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TRAVIS Decker’s former spouse is determined to locate him by all possible means as officials continue their search for the father accused of the tragic murder of his three daughters.
Decker, aged 32, has remained unaccounted for since June 2, when the bodies of his daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—were discovered close to his vehicle at a camping site in Washington.
The ex-US Army veteran did not return his daughters to his former wife, Whitney Decker, in Wenatchee, Washington, following a court-sanctioned visit on May 30.
But after nearly a month-long manhunt, Travis Decker, who has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping, is still nowhere to be found.
While appearing on NewsNation’s Banfield on June 26, Whitney’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, said the heartbroken mother wants Decker found “dead or alive.”
“That’s a huge, a huge thing that she wants,” said Cozart.
“It’s very, very important to her so that she can have peace.”
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office announced on June 23 that they were shifting their resources in the search as they believe there is “no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area.”
Authorities described the veteran as being trained in survival skills.
Whitney’s attorney said the mother isn’t focused on whether she would prefer her ex to be found dead or alive.
“I don’t think she’s able to think that far ahead, because either way, it’s hard, right?” said Cozart.
“I think that she knows that if he is found alive, he’ll never be able to answer the questions that she might have to a point where it would give her peace.
“I think that her main focus is just that he’s found one way or the other.”
HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE
Whitney bravely gave a speech about her daughters last week as hundreds gathered to mourn the girls.
The crowd of 800 wore purple, pink, and green — the sisters’ favorite colors — during the service.
“You all look beautiful, and I know [Evelyn] would have loved to ooh and ahh over all of your outfits,” said Whitney.
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
Monday, May 26
Travis Decker searches online for “how does a person move to Canada,” a Canadian job website, and “how does a person move to Canada.”
Thursday, May 29
Decker’s cell activity shows that he drove to and from the Rock Island Campground.
Friday, May 30
5 pm – The three girls are picked up from their mom’s house by their dad.
8 pm – Decker is supposed to return the girls but doesn’t. Their mom’s calls to him go straight to voicemail.
9:45 pm – Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing.
Decker’s truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn’t match their criteria.
Saturday, May 31
WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
Monday, June 2
3:45 pm – Decker’s truck is found empty with bloody adult-sized hand prints at Rock Island Campground.
5 pm – Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
Tuesday, June 3
9:30 am – WPD notifies the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm – WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Decker is still on the loose.
Friday, June 6
The girls’ autopsy report confirms that they died by suffocation.
Sunday, June 8
6 pm – Chelan County Sheriff’s Office hands the search for Decker to the federal authorities.
Through tears, the mother added that Paityn would have given everyone a compliment, which she was known to do.
She shared about how her daughters connected with others and felt their emotions.
The mother said the girls practiced speaking about their feelings while working with therapists after their parents’ divorce in 2022, which was due to Travis’ mental instability after seven years of marriage.
“After my divorce, there were a lot of feelings flowing through my house, as you can imagine — me going through a divorce with three small, tiny women,” Whitney said.
Whitney broke into tears as she continued, “I’m so thankful for the time I had with the girls and how the three feelings allowed us to connect when the world slowed down.
“It really gave me an inside look into their day. I believe doing this with them allowed them to come into the world with open hearts and kindness.”
HAUNTING LOOK
A neighbor said Decker looked thin and appeared distracted when he arrived for the handoff at Whitney’s home.
Binh Nguyen, who lived next door to the Deckers for years, told People about the conversation he shared with the dad on the day he disappeared.
“He was skinny. He had long hair and a beard,” Nguyen told the outlet.
“I said, ‘Is that you, Travis?’”
The men spoke for about 10 minutes as Decker waited to pick up his daughters.
However, Nguyen noticed that Decker looked distracted and wasn’t fully paying attention to their conversation
“What was strange was that he kept asking me the same question at different points in our conversation,” Nguyen told the Daily Mail.
“Like he wasn’t remembering he already asked.”
He told People that the interaction struck him as “kind of weird.”
“He had a sad face,” Nguyen added.
