core.”
“He was a loving man, however one thing broke and no matter monster got here out of him, it is one thing that he was skilled to do within the army,” Cozart mentioned.
Whitney Decker and Cozart are actually advocating for change within the psychological well being sources accessible for veterans and are additionally working with regulation enforcement officers to provide you with reforms for the Amber Alert system — as one was not issued when the ladies initially went lacking final week.
“When there’s a dad or mum with restricted visitation that has this historical past of psychological well being points and is a army veteran with the coaching essential to kill 100 alternative ways, that Amber Alert ought to have been issued,” Cozart mentioned.
Cozart, who had beforehand frolicked with the three younger sisters, described them as “full of sunshine” and as “variety, compassionate little ladies.”
Travis Decker, who’s described as 5 ft, 8 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes, was final seen sporting a light-weight shirt and darkish shorts, in response to police. Decker’s father is flying in to talk with detectives, officers mentioned.
Officers mentioned anybody who has any data on Decker or is aware of of his whereabouts ought to name 911 instantly.
