Hidden True Crime - Father On The Run After 3 Sisters Found Dead - What Went Wrong? | Decker Girls Full Story

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

Three young sisters found dead at a remote Washington campsite. Their father—Travis Decker—is missing and now the prime suspect in a chilling triple murder. What went wrong during a routine visitation, and why wasn’t an AMBER Alert issued? We break down the haunting details, the public outrage, and the manhunt gripping the nation. GoFundMe for Whitney Decker: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-whitney-decker About Hidden True Crime: What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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believe is responsible is nowhere to be found. On Friday, May 30th at 5 p.m. Sisters, 9-year-old Peyton, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker left for a scheduled visitation with their dad, Travis Decker, never to be seen again until Monday afternoon when their bodies were found in a campground. Their father, Travis Decker, is now wanted for three counts of first-degree murder. But in true crime is here to break down the entire case and bring awareness. in hopes that with as many people on the lookout as possible, Travis may soon be found. Like I said, this all started on Friday, May 30th. Travis was supposed to have three hours of visitation with his girls before taking them

back to their moms at 8 p.m. The pickup was nothing unusual beyond the girl's mom, Whitney, noticing that he was a bit more quiet than usual, but 8 p.m. came and went, and the girls did not come home. When Whitney, Tr. calling him, his phone went straight to voicemail. By 945, Whitney became so concerned that she called the police for help. The report states that she appeared distraught and looked like she had been crying. Whitney explained to police that while Travis had a good relationship with the girls and they enjoyed spending time with their dad, this was out of the ordinary and he had never not returned them before. If there was ever any scheduled change, he would always communicate those things.

Whitney also told the police that Travis, quote, currently is experiencing some mental health issues, end quote. She explained that he was homeless, living out of his truck, and dealing with financial stress. It is no surprise that with all of this information, that police immediately started looking for the girls. Using flock camera footage, they were able to see that Travis had driven out of Wenatchie

around 5.40 p.m. in his white GMC pickup, which was not allowed per their parenting plan agreement, which we will talk about in just a little bit. Police searched all of the local motels and hotels, given that he would sometimes stay at those hotels, but Travis and the girls were nowhere to be found at any of those places. Well, police quickly reached out to other local law enforcement and reached out to the Washington State Patrol to issue an Amber Alert.

But because at that point, There was no evidence to believe that the children were at risk of serious bodily injury or death. The state patrol said it did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert to be issued. And I am so angry about this. You have missing children, a car, a suspect, and proof that he took the kids away from the city where they live and where they were not supposed to go per the parenting agreement. A police report, they had that, a mental health concern. They had that. And what more do you need, Washington?

And what does it hurt? But on Saturday morning, there was supposed to be a 5K event. And Travis did not show up or bring the girls to that event, which again was out of the ordinary. By late Saturday afternoon, an endangered missing persons alert was finally issued. Not until Saturday afternoon. But thank goodness it was issued. And a press statement was released that stated, Quote, the Wenatchi Police Department is asking for assistance in locating three juvenile females believed to be missing and unable to return home on their own.

All three were last seen around 5 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2025, as they left their home with their father for their planned visitation. They have not returned and contact cannot be made with the father. The father, Travis Decker, is homeless and living in his vehicle or at various hotels, most. hotels or at campgrounds in the area. The visitation was part of a parenting plan, but he has since gone outside the parameters of it, which is not normal and is cause for alarm. Investigation has not met Amber Alert criteria, but the situation is being monitored closely. However, in endangered missing person alert and EMPA has been issued through the Washington State Patrol. Please be on the lookout and call 911 or RiverCom if located, end quote. And thank goodness, yes,

an endangered missing person's alert was issued at this point. And this personally is when I noticed the story and I stared at the girls' photos. I hoped so much that they would be found safe. The police also began to involve other agencies on the state and federal level to help them with the investigation and a social media post began to flow with the public desperate to find the girls more details about Travis, Whitney. Their divorce and his mental help began to come out furthering the public's concern over the girls and their well-being. Travis and Whitney's divorce started out seemingly civil. The divorce was originally filed in November of 2022 by Whitney after seven years of marriage, and it was finalized just four months later in March of

2023, so a fairly fast divorce process. The initial agreement was that Whitney would have the majority of physical custody, and Travis would have the girls every other weekend. However, in late 2024, after Travis began experiencing homelessness, Whitney filed for a modification in their parenting plan. She was concerned about Travis's mental help, Travis, who is military veteran and who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder had seemed to be experiencing a decline in his mental health. In this filing, Whitney explained how Travis's living situation was extremely unstable. Beginning in October of 2022, he lived in a Wenatchee Armory for a few months before getting an apartment. After his apartment lease was up, he went back to living at the

armory before getting an RV. He eventually moved to Idaho with his RV in May of 2024, but eventually the RV was repossessed, making him homeless. Well, during the times that he was staying at the armory, the girls had allegedly slept there on mattresses with dozens of men around them. Whitney addressed her concern with Travis about the girl sleeping there and Travis had told her he was staying in his RV only for her to later find out that they were at the armory. And in that filing, Whitney cited three different incidents backing up her claim on why Travis was unfit to have the girls, which dated back to 2023. The first one was August 30th of 2023. Whitney wrote, didn't want the girls this weekend, even though it was his weekend,

said the girls walk on eggshells because of how he represented. for men's the dogs. And then here's the entry from December 19, 2023. Olivia facetimed me, screaming, crying. Travis was nowhere in sight. Peyton had to go find him and he was with the dogs. Told me Peyton was unattended in the armory with Olivia playing on the lay, pulled down machine and smashed Olivia's fingers. Wasn't comforting her. Olivia and Peyton were crying uncontrollably. come to find out they had been sleeping in the armory. And then on July 25th, 2024, for entry, quote, hitchhiked to my house and asked to stay in the basement with the girls three hours late,

said he could pick the girls up from the play, but he was hitchhiking so the stranger would have had to pick them up, and quote. And in that same filing, Whitney had written, quote, 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, end quote. There was a hearing that took place where Whitney's attorney addressed the concerns that she had had. Cairo 7 News, K-I-R-7 News out of Washington, reported that in that hearing,

quote, once Travis was under oath, he told the court, there was no reason to change the order because he already didn't have enough time with his children. He said he was voluntarily no longer full-time active army and has more time to spend with the children. The court ordered there was caused to modify the parenting plan. Whitney's attorney asked for Travis to receive a domestic violence evaluation and psychiatric assessment. The attorney also asked that would need be given the ability to limit visitation and that Travis should not be allowed to be alone with the children at any point. Court documents say Travis objected, saying he liked to take the children camping on the

weekends. He said he understood Whitney's concerns about his living situation. He said he had no objection to paying child support, but he was currently unable to pay anything. He said it was important for the children to understand how they could learn from his current condition. Well, and the court disagreed. The court agreed with.

Whitney and the proposed parenting plan. It also found limiting factors of neglect and emotional physical problems against Travis. The court ordered Travis to get an anger management, domestic violence evaluation, and a psychiatric evaluation by a licensed psychiatrist, end quote. At my bank, I was literally getting pennies using wealthfronts. Checking. Meet Angela, a wealthfront cash account client since 2023. I lost my job, not having something else lined up yet. I was pregnant with my second. We had to think about how do we make our money work for us. Every month there's this much that I'm getting an interest and I didn't have to do anything. My money is working hard on its own and I can trust wealth front is taking care of me.

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and that Travis was not to leave the Wenatchie Valley with the girls, which is what he did. When the girls went missing, Whitney told the police that Travis had refused to sign the parenting plan and failed to do his court-ordered mental health treatment and anger management. Another red flag. We failed to do his anger management counseling, thus furthering the cause of concern for the well-being of the girls. But again, not enough for that earlier Amber alert, I guess. Nonetheless, as the investigation continued, the FBI used phone data from Thursday and Friday

to try to pinpoint specific locations to search. On Monday, when he spoke to the media saying, quote, I don't personally think he's that dangerous. I think he is impulsive and he loves his children very much, end quote. She also said, quote, I think that he's having a really hard time and just need something to feel better. And for him, that's the girls, end quote. By Monday afternoon, police had narrowed down a location to a specific area near a rock island campground about an hour away from Wenatchi. They also obtained an arrest warrant that they had been working on for three counts

of first-degree custodial interference. While, during their search of the area, at around 3.45 p.m., Travis's truck was found. His dog was also located there. As law enforcement searched the area around the truck, they found the bodies of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia. Around 8.45, they canceled the endangered missing persons alert. Despite canceling the alert, they had not notified the public that they had found the girls. And so overnight, speculation grew as to what development led to this cancellation of the alert.

On Tuesday morning, law enforcement released a press statement announcing that the girls had been found. But that Travis was still on the run. and on Tuesday night, a press conference was held giving more details. Take a lesson. I really want to make sure that I point out that it's moments like these where we see our community coming together, paying respects to those young individuals that lost their lives. I want to pay respects to Peyton, Evelyn, Olivia. Your memory will never be forgotten.

And we will not stop pursuing justice for you until those that were accountable for this are found. So I do appreciate everyone being here to follow up because I know the captain, Chance has already touched on a lot of the topics that we've already discussed. I want to give thanks to the Wenatchee Police Department, Chief Reinfeld, Captain Miller, Captain Chance, Sergeant Eaton with the detectives unit that provided Schland County Sheriff's Office with the information we needed to properly assist them. For those you don't know, Schenant County is a large area. We have 2,900 plus square miles. When you're talking about trying to find individuals in a geographically diverse terrain, it's difficult. But by them doing their investigation,

follow through over the weekend, we're able to pinpoint it in the areas of Chumstick Highway, icicle, Tomlota Canyon. I know that many of you here from the area recognize that's still a pretty large area, but we're fortunate to have partnerships with the U.S. Force Service that funds some of our deputies, specifically U.S. Force Service deputies that are contracted with us. Our Forest Service deputy was able to go up the icicle. We're about 18 miles up for those of you have not been up there, and that deputy was able to locate the vehicle of the suspect. We did back off to make sure we're in compliance with Washington state law when it comes to de-escalation controlling pace. We called additional units. I know that many members of the community were concerned. concerned asking why we were having deputies, police officers from East Winatchi, Douglas County, Wenatchee PD responding at a high rate of speed. This was an important situation for us. We took it as a high priority. Once we had additional units on scene, we did secure the vehicle,

determined that we were able to bring in additional resources, which was our East Cascade SWAT team that did an additional search of the surrounding area of the campsite in question until we determined that a perimeter had been established and that it was safe enough for additional detectives and the Washington State Patrol's crime lab to come in and assist us as we process that scene. As Captain Chance already mentioned, that was prompted when we did find the bodies of the deceased. Again, our condolences and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Decker family. We know they're struggling, but I want them to know they're not struggling alone. We suffer as a community.

It has hit many of us hard going on 20 years. I don't think I've had a situation that has really almost prompted tears to come up. We feel for the family, and we see as everyone else is out here. They're not suffering alone. There's a lot of people here supporting them. We were able to do an extensive processing of the scene throughout the night while we maintain perimeter security. Once that was secured, the vehicle was taken back for an additional search warrant.

We brought in additional units that come in and assist us. That'd be our federal partners from U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marshal's office. They did an extensive search today in addition to the Air National Guard, bringing in aviation supplies to come in, fly over there. We had drones in the air. We've been conducting a search since early this morning, up until later on this afternoon. That unfortunately has not allowed us to locate the suspect yet, but we are not done searching. As we speak, the Marshal's office, the FBI, they're processing leads, they're conducting follow-up, and we will not rest until

Travis is located. Travis, if you're listening, this is your opportunity to turn yourself in. Do the right thing, do what you need to do and take accountability for your actions. We're not going to go away. We're not going to rest. And we're going to make sure we find you. You will be brought to justice. Those young ladies deserve it. Travis, while still on the run, is currently facing three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping with no bail.

And this part is really difficult to hear. Just another trigger warning. Court documents state that the girl's cause of death is asphyxiation. And when they were found, they were all wearing the same clothes they had. had left in, left their mother's house in, each of them had a plastic bag over their head, and their wrists were zip tie or appeared to have been. There were also two bloody handprints on the tailgate of Travis's truck. Bags and zip ties were strewn across the campsite.

There were also personal items, including blankets, car seats, food, a cooler, and a wallet. nobody knows exactly when the girls were killed at this stage, but we do know, per the affidavit, that Travis's phone was pinging in that area on Saturday, while multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, are searching for Travis Decker. There is currently a $20,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of Travis Decker. Travis is described as a male with black, hair, brown, eyes standing five feet, eight inches, tall and weighing 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing a light colored shirt and dark shorts. Due to his extensive military training, he should be considered armed and dangerous. And so if you see

him, do not approach. Instead, law enforcement requests that you call 911. The girls school district has released a statement saying, quote, Dear staff and families, I'm writing to tell you today with a heavy heart regarding an incredibly difficult situation at Lincoln Elementary School. Today, law enforcement announced the tragic passing of three of our Lincoln students. The incident involving the students who have passed did not occur at school. I understand how distressing this news is and the questions many of you undoubtedly have. Our immediate and utmost priority is the well-being of the Lincoln Elementary community. We are focusing all of our efforts on providing comprehensive support to their students, staff, and families during this unimaginable time.

Counseling services are being made available on the Lincoln Elementary Campus for children and staff who need support. A guide for families to talk to children about the loss of somebody they care about is available in English and Spanish. Our priority remains the well-being and safety of our students. We are working to maintain a supportive and stable environment at school. We are deeply grateful for our community's compassion to allow our students, staff, and families the space and privacy they need to mourn and begin healing. We respectfully ask that you do not come to the school campus except for regular school business. Our thoughts are with the family, the entire Lincoln Elementary community, and everyone touched by this situation. We will continue to update you as needed,

sincerely, Corey Callahar, superintendent, end quote. While the community is mourning, the senseless and tragic deaths of these three young girls, they are also sharing fond memories of them. Payton is remembered for her. her athleticism and kindness to others, always cheering the loudest for the other kids on her team and being a leader. Friends describe Evelyn as the spunky one, a lover of dance and a fierce protector of her baby sister. And friends of Olivia describe her as a sweet friend to others who always had a smile on her face. A go-fund me has been set up for Whitney as she mourned the loss, the unimaginable loss of her little girls and manages all of the things that come with losing

not one, but all three of her children. And we will have a link to this go-fund me in the pinned comments, as well as the description of this episode for those of you that are listening on our podcast or YouTube. We will do our best to continue following all of the details of this case and bring you the very latest in our hearts are with the family and those mooring the loss. of these three beautiful girls. At my bank, I was literally getting pennies using wealth fronts. Cheching, there's this much that I'm getting an interest and I didn't have to do anything. Clients like Angela earn up to 4.2% APY on their cash with the wealthfront cash account.

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