3 Missing Sisters Found Dead At Campground After 'Planned Visitation' With Father: Police

Three young sisters have been found dead in Washington state after a tense weekend of searching.

The sisters – Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5 – failed to return from a “planned visitation” with their father on Friday, sparking a police canvass involving local detectives, federal officers and a Homeland Security helicopter in Chelan County, Washington.

Authorities found their bodies near their father’s car on Monday at 3:45 p.m. around the Rock Island State Park campground in western Washington. The girls’ father, 32-year-old Travis Decker, remains missing and is wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping, the Wenatchee Police Department said in a press release.

Police have determined that the likely cause of death was asphyxiation after the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and their hands zip-tied, The New York Times reported.

Authorities have asked the public for information but cautioned people against contacting or approaching Decker due to safety concerns. Decker is a former member of the military with extensive training, and it’s not clear if he’s armed, they warned. He was described as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, and he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.

Decker previously served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman from 2013 to 2021, according to the Wenatchee World, and he is a member of the Army National Guard. In a 2024 court filing, the children’s mother, Whitney Decker, raised concerns about his temperament and “lack of stability.” Travis Decker was reportedly living out of his car and had exhibited emotional outbursts that frightened and distressed their daughters, she said.

“Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. 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,” she noted in the court filing. Travis was allowed to see the girls every other weekend under their existing custody agreement, though they were not allowed to stay with him overnight.

This undated photo provided by the Wenatchee Police Department shows Travis Caleb Decker.

Wenatchee Police Department / AP

The girls’ mother first called the police on Friday evening after they didn’t return from a scheduled visit with their father.

At the time, officers began sweeping local motels in the Wenatchee area and also requested an Amber Alert, a message that’s sent to the public about abducted children. That request was denied by Washington State Patrol because it didn’t meet the necessary criteria, Wenatchee Police said.

Criteria for an Amber Alert in Washington include that a child is in imminent danger of death or serious injury. Chris Loftis, a spokesman for the Washington State Patrol, told HuffPost that it was not clear that the girls were being abducted or in imminent danger at the time of the Amber Alert request.

“We just didn’t have that,” Loftis told The New York Times. “Everyone wishes we could turn back the clock.”

On Saturday, state police issued an Endangered Missing Person Alert after detectives reached out again with additional information, Wenatchee police said.

Local law enforcement, with the FBI, determined that Decker was still in the region and obtained a warrant for his arrest on Monday. A deputy with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Department identified Decker’s vehicle on Monday afternoon, and authorities found the bodies of the three sisters shortly afterward.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help their mother pay for funeral expenses and take time off work as she grieves.

“Their light touched so many, and the pain of this loss is immeasurable,” the fundraiser’s organizer wrote.

Wenatchee School District Superintendent Kory Kalahar also shared her condolences with parents and teachers at Lincoln Elementary School, where the girls were students.

“Our thoughts are with the family, the entire Lincoln Elementary community, and everyone touched by this situation,” she said.