Travis Caleb Decker, Wenatchee, Washington wanted in murder of his 3 young daughters faced disciplinary action for abandoning military obligations.
A Wenatchee, Washington state dad wanted for the kidnapping and murder of his three young daughters had been wanted by the National Guard on disciplinary charges.
Travis Caleb Decker, 32, was identified as the sole suspect in the death of the man’s three daughters found deceased late Monday afternoon near a near a campground in Leavenworth, Chelan County where SWAT teams had swamped the area, KIRO 7 reported.
The deceased Wenatchee sisters were identified as Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5.
Wenatchee dad opposed Whitney Decker revision of custody rights
Whitney Decker blames Amber alert failure & system letting down military vet ex
Wenatchee dad was deadbeat military vet
To date, authorities had yet to locate the dad who was now wanted on first degree kidnapping and murder charges of the three deceased girls, KING5 reported.
Decker, who is from Wenatchee, served in the military and possesses ‘extensive training,’ according to authorities. Decker joined the Army in 2013, according to the Associated Press. He served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021. Police advised the public not to approach him, as it is unknown whether he is armed.
The Washington National Guard confirmed that Decker was a member and transferred from active duty into the National Guard in 2021. He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time.
They also confirmed that Decker has been pending a disciplinary discharge for not showing up to his monthly drills and the last drill he attended was roughly a year ago.
Wenatchee military dad planned to survive wilderness after slayings
Travis Decker mental health crises & why ex wife, Whitney Decker still held hope
Manhunt search for highly trained military vet ‘killer dad’ intensifies
Travis Decker suffocated daughters to death, had borderline personality disorder
Court documents reveal that Travis Decker and Whitney Decker filed for divorce in 2022, with the divorce finalized in 2023.
Decker picked up his daughters for visitation, Friday late afternoon and did not return them at the agreed-upon time leading to the Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA) alert for his daughters.
The wanted parent is described as weighing 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
Wenatchee Police department reported that he is ‘homeless and living in his car’. He was driving a white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup at the time of the search.
Police are urging anyone with information on Decker’s whereabouts to contact them immediately.
Police describe Decker as 5-foot-8 and 190 lbs with black hair and brown eyes. The wanted man was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
A GoFundme fundraiser for Whitney Decker to assist in legal costs and expenses related to the search of the Wenatchee sisters as of Tuesday afternoon had raised $153,470.
