Wenatchee girls found dead at campsite were bound; father hasn’t been located
Three Wenatchee girls who authorities believe were kidnapped by their father and found dead Monday at a Chelan County campsite were bound and presumed asphyxiated.
Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9, went missing Friday after they didn’t return home following a custodial visit. Their father, 32-year-old military veteran Travis Decker, is charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated murder and three counts of kidnapping in connection to their deaths, according to court records. He has not been located.
Through a search of cellphone records and license plate readers, investigators found Decker’s 2017 white GMC Sierra pickup truck in the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth, according to court records. When searching the area, investigators found the bodies of the three girls down an embankment about 100 yards from the truck. Each had a plastic bag over their head and their wrists zip-tied, or showed signs of being zip-tied.
A preliminary investigation led officials to believe they died of asphyxiation, investigators wrote in court documents.
Bags and zip ties were also strewn throughout the campsite, and bloody handprints were found on the truck, according to the documents. Police found personal items at the campsite, like blankets, car seats, food, a cooler and a wallet.
Cellphone records investigators obtained show Decker drove through the campsite the night before the children went missing and then returned with them the next day.
The girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, told police in court documents that the two had been divorced for several years and have a parenting plan that limits Travis Decker’s visits to every other weekend with no overnight stays because he had recently lost housing, according to court records.
At the end of their seven-year marriage, he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder for which he does not take medication, according to court documents. He was supposed to seek mental health and anger management treatment, but hasn’t.
His ex-wife noted he was quieter than usual and his wages were being garnished for not paying child support. He had been talking about getting rid of his dog over financial concerns, according to court records. Overnight camping trips were allowed only with clear details of plans and extra clothing, but the children left home with only the clothes on their back.
When Travis Decker didn’t return at his scheduled time, Whitney Decker began calling him but believed his phone was turned off. It was something he had never done before, she told police. He has never failed to return the children, and overall, the children and their father have a good relationship, she said in court records.
Law enforcement is asking for help finding Travis Decker. He was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt with dark shorts, has black hair and brown eyes, is 5 -foot-8 and weighs about 190 pounds. Travis Decker may pose a risk if he is approached, police said in a release. If found, call 911 immediately.
The family has established a GoFundMe to help the girls’ mother with expenses.
“I am upping the goal amount of this fundraiser so Whitney can take time off, care for herself and cover the final expenses of the girls without taking a financial hit. Please donate if you can. Every little bit counts. Send Whitney all of your prayers, love and support,” the post says. “Take some time to today to tell someone you love them.”
