Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder - Ep. 58 | Murder Cases That Are Still Unfolding...

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

In today's episode, we go over cases that are unravelling as we speak. What do you think about all these cases? Comment below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes the most disturbing stories aren't the ones long buried in the past. They're the ones still unfolding, where the ending hasn't been written. And justice hangs in the balance. A house full of students, a night that ends in silence, a body in the snow, a suspect who says she's being framed. Three little girls and a missing father. And a question no one ever wants to ask. Why? Today, we dive into three current true crimes.

cases that have gripped communities, split public opinion, and test to the limits of what we think we know about guilt, motive, and truth. These aren't just stories, they're warnings, their wounds that are still open. Crime, conspiracy, cults, serial killers, and murder, all things that I love to consume, and I know you do too, you sick, twisted, beautiful, intellectually-minded freak! And today we got Rupy back. We have Detective Rupy on the case. Say hello to everybody, Rippie? He's really sleepy back there. Little Bean. He ran around a lot today. But, uh, yeah, we're going to be talking about some very recent cases. Some are still ongoing. So let me know what you think down below when the video's done. But without further ado, let's unbuckle our seatbelts,

go mock five down the highway, slam on the brakes, and bust through this windshield into these three recent true crime cases together. It's unpredictable. But you can flare less with ebbglis. A once-monthly treatment for to severe eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four and ten people taking ebbglis, achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. Ebglis, Librikizumab, LBKZ, a 250 milligram per 2 milliliter injection is a prescription medicine

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Ask your doctor about Evglis and visit abglis.com or call 1-800 lily RX or 1-800 545-97579. Christopher Coburger was a 28-year-old criminology PhD student at Washington State University when a horrific crime shook a neighboring community. Across the state line, in the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, four university Idaho students were found brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus home on November 13th, 2022. And the victims were Madison Mogan, Kaley Goncalves, Zena Kornadole, and Ethan Chapin.

And they were close-knit friends and roommates. So Mogan, Goncaves, and Kernadl lived together in a rental house on King Road with two other female roommates. And Chapin was Kurnadole's boyfriend who had been sleeping over that night. And the peaceful college community of Moscow, which has a population of 25,000 people, had not seen a murder in years.

So the slaying of four young students one night left the town in utter shock and grief. So Kohlberger himself was from Pennsylvania and had no known personal connection to the victims. He himself was studying criminal justice and criminology, which was horribly ironic given the nature of the crime. And those who knew Coburg later described him as an awkward but academically driven person who struggled to fit in. And nothing in his background hinted at violence, however,

but faculty members at Washington State University had met with him just less than two weeks prior to the murders to talk with him about some growing concerns regarding the way he had been behaving. So in the hours before the murders, the four friends spent a typical Saturday night, enjoying campus life. And on the evening of November 12th, 2002, Ethan, Chapin, and Zana, Arnold attended a party at a fraternity house, while Madison, Mogan, and Kaylee, Gung Calves, went to a popular sports bar downtown. At around 1.30 a.m.,

Mogan and Gun Cavs were seen on a live stream at a local food truck. And they were just chatting and getting a late night snack before a ride service would pick them up at around 2 a.m. So by roughly 2 a.m., all four victims, had returned to the girl's rental house and were presumably settling in for the night. But unbeknownst to them, an assailant was likely already approaching. And investigators would later allege that Brian Coburgers' cell phone data placed him in the vicinity of the victim's neighborhood on a dozen occasions in the weeks prior to the murders.

So it appeared the crime was not random. And the killer might have stalked the home in advance. So in the early morning hours of November 13th, the household fell silent. And two other young women, roommates who lived on the ground floor, initially had allegedly slept through the night, unaware of the horrors that were unfolding upstairs. Because sometime between 4 a.m. and 4.25 a.m. on November 13th, the killer would strike. Armed with a very large knife, the intruder entered the six-bedroom house in complete darkness. And the attacker moved from room to room, ambushing the four students. And autopsy findings later indicated that all four victims were likely asleep at the time of the attacks.

And some would obviously wake up during the attacks and would put up a fight. And we know this because they had defensive wounds, but each was stabbed multiple times in a frenzy of violence. And the brutality of the crime was staggering. And the blood evidence at the scene suggested the killer was merciless and efficient. So it was extremely planned out. And one of the surviving roommates on the ground floor woke up during the attack, sensing that something was terribly wrong. And according to a police affidavit, this roommate walked out of her door and glimpsed a masked man dressed in black inside of the house.

And she noted that he had bushy eyebrows peeking out from his mask as he passed her by. But in a state of shock and fear, she locked her door instead of calling 911. So the intruder fled into the night, And it wasn't until just before noon that same day, nearly eight hours later that 911 was called and finally alerted the police to an unconscious person at the King Road house. So responding officers walked into a nightmare

because the four college friends were found dead in their bedrooms and the scene was blood-soaked and chaotic. An investigators also discovered a crucial clue the killer left behind, which was a leather knife sheath lying on the bed next to one of the victims. and that sheath stamped with K-bar. And it had DNA traces that would later prove pivotal.

So the college community was horrified as the news broke of a quadruple homicide, and rumors and fear spread fast because an apparent killer was on the loose. And for weeks, there seemed to be no suspect or motive. And memorial visuals were held for Madison, Kaylee, Zana, and Ethan, even as police worked quietly behind the scenes to catch the person who was responsible. So the investigation into the University of Idaho murders became one of the most intense and scrutinized in recent memory. And Moscow police, assisted by state troopers and FBI agents, sifted through thousands of tips and pieces of evidence. And early on, surveillance videos from the neighborhood provided a lead.

A white Hyundai Alantra was seen driving repeatedly near the crime scene around the time of the murders. So detectives traced registrations for that model car and discovered that Brian, Coburger owned a white Hyundai Allantra and drove it cross-country to his parents' house in Pennsylvania shortly after the killings. Spauspicious. And meanwhile, forensic testing on that knife sheath found at the house revealed DNA on the snap closure. So investigators would covertly collect garbage from the Coburger family home in Pennsylvania, and they would obtain a DNA sample which closely matched the sheath DNA, indicating the sheath likely belonged to Brian Coburger. And they also surveyed Coburger often wearing surgical gloves and putting trash in plastic

baggies and placing it in neighbor's trash cans. Suspish, okay? Couldn't be more suspicious. And he also reportedly cleaned thoroughly the inside and outside of his car during this period. Spspicious. So this DNA and surveillance evidence gave police the break that they desperately needed. And on December 30th, the 2022, six weeks after the murders, a SWAT team would move in and arrest the piece of shit Brian at his parents' home. And he was taken into custody on an active arrest warrant for four counts of first-degree murder. And a felony burglary charge accused of breaking into a student's home with the intent to commit murder. So Coburger was extradited swiftly back to Idaho in early January of 2023 to face his charges. And as the public learned of the suspect's

identity, the story pulled them in because it was a criminology student suspected of committing this horrible crime. And law enforcement officials confirmed that the cell phone pings from Koberger's phone showed that it was turned off during the time of the murders, which was, we assume, an attempt to evade tracking because he had planned obviously a lot at this point, so that would be like the bare minimum. But it pinged in Moscow later on and had been near the victim's residence multiple times in prior months. so he's a fucking idiot. In addition, Coburger's campus and office at WSU were searched.

And his white Alantra was seized for evidence. And the wealth of digital genetic and video evidence gathered by investigators painted a damning picture connecting Coburger to the crime. So Brian's case was now moving through the justice system. With many still closely watching, including my mother. She's the one who suggested I do this case.

Shout out to mom. She's the one that got me so interesting. in true crime. Shout out Mama Collins. And in May of 2003, a grand jury indicted Coburger on four counts of first-degree murder, one for each victim, and one count of burglary. So at his arraignment, Coburger chose to stand silent, meaning he did not enter a plea himself. And consequently, the judge entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. So prosecutors announced that they will seek the death penalty if Coburger is convicted, given the gruesome nature of his crime. Because Idaho is one of the 27 states that permit capital punishment.

And this case certainly qualifies for that. In the state's view. And the pretrial proceedings have been extensive. And Coburger's defense team has filed numerous motions, including efforts to challenge evidence. Notably, they argued to exclude testimony about the eyewitness roommate's description of the intruder's bushy eyebrows,

claiming that that detail might unfairly prejudice the jury. She's just saying, she saw and she saw bushy fucking eyebrows on this evil fucking dude i gotta stop i gotta come down he's not guilty yet but he is you know i don't know he's not technically you know uh uh uh allegedly he's guilty allegedly innocent until proving guilty though i gotta i gotta be careful prosecutors responded that such description is factual and should be allowed in the jury's consideration which i agree with the prosecutors for their part have revealed additional evidence they plan to use such as Koberger's own online activity.

And court filings indicate K-Ber had purchased a K-bar knife and sheath on Amazon about eight months before the murders and that he oddly searched online for K-bar knives in the days after these stabbings. So he was getting a new knife because he forgot his fucking sheath at the house. Like this, this, this, this case is just puzzling together so perfectly. It's insane. And they even say that Koberger snapped a selfie photo on. on his phone at 10.31 a.m. on November 13th, 2022, just hours after killing, in which he is

smiling. Fucking disgusting. And this photo shows his face and eyebrows clearly that morning, and might be shown to the jurors to compare with the roommate's account. And due to the intense pretrial publicity and community impact, the judge granted a change of venue. And the trial moved out of a small college town of Moscow to a state capital of Boise, Idaho. in hopes of finding an impartial jury. And a sweeping gag order was imposed barring attorneys and law enforcement from speaking about the case publicly. Doesn't involve me though. I'm here to say, I think he's a piece of shit, and I think he might be allegedly guilty, but we don't know yet.

So I can't say anything for legal reasons. And also cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom during the trial. And as of mid-2025, the trial has not yet begun. In fact, it has been scheduled to start with jury selection in late July 2025, with opening statements expected by August 11, 2025. You bet your ass I'll keep us up to date, okay? And Coburger, now 30 years old, remains jailed awaiting his day in court, and he maintains his innocence through his attorneys.

And the families of the four slain students who have endured repeated delays anxiously await justice, as they deserve. And one of the fathers would state one step forward, two steps back, Are we ever going to get there? Which, like, I don't, like, I can't even imagine having to wait this long for any sort of justice to come. But it will likely be many more months before a jury hears the full case against Brian Coburger and determines his fate. So, like I said, I will keep you updated. If you want to be updated, let me know down below.

Let me know also what you think down below, you know, allegedly. But with that, let's move on to the next case. On a snowy winter morning in 2022, a Boston area police officer was found fatally injured outside a home, sparking a mystery that remains unresolved years later. John J. O'Keefe III was 46 years old and was a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department. And by all accounts, he was a dedicated officer and a caring man. And after his sister and brother-in-law died some years earlier, John had even taken his young niece and nephew. few to raise them as his own. Just an angel of a man. And at the time of his death, John O'Keefe had been

in an on and off relationship with Karen A. Reed, who was a 41-year-old finance professional. Now, Karen Reed held an MBA and worked as a financial analyst and a junked professor, and she had no criminal history. And the two had dated briefly back in 2004 and reconnected in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, just rekindling their relationship. So by January 2022, they were a couple, and Karen was familiar with John's friends and John's family. So what happened to John? And who killed John? So it began as a night out amongst friends that turned into a baffling tragedy. And the events and investigations that followed would divide opinions and generate intense public interest in Massachusetts.

So Friday, January 28, 2022 was supposed to be a fun night for Karen and John. And that evening, the couple went out for drinks in Caton, Massachusetts, which is a suburb of Boston, meeting up with some of John's police colleagues and friends despite an approaching blizzard. And they started at C.F. McCarthy's pub at around 9 p.m., and then moved across the street to Waterfall, Bar, and Grill before last call. And included in this group were Brian Albert, who was a fellow Boston police officer, and his wife, Nicole Albert, and his sister-in-law, Jennifer McCab, and her husband Matthew, as well as Brian Higgins, a federal ATF agent. So as midnight approached, Brian Albert invited the group back to his house at 34 Fairview Road

for an after-party. And John O'Keefe and Karen Reid drove together in her Black Lexus SUV to the Albert residence around 1224 a.m., and Karen was unfamiliar with that neighborhood, and later said she felt uncomfortable joining the gathering inside. And according to Karen's account, John told her he would quickly go in to make sure they were welcome, and then he walked towards the house around 12.30 a.m., and Karen says she waited in the car for a while, but John would not return. So feeling slighted and growing impatient, perhaps suspecting that John wanted to stay and party without her, Karen decided to leave. So she drove off alone and headed back toward John's home, where she had been staying that night. And phone records would later show that Karen's phone

connected to John's home Wi-Fi at 1236 a.m., indicating she was back at his house around that time. But throughout the early morning hours, Karen tried to reach John repeatedly, and she called him and texted him multiple times, growing increasingly angry and worried when he didn't answer. In fact, Karen left eight voicemails on John's phone roughly between 12, 36 a.m. and 1.18 a.m. And their content revealed her emotional state. In one message, she yelled, John, I fucking hate you. And in another, she angrily accused him of abandoning her to go party or cheat on her.

And in these voicemails later played in court, Karen's language was explicit and furious, showing she was intoxicated, upset, and just felt betrayed. And eventually around 1.30 a.m., Karen fell asleep at John's house next to his 14-year-old niece, who was in Karen's care that night. And when Karen woke up around 4.30, AM and realized that John had never come home, panic started to set in.

So she tried calling John again, but still got no response. And by 453 a.m., a worried Karen reached out to Jennifer McCab, asking if John was still at the Albert's house or if anyone had seen him at all. But no dice. So Karen would then phone another friend, Carrie Roberts for help. And at around 5 a.m., Carrie picked up Karen and Jennifer, and together they drove through the snowy streets back to 34 Fairview Road. retracing the last place John was last seen.

So at approximately 6 a.m. on January 29th, 2002, the search party's worst fears were realized. And that is that they would discover John O'Keefe lying in the snow on the front lawn of the Albert's house at 34 Fairview Road. And John would be unconscious, covered in snow, and had obvious injuries. So first responders would take John O'Keefe to Good Samaritan Medical Center, but sadly, it was too late.

and he would be pronounced dead in the emergency room around 8 a.m. that morning. And an autopsy later revealed John had suffered severe head trauma and a large laceration on the back of his head, multiple skull fractures, bruises to his eyes and nose, and a cut above one eye and a scratched knee. And these injuries were consistent with significant blunt force impact. However, the manner of death was left undetermined by the medical examiner. In other words, They knew what killed him, which was a head injury in hypothermia, but not how exactly those injuries occurred. So investigators at the scene in daylight noticed some curious clues. In that area where John had been lying, police discovered shards of a vehicle's taillight on the ground nearby.

And when police checked Karen Reed's Lexus SUV, they saw that one of the rear taillight assemblies was shattered, and the broken pieces matched the vehicle. So this immediately raised alarm bells that John may have been struck by Karen's SUV. And it was theorized that Karen may have accidentally hit John while backing up her car when leaving the party, injuring him and leaving him outside in the cold. And within two days, this theory solidified into criminal charges. And on February 1st, 2022, police arrested Karen Reed and accused her of hitting John O'Keefe with her SUV and then left the scene. so basically like a hit and run.

Not basically, it would be like a hit and run. And by doing this, allegedly, it later killed him. So she was initially charged with manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident causing death. And motor vehicle homicide, prosecutors allege that Karen was intoxicated and angry, as we know. And that she drove away that night, and she struck John either not seeing him or in a moment of rage, and failed to call for help effectively leaving him to die in the snow.

So the narrative casts the incident as, a tragic DUI accident and abandonment. However, Karen Reid has always maintained her innocence, insisting she did not hit John and that something else happened to him after she left. So right from the start, Karen's arrest and the circumstances of John's death raised difficult questions. And Karen Reid pleaded not guilty and was released on an $80,000 bail as the investigation continued. And the prosecution built its case around the physical evidence. Karen's broken taillight, John's injuries, and even Karen's own words. And Canton police officer

attested that at the scene, a distraught Karen said, I hit him. Oh, that's not good. And Karen later claimed she didn't say and only may have asked, could I have hit him? Still incriminating a little bit, I'm not going to lie. Alleging that these were not admissions of guilt, but expressions of shock and confusion. And investigators also looked at Karen's cell phone data, which showed that angry voicemails and her frantic calls in the early morning possibly indicated she genuinely didn't know where John was. However, as time went on, Karen Reid's defense team developed a very different theory of the case. In their theory, Carrie was not the one who killed John O'Keefe at all. And in April of 2003, her attorneys publicly suggested that John fell victim to an altercation or

accident at the house, indicating people who were inside the Elbert residence that night. So the defense pointed out several facts that they found spouspicious. And that was that Brian Albert, the homeowner and fellow officer, sold his house and even got rid of his dog shortly after the incident. So could it be that John made it inside the house and got into a fight, perhaps with the dog or with another person? Because John had injuries, like multiple head wounds and cuts. The defense would argue that that didn't really match up to a simple low-speed car hit. And it would be maybe more consistent with a dog attack or someone attacking him. Moreover, the weather was frigid and a blizzard was raging,

which was a scenario in which leaving someone outside for minutes could be lethal. And most notably, the defense zeroed in on Jennifer McCab's phone activity. And Karen's lawyers obtained phone records showing that Jennifer's phone performed a Google search, for Hossick Long to Die in Cold. Also suspicious. And this was at 2.27 a.m. on January 29th. So this was over three hours before John's body was found, implying that someone might have known John was lying in the cold

before the official discovery. A lot of shady shake going on. So Jennifer McCabe would deny any wrongdoing, and she told the police that the timing was a misunderstanding, and that she actually said, searched that phrase later around 6.30 a.m. after they found John. But the defense argues that at 27 a.m., the timestamp was accurate and extremely incriminating. So in their theory, some of the people at the house, possibly Brian Albert and Jennifer McCab, caused his injuries. And then

cooperated in a cover-up to pin the blame on Karen Reed. So as this battle of theories played out, the case became something of a local scandal. But it would reach to Canada where my mother is and she also suggested this case. She's on it. And in June of 2022, a grand jury formally indicted Karen on an upgraded charge of second-degree murder, along with the other charges,

moving the case to superior court. But the prosecution stuck to its narrative. Karen struck John with her car while drunk and angry and then left him. And the defense, however, was given some leeway by the judge, to pursue an alternative culprit theory at the trial if they could back it up with evidence. And there were also whispers of a conflict interest, which was, some pointed out that the multiple

people at the house that night had law enforcement ties, because Brian Albert was a cop and another guest was an agent, just fueling speculation of a police cover-up to protect one of their own. So faced with these dueling narratives, authorities still proceeded against Karen. And she was put on trial in 2024. And the case garnered huge media attention in Massachusetts and in a small town in Canada. With true crime enthusiasts picking apart every detail on social media, was Karen a cold-hearted killer who hit her boyfriend and didn't look back? Or was she an innocent woman being framed to hide someone else's guilt? And the truth remained uncertain. So Karen Reed's first trial for John O'Keefe's death began in April of 2024 and lasted several weeks long. And prosecutors would

evidence like the taillight fragments, a hair matching O'Keeffe's that was found in Reed's car, which, I mean, he's already been in that car, so that's not even evidence, basically. And a testimony highlighting arguments and tension in their relationship. But the defense in turn highlighted the alleged cover-up and conflict of interest between Michael Proctor, which was the lead investigator, and the Elbert family. And the possibility that John's injuries, like the skull fracture, could have come from an assault, and that Reed's taillight was intact at the Albert's residence. And the courtroom saw technical experts debating injury patterns and friends of John and Karen's testifying to the character and events that happened. So it was just a dramatic trial filled

with scientific evidence and emotional testimony. Yet when the jury deliberated, they could not reach a unanimous verdict. And in July of 2024, Judge Beverly Cannon declared a mistrial due to a jury and the jurors were starkly divided, unable to agree on Karen's guilt or innocence. In fact, some jurors later revealed that they had unanimously leaded not guilty on at least two of the charges. So this uncommon post-trial disclosure added more controversy, with Karen's team briefly appealing on grounds of double jeopardy, arguing she shouldn't be retried for charges some jurors acquitted her on. But those appeals would not prevent a retrial. And the Norfolk County District attorney's office immediately vowed to retry the case, and Karen Reid once again faced the possibility

of conviction. So Karen's second trial began in April of 2025. And by now, the case had been in headlines for three years and the public had become familiar with its twists and turns. So the retrial went forward with largely the same evidence, though both sides adjusted their strategies based on lessons from the first trial. An interest was so high that local news live streamed the trial each day, And during this period in March of 2025, news broke that Michael Proctor had been fired for misconduct related to this case, which was a fact that the defense would use to further attack the investigation's credibility. So the judge continued to limit how directly the defense could accuse third parties without any hard proof. But the narrative of a possible cover-up was certainly on the minds of the observers.

So as of June 18th, 2025, Karen Reid's second trial came to a close. And the case went to the jury. And after deliberating for four days, they acquitted Karen Reid of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. But she was, however, convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, which she will serve one year of probation for.

So the jurors must weigh two very different explanations for John O'Keefe's death. And the story prompted broader discussions of how police handle cases involving their own, and how evidence should be scrutinized to avoid miscarriages of justice. And Karen Reid insists she loved John and would never have harmed him, while John's family and prosecutors remain equally adamant that she is responsible. And they would call the verdict a devastating miscarriage of justice. Massachusetts State Police issued a statement that they continued to work to improve their oversight and accountability after the events that took place in the Karen

Reed case. So as of right now, she's acquitted. She's, she's innocent. Do it that what you will. I'd love to hear what you guys think down below. It's a tough one. There's a lot, there's evidence there. There's a lot of weird cop stuff going on. I can't say illegal. You can't say. You guys can say in the comments. So I'll be in the comments. But again, I mean, like the true victim in this case is John O'Keefe. So my heart goes out to him and to his family. And, you know, I hope that they feel some sort of justice or they get that justice, but alas, we move on to our last case. So this third case is a heartbreakingly recent tragedy, and it does have to do with children, so fair warning. So Travis Caleb Decker, who is 32 years old, is an army veteran and father

from Washington State who stands accused of the unthinkable, and that is murdering his three little girls. So Travis and his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, had three daughters, Peyton Decker, who was nine years old, Evelyn Decker who was eight years old, and Olivia Decker who was five years old. By May of 2025, Travis and Whitney had been divorced for a couple years. And Whitney had full custody of the children, while Travis had limited visitation rights. And Travis Decker's background is marked by honorable service and personal challenges. And he would serve as an infantry man in the U.S. Army from 2013 until 2021, even deploying to Afghanistan in 2014. And those who knew him said he was a devoted dad. He was an active dad who went to his kids'

dance recitals and soccer games and school plays. However, Travis returned from military life with post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD and was later diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. So after leaving active duty and the reserves by 2023, his mental mental mental health worsened a lot, and he had trouble adjusting to civilian life. And he reportedly suffered nightmares and insomnia from his PTSD, and he grew seemingly very depressed after the breakup of his marriage. And according to Whitney Decker's attorney, Travis carried his trauma with him, and it eventually spiraled out of control. And by late 2024, Whitney became concerned enough about Travis' mental health and stability that she asked a court

to restrict his parenting time. So a judge would set a strict visitation schedule. Travis could only spend a few hours with the girls on Fridays and eight hours every other weekend, but only during the day, and he had to remain in the local area with them. So this plan was meant to keep the children safe while still allowing them to have a relationship with their father. So leading up to May 2025, Travis had been complying with these visitation rules, and there were no obvious red flags of violence at this point. He was, however, in a very fragile state. He had recently lost his housing, becoming effectively homeless, and staying in motels and at campgrounds, and he talked about having financial troubles as well, like wage garnishments for child support. And in conversations

with his ex-wife, Travis expressed despair saying he had nothing except for you and the girl. in his life. And Whitney knew he was depressed, but he had never been violent towards her or the kids. And she still cared about his well-being, even as they led separate lives. So tragically, no one around Travis anticipated the storm that was brewing inside him.

So Memorial Day weekend of 2025 was the appointed time for one of Travis's longer visits with his daughters. And on Friday of May 30th, 2025, Travis was scheduled to have the girls for a few hours, hours in the evening. And according to Whitney's attorney, Travis picked up Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia

from their mother at around 5 p.m. that day. And everything seemed routine. Travis chatted with Whitney for about 15 minutes during the handoff and he promised, I will see you at 8 p.m. indicating he'd bring the kids back at 8 p.m. that night. So there were no heated words, no obvious signs of distress beyond Travis just being a bit quieter than usual.

And the girls were just excited to see their dad to spend time with him. So when 8 p.m. came and went with no sign of Travis or the children, Whitney grew very concerned. Because this was entirely unlike him. Whatever his struggles, he had never failed to return the girls on time. And by later that night, Whitney Decker reported her daughters and Travis missing to the police, thus beginning a massive search effort that would extend through the weekend. Law enforcement's issued alerts and started tracing Travis' steps. And given Travis' military background and survival training, the police realized he might attempt to hide in the vast wilderness in Washington's forests. And they also knew he was

emotionally very unstable. So a sense of dread hung over everyone as the search continued day and night, and Whitney and her family were distraught, but still hoping that Travis had maybe just taken the girls camping or on some impulsive adventure. So there was fate, hope that the situation just might resolve safely. But unfortunately, that hope would be shattered on Monday. Because on Monday, June 2nd, 2025, after a three-day intensive search, authorities made a grim discovery. And at around 3.45 p.m., sheriff deputies found Travis Decker's vehicle abandoned near the remote

Rock Island campground in Chalane County in the Okanagan-Wanatchee National Forest of central Washington. And inside the truck were the girls' car seats, blankets, food, and Travis's wallet. And disturbingly, deputies also noticed what appeared to be two bloody handprints on the tailgate of the pickup truck. And nearby, there were signs of a recent campsite hidden off trail. So as they searched the surrounding area, about 100 yards from the truck down a small embankment, officers would find the bodies of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia. And the three sisters, were lying together on the forest floor. And later that week, autopsies confirmed the cause of death of all three girls was suffocation,

and the manner of death was homicide. So these innocent children had been killed, and the prime suspect was their own father. Since it's hard to fathom the horror and betrayal these kids must have experienced. It's just heart-wrenching. However, at the site, one crucial thing was missing, and that was that Travis Decker, was nowhere to be found. So the discovery of the bodies triggered a massive manhunt for Travis, who allegedly fled into the wilderness on foot. And adding a bizarre wrinkle, authorities did find Travis' pet dog alive in that area on June 2nd. And the dog was recovered safely and handed

over to the Humane Society. So it seemed Travis let his dog go before disappearing. And they also found blood evidence. At least one sample of blood at the campsite belonged to a male, which was likely Travis. And another blood sample was determined not to be human blood, and that non-human blood might have come from the dog or another animal, indicating Travis could have injured himself or an animal out there in the wilderness. In any case, the forensic clues left little doubt that Travis had planned and carried out the murders of his children in that forest. And the murders of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia just sent shockwaves far beyond Washington State. And the Public struggled to comprehend how a father could commit such an atrocity to his own children.

And those who knew Travis were equally as stunned, apparently. And his ex-wife's attorney later reflected, he was a loving man, but something broke and whatever monster came out of him, it's something that he was trained to do in the military. So the attorney emphasized that Travis had serious untreated mental health issues and that Whitney felt the system really let Travis down. If somebody would have provided Travis with the help that he needed, those girls would be alive, she would say. And it's just a sober reminder that mental illness, when left uncheck, can have a truly devastating consequence.

But even with that context, nothing can justify or erase the horror of what happened to those three innocent children. So with Travis Decker on the run, after killing his own daughters, law enforcement agencies launched one of the largest manhunts in Washington's recent history. And local police county deputies, state troopers, federal agents, helicopters all marshaled to find the fugitive father. Given Travis' army background, authorities warned that he was well-versed in wilderness survival and capable of hiding out for an extended time in very rough country. And they also considered him very dangerous. So the governor of Washington Bob Ferguson even authorized emergency funds and called up the

National Guard units to assist in the search, providing helicopters and personnel to comb through vast forests and mountains for signs of Travis. And the U.S. Marshal Service joined the hunt as well, adopting the case due to the egregious nature of the crime and the interstate flight risk. And the marshals would offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to Travis' arrest. And wanted posters with Travis Decker's face went out nationwide. And the police urged the public in several counties to be on high alert.

And people living near Wilders areas were told to lock their doors and leave outdoor lights on and check security cameras because Travis might try to break into the cabin or home for shelter, saying, please secure your homes and vehicles, stay alert, and report any suspicious activity to 911. So fear just rippled through many rural communities in Washington as the manhunt stretched from days into weeks. And despite the dense terrain, there were promising leads. On June 10th, 2025, about a week into the search, officials said that they had tracked a person they believed to be Travis moving on foot near Bluett Pass, not far from where the truck was found. And search teams would find items of interest belonging to Travis in that area indicating

he may have been trying to hike out and circle around the backcountry trails. And Chilean County Sheriff stated confidently, quote, we believe we are closing in on his trail. And he noted, he is surrounded. Eventually, he's going to tire and he's going to make a mistake. And indeed, officers were stationed at strategic points, anticipating Travis's moves. As the sheriff put, quote, there is nowhere that he's going to be able to go to that we don't have units waiting for him. And these strong words underscored how determined law enforcement was to capture Travis and prevent any further harm.

So the search area expanded into neighboring counties as time went on. And with coordination among multiple sheriff's offices, in case Travis tried to traverse county lines through the national forests. To the public, horrified by the crime, flooded authorities with over 500 tips by mid-June, and specialized tracking units analyzed every single clue. Footprints, campsite embers, even how he might source water or food. And the manhunt was exhaustive and dangerous, and searchers had to be cautious, as Travis could potentially ambush anyone who found him. But as of June 18, 2025, Travis Decker has not been captive. And the manhunt is in its third week and ongoing.

And police remain on high alert. And the search continues in the rugged wilderness of Washington. Because with his military training, Travis has managed to elude capture so far. But authorities believe it's only a matter of time. And they are effectively trying to starve him out or catch him when he inevitably makes a mistake or grows too weak to continue. So each passing day raises tension.

Because we don't know if Travis will be found alive, be found alive to face justice, or if he'll be dead. But for now, the community can only remain vigilant and pray for a swift, safe resolution. And Whitney, despite her own unimaginable loss, has expressed surprising sentiment, saying, a lot of love and empathy for Travis and who he is at his core. And her attorney said that even as she grapples with his monstrous actions, it's a testament to the complex emotions at play. She just wants him to be found. but she mourns the man she thought she knew. And legally, the case against Travis Decker is already underway,

even as he remains a fugitive. And authorities in Chalain County swiftly charged Travis with multiple counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia. And as well as the charges of kidnapping. So an arrest warrant has been issued, and if and when Travis is caught, he will be arrested and brought before a court in Washington

to face these charges. So given the severity, this could qualify, as an extraordinary case for a life without parole. But for now, these questions are hypothetical, and the priority is to capture Travis alive. So if Travis is apprehended, his mental health will likely become a central issue in legal proceedings. And his defense might argue insanity or diminished capacity pointing to PTSD and psychological breakdown. And in the public statements, Whitney Decker's side has already suggested that the mental health system failed Travis,

implying that his actions, while heinous, were the results of untreated illness. And such arguments might influence sentencing if there's conviction. But it does not erase his responsibility. Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, have made it clear that despite Travis' background, the brutal murder of three innocent children is an unforgivable crime. Quote unquote, as a parent, my heart goes out to Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia's mom. The brutal murder of these young children shocked our state, said Governor Ferguson when activating resources for the manhunt. And until Travis Decker is found, the legal process cannot fully move forward.

He is effectively a fugitive from justice, and I implore you to be vigilant if you're in the Washington area or any of the surrounding states to look at this face, remember it, and if you see it, use extreme caution and call authorities. So I'm praying that he is caught and is brought to justice, and my heart goes out to Whitney and to obviously those girls who passed away. I think these newer cases are important, especially in this case, because I personally didn't even know about this case until my mom pointed it out. So I don't know, maybe somebody will see him from this video and he'll be brought to justice. But even if he's not, I think this is still

important. So with that, I'm going to stop getting emotional and I will see you in the next video. Okay, bye.