Authorities are searching for a Washington state father of 3 dead girls
[June 04, 2025]
By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
A man in central Washington state is wanted on suspicion of murder after
his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead.
Authorities asked the public Tuesday for help finding Travis Decker, 32,
who is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, according to
police in Wenatchee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle.
Police said it was unknown whether Decker, a former Army soldier with
“extensive training,” was armed.
On Friday the mother of the girls, ages 9, 8 and 5, reported that their
father did not return them after a planned visit, police said.
Over the weekend authorities looked for the children and for Decker, who
was believed to be living out of a white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup with
Washington plates.
Police said Decker's unoccupied truck was found Monday near a campground
west of the city of Leavenworth, which is about 20 miles (30 kilometers)
northwest of Wenatchee. According to an affidavit, Chelan County
Sheriff’s Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards
(68 to 91 meters) away from the truck, The Seattle Times reported.
Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their
wrists were zip-tied, court documents said.
Anyone who may have seen Decker since Friday or knows his current
location was asked to call 911.
“Due to safety concerns do not attempt to contact or approach Decker,”
police said.
The Wenatchee School District said the girls were students of Lincoln
Elementary and that counseling services were available.
The mother told police that Decker picked the girls up around 5 p.m. but
had not returned them by 8 p.m., and his phone went straight to
voicemail, court documents said.
The detective said she “expressed concern because Decker reportedly has
never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental
health issues.”
“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 said.
Washington State Patrol was contacted Friday night to request an Amber
Alert, but it did not meet the required criteria, Wenatchee police said.
The following day Wenatchee detectives contacted the patrol with
additional information that led to the issuance of an Endangered Missing
Person Alert.
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This undated photo provided by the Wenatchee Police Department shows
Travis Caleb Decker who the police are asking the public for help in
locating the Washington state father who is wanted for murder after
his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead.
(Wenatchee Police Department via AP)
The lacking criteria was suspected abduction and imminent peril of
death or serious injury, said Chris Loftis, director of public
affairs for the state patrol.
“In this case, it was a parent with custodial privileges, and the
children had not been returned home on time. But that’s a rather
common occurrence and not something where you just automatically
assume abduction,” he said, adding that there was no indication
Decker, a custodial parent who had the children for a visit, would
harm them.
"We’re people too, you know, so the loss of a child, the loss of two
children, the loss of three children is ... devastating," Loftis
said. “Everybody always looks to how we can improve.”
The alert systems are constantly evolving and this could prompt
further change, Loftis said: “Obviously it didn’t work this time.
Obviously we have three children that are dead.”
Decker joined the Army in 2013 and transferred to the Washington
National Guard in 2021, Washington Military Department spokesperson
Karina Shagren told The Associated Press. He was a full-time member
of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time.
Decker stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a
year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary
discharge for him, Shagren said.
“This is an absolute tragedy,” Shagren said. “We are mourning along
with the community.”
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office, which found the truck, was
leading the search in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest area
while other teams followed up on “potential credible information and
tips” regarding Decker's location, the agency said in a statement.
The agency was working with U.S. Marshals to locate and apprehend
Decker and the search continued Tuesday evening. A reward of up to
$20,000 was available for information leading directly to his
arrest.
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Associated Press writer Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington,
contributed.
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