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THE veteran father accused of killing his three young daughters has been seen in chilling surveillance footage as cops ramp up their manhunt.
Travis Decker, 32, was seen breathing quickly and leaning into the camera in an eerie doorbell video captured in the days before he allegedly murdered the siblings during a custody visit.
Cops released the footage, along with new pictures of Decker, on Wednesday in hopes that someone in the public might recognize the fugitive as the hunt for him enters day five.
They noted that the video was before the alleged killings, but that the footage serves as the most recent images of Decker, who is wanted on three counts of murder and kidnapping.
The search for Decker was launched after Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found dead at a campground in Washington state about 65 miles east of Seattle on Monday.
They were found wearing the clothes they were last seen in when their dad picked them up for what was supposed to be a three-hour custody visit on Friday, but their mom reported them missing when Decker didn’t return them in time.
Cops said the Decker sisters likely died of asphyxiation. They were found with plastic bags over their heads and zip-ties around their wrists, according to police records.
Decker’s truck, which he had been living out of, was found nearby with his wallet inside and two bloody adult-sized handprints on the tailgate.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said they’re doubling down on the search for Decker in the mountains west of the campground on Thursday.
Decker, a former Army soldier, has extensive training and experience surviving for months in the outdoors.
He’s capable of spending days or weeks outside on his own with little equipment, Decker’s dad told investigators.
In addition to serving in the US Army for years, Decker went to mountain survival school.
“It sounds like at times he would go out and would be leaving off grid for sometimes up to two and a half months,” Morrison said.
“So we understand that that’s a possibility, that he could have scoped out this area before, put some supplies out there, and has the ability and the knowledge to survive for a long period of time.”
Cops are asking the public to report any sightings of Decker, but to avoid contact with him if he’s seen, as he’s believed to be mentally unstable.
Morrison shot down recent claims that Decker had been seen in McCall, Idaho, over 400 miles away from the campground in Leavenworth, Washington.
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
Friday, May 30
5 pm – Travis Decker picks the three girls up from their mom, Whitney Decker.
8 pm – Travis Decker is supposed to return the girls but doesn’t. Whitney Decker calls him and it goes to voicemail.
9:45 pm – Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing.
Travis Decker’s truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn’t match their criteria.
Saturday, May 31
WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
Monday, June 2
3:45 pm – Travis Decker’s truck is found empty at Rock Island Campground with two bloody handprints and items inside.
5 pm – Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
Tuesday, June 3
9:30 am – Cops notify the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm – WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Travis Decker is still on the loose.
Wednesday, June 4
Cops release recent video and images of Travis Decker and tell the public that he has extensive survival skills and could survive in the wilderness for weeks.
“Dispatch should only be notified of first-person sightings, not rumors, texts, or online chatter,” the McCall Police Department said in a statement.
It’s unclear if Decker is armed, but he has years of experience handling weapons as a former military member.
FUGITIVE’S MILITARY HISTORY
Decker, a native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, first enlisted in the Army in 2013.
He served at Fort Benning in Georgia in 2018, according to CBS affiliate KIRO.
While in the Army, he earned badges including expert infantry and parachutist.
The Expert Infantry Badge requires a test that includes a land navigation test, weapon expertise, and marching 12 miles with a 35-pound load.
It also includes survival tasks like first aid, camouflage, and map reading.
Decker transferred to the Washington National Guard in 2021.
He was a full-time member until 2023, when he switched to part-time.
The Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge for Decker because he stopped attending mandatory monthly drills about a year ago, according to the Washington Military Department.
‘MORE AND MORE UNSTABLE’
Decker struggled with his mental health due to his time in the military, his ex-wife claimed in court documents.
Whitney Decker divorced the veteran in November 2022 after seven years of marriage.
The two had a parent plan for the three girls that included them staying with Decker every other weekend for custody visits.
In September, Whitney filed a declaration requesting that the girls no longer stay overnight with Decker due to his instability.
He was homeless, living out of his truck and motels, and the girls were forced to sleep on mattresses in an armory when they stayed with him.
Whitney said in the declaration that the girls cried and screamed when their dad picked them up for custody visits.
The court documents also said Decker showed narcissistic tendencies and was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, but Whitney said she wasn’t sure if he was treated for his mental health.
“Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable,” Whitney said in the filing.
“He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better for our girls. I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all.”
CCSO’s statement
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office shared the following press release on Wednesday night:
Tips Continue To Come In, More Potential Leads Developed, More Locations Checked
The team of Law Enforcement and support personnel working the case continue extensive efforts while acting upon potential leads.
As we take an “all hands” approach to investigating the murder of three young girls, the team morale remains elevated as we work toward locating Travis Decker.
Investigators are working collaboratively throughout the county, and across the state, to contact and interview all known associates of Mr. Decker to further develop leads and his potential next moves. Additionally, more teams are being deployed to different sites Mr. Decker was known to frequent in the area.
New information has revealed Mr. Decker is well versed in wilderness survival and capable of spending days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little equipment. Although this can be a challenge while searching for him, our personnel are well equipped and prepared to seek and apprehend him.
We have obtained recent video footage and pictures of Mr. Decker, which are attached to this release. However, these videos and photos are from the days leading up to his visitation began with the girls. These are the most recent photos and videos we have that reveal his last known appearance.
Anyone with information is urged to call the CCSO tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit your information here: https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/sheriff/forms/submit-a-tip.
**CCSO SUSPECT INFORMATION**
We are asking for the community’s assistance in locating Decker. Decker is currently wanted for 3 counts of Murder 1st degree and Kidnapping 1st degree. Decker is a former Military with extensive training. If you have seen him, or believe to have seen him, within the last several days, please contact 911. It is unknown if he is armed at this time but he should be considered dangerous and should not be contacted or approached.
Travis Caleb Decker 8/15/1992
5’8” 190lbs, Black hair, brown eyes
Last seen wearing light colored shirt and dark shorts
Source: CCSO
Before the bodies of the girls were found, Whitney said on Monday that her ex-husband’s mental health was declining.
“Travis has really struggled since he left the military and his mental health can be hard sometimes,” Whitney told KIRO.
She said at the time that she didn’t believe Decker was dangerous, but that he was “impulsive.”
Whitney recalled that Decker was “quieter than usual” when he picked up the girls on Friday, but that she didn’t think anything was wrong until he didn’t return them on time.
A GoFundMe to support Whitney in the aftermath of the tragedy has raised over $791,000.
