Three sisters passed away after visiting their father, See now!
In the quiet community of Wenatchee, Washington, the afternoon of May 30, 2025, began like any other Friday. For Whitney Decker, it was meant to be a routine transition for her three daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5. The girls were scheduled for a court-mandated custody visit with their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker. At 5:00 PM, Travis arrived to pick them up, promising to have them home by 8:00 PM. It was a promise that would never be kept, marking the beginning of a descent into one of the most harrowing tragedies in the region’s history.
When the 8:00 PM deadline passed without a sign of the girls, Whitney’s concern quickly escalated into terror. Travis’s phone went straight to voicemail, and the vibrant laughter of three young sisters was replaced by a deafening silence. By the time the sun rose on May 31, the girls were officially reported missing. What followed was an agonizing weekend for the family and an intensive mobilization of law enforcement.
The Grim Discovery at Rock Island
The search reached a devastating conclusion on the afternoon of June 2. A hiker traversing the rugged terrain near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County spotted an abandoned 2017 white GMC pickup truck. Recognizing it from the endangered person alerts, the hiker notified authorities. When investigators arrived at the scene around 3:00 PM, they found the vehicle contained Travis’s wallet, cellphone, and personal effects, but the cab was empty.
The horror unfolded just a short distance from the truck. In the brush nearby, search teams discovered the bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia. The scene was one of unfathomable cruelty; the girls had been bound with zip ties and found with plastic bags over their heads. An autopsy conducted between June 6 and June 9 confirmed the community’s worst fears: the sisters died of homicidal suffocation. The manner of death was officially ruled a homicide, turning a missing persons case into a triple-murder investigation.
A Targeted Manhunt
The primary suspect, Travis Decker, had vanished into the very wilderness he knew so well. A veteran of the U.S. Army and the National Guard, Travis possessed advanced wilderness survival skills, making him a formidable fugitive. Authorities immediately launched a multi-agency manhunt, drawing on the resources of the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, and the National Guard, alongside local sheriff’s offices.
Forensic evidence found at the truck painted a confusing and grim picture. Bloodstains were discovered on the tailgate, which DNA testing later confirmed belonged to Travis. Other biological evidence suggested animal blood was also present, likely from Travis’s dog, who was surprisingly found alive near the scene and turned over to a local humane society. The lack of “cadaver dog alerts” for a fourth body in the vicinity led experts to a singular, chilling conclusion: Travis Decker was still alive and actively evading capture.
The Profile of a Fugitive
Travis Decker’s background provides a complex backdrop to the tragedy. Raised in Wisconsin, he had served his country with a deployment to Afghanistan in 2014 before joining the Washington National Guard. However, his transition to civilian life was fraught with internal battles. He had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). At the time of the murders, his life was marked by instability; he moved between motels, campgrounds, and his truck.
While friends and family initially described him as an “active dad” with no public history of violence, court records hinted at a darker reality. Whitney had expressed increasing concerns regarding his deteriorating mental health, and the court had mandated that Travis undergo anger management and mental health counseling as a prerequisite for his visitation rights. Despite these precautions, his ex-wife’s attorney noted that there were no “red flags” suggesting he was capable of such a heinous act.
Clues on the Trail
Investigators working the case uncovered digital footprints that suggested the crime may have been premeditated. On May 26, just four days before the girls disappeared, Travis performed several online searches regarding how to move to Canada and how to survive in the deep wilderness. This has led law enforcement to focus their search on the Pacific Crest Trail and other remote wilderness corridors leading toward the northern border.
The manhunt is currently utilizing every tool available:
- Aerial Surveillance: Drones and helicopters equipped with thermal imaging are scanning the dense canopy of the Washington forests.
- Ground Teams: Tracking dogs and elite wilderness units are patrolling known trails and abandoned cabins.
- Border Patrol: Authorities have increased vigilance along the Canadian border, suspecting Travis may be attempting to cross through unofficial, rugged entry points.
The Aftermath and Seeking Justice
The Wenatchee community remains in a state of mourning for the three sisters whose lives were cut short in such a brutal fashion. Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia are remembered as bright, energetic children who were victims of a system that failed to see the danger lurking behind a father’s struggling facade. Whitney Decker and her family continue to plead for the public’s help in bringing Travis to justice.
Travis Decker is currently wanted on:
- Three counts of First-Degree Murder
- Three counts of Kidnapping
- Custodial Interference
He is considered armed and extremely dangerous. A $20,000 reward has been established for any information that leads directly to his arrest. Law enforcement urges anyone with information—no matter how small or insignificant it may seem—to contact local authorities immediately. As the search enters its next phase, the hope remains that the wilderness will eventually surrender the man responsible for this unthinkable crime, allowing a shattered family to find a small measure of peace.
