Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Travis Decker Caught on Cam Acting Unhinged Days Before Fugitive Father Smothered his 3 Daughters| Crime Alert 6AM 07.17.2025

Episode Date: July 17, 2025

Chilling new dashcam video has been released showing fugitive child-killer father Travis Decker behaving erratically...days before he allegedly snuffed the life out of his 3 daughters. A pair of women in Florida allegedly forced a teen to drink alcohol & then set her up to be raped by one of the suspect's brothers. Plus, a 911 dispatcher's prank, ends with her in the clink!  Jennifer Gould reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace, breaking crime news now. Our Jennifer Gould standing by, Jennifer. Nancy, a father's chilling unraveling has been caught on camera. Just three days before, Travis Decker allegedly murdered his three young daughters. A newly released dash cam video shows the Washington state dad acting like a man on the very edge during a bizarre roadside encounter. The May 27th footage from the Wenatchee police officer Timothy Jeffries-Cruiser captures Decker 32 in the aftermath of a minor car crash, but it's his unsettling behavior that

truly alarms. He's seen pestering the other driver reportedly with obsessive questions, repeating, quote, Are you okay at least six times in under two minutes, despite being reassured, according to King Phi TV. His reported disjointed responses mumbling about, quote, needing to get somewhere, end quote, and blank stares paint a portrait of a man spiraling before the unthinkable crime that shattered a community. The driver Decker crashed into told KingTV off-camera that Decker appeared, quote, nervous

and fidgety, and kept telling him, quote, not to call police, end quote. He even described Decker's body language as, quote, intimidating and his handshake, which lasted nine seconds, as, quote, tight. The man stated he, quote, could tell he was not in his full senses, end quote, and that Decker admitted he, quote, feared going to jail, end quote. Decker was cited for driving without insurance and authorities also noted he'd left the scene of a separate crash on May 4. Then on May 30, a mere three days after this unsettling interaction,

Decker picked up his daughters, Peyton, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five, for a court-ordered visitation. He never returned them to their distraught mom, Whitney Decker, sparking an immediate missing persons report. Then on June 2, the unthinkable occurred. The girls' small, lifeless bodies were discovered near Decker's abandoned truck at Brock Island Campground in Chelan County, roughly 75 to 100 yards down an embankment. Autopsies delivered the grim truth. The girls died of asphyxiation with plastic bags

over their heads and at least one with her wrists zip-tied. Two bloody handprints were also on the tailgate of his truck. DNA confirmed it was Decker's, cementing his presence at the crime scene. Decker, an Army veteran with survivalist training who had recently researched moving to Canada and Canadian jobs, vanished into the rugged terrain, triggering a massive manhunt now dragging into its seventh week.

Here's Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison at a previous news conference. He's going to have to aim for perfection. He's not going to be able to make a mistake because all we need is one mistake and one day to go in our favor and he's gonna be in our custody. The US Marshals Service alongside a formidable coalition of local state and federal agencies has scoured hundreds of square miles of unforgiving terrain. A June 10th sighting near Blueitt Pass based on hikers reports of a lone disheveled man avoiding contact, raised hopes, but searches yielded nothing.

A July 5 tip in Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest led to a look-alike hiker later cleared, stalling that lead. Officials note no certain evidence confirming Decker is alive, and cadaver dogs have now joined the effort. Decker is described as white, 5'8", 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is considered armed and dangerous. Whitney Decker described her ex-husband as experiencing mental health issues and being homeless at the time. She also stated through her attorney, she wants the fugitive father found dead or alive for closure.

A $20,000 reward is offered for information leading to his capture. Contact the U.S. Marshals at 509-925-83534 or 911. For the latest on this case, watch Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Merit TV Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Check your local listings for channel assignment and subscribe to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on your favorite podcast app, Nancy. Thanks, Jennifer. More crime and justice news after this. In a stomach-churning betrayal, two Florida women allegedly plied a juvenile girl with

alcohol, declared she was quote, going to become a woman tonight, end quote, and then orchestrated her rape by a 15-year-old boy. Sandra Suarez Ramirez, 33, and Janessa Pierce, 34 34 now face a litany of charges for their alleged roles in the depraved scheme detailed by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. The horrific incident unfolded at a home in Big Coppet Key. According to police, Ramirez and Pierce deliberately coerced the underage victim into downing shots of alcohol from the bottle, systematically impairing her ability to resist.

The chilling prelude allegedly set the stage for the unthinkable. Police say the woman's actions directly facilitated the crime, allowing Pierce's younger brother, a 15-year-old, to then rape the victim. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, taking over the investigation due to jurisdictional ties, swiftly moved to arrest Ramirez and Pierce. They were initially charged with child neglect, with additional charges of child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor following. Authorities are also considering further charges related to sexual assault facilitation as the investigation continues.

The juvenile suspect, whose identity is protected due to his age, faces rape charges and is being processed through the juvenile justice system. Ramirez and Pierce are currently held at the Maricopa County Jail, both on a $10,000 bond. The investigation remains ongoing. And finally, imagine your heart seizing as the police department calls only to have your terror turn to sickening rage when the voice on the other end delivers not a warning, but a vile, twisted insult. This nightmare became chilling reality for Ohio resident Karen Clinton, leading to the

sensational arrest of a former 911 dispatcher now facing criminal charges for a cruel and shocking phone call. Loretta Nash, a former Twinsburg Police Department dispatcher, is now facing telecommunications harassment charges after allegedly hitting Karen with a call designed to harass, intimidate, or abuse. The city wasted no time confirming Nash is no longer employed, swift justice for an incident that has shaken community trust in its emergency services. The disturbing call began with classic police formality, quote, Karen, it's the Twinsburg

Police Department calling can I have your attention end quote but then the prank turns to punishment. Nash allegedly told Clinton she'd quote won a prize end quote for her whopping 183 calls over 15 years. The grand prize take a listen. So you win the prize it's called the booby prize. You are the dumbest person to call this police department on a repeated basis. So thank you for being a resident of this city, and have a wonderful life. Clinton, a former 911 dispatcher herself, was left stunned and emotionally shattered. She immediately reported the malicious mouthful to City Hall,

setting in motion the investigation that led to Nash's downfall. Nash pleaded not guilty and is out on bond with her trial set for September. This phone drama definitely far from over. Nancy. For the latest crime and justice news go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast Crime Stories where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides. With this Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.