The ex-wife of Travis Decker is pleading for authorities to locate the man accused of murdering their three daughters, saying she needs him found — “dead or alive.”
Decker, 32, vanished on June 2 after the bodies of Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were discovered at a remote Washington state campsite, alongside his abandoned truck.
Mom Speaks Out Through Tears
Decker’s ex-wife Whitney, speaking through her attorney on NewsNation’s Banfield, made a heartbreaking appeal as the nearly month-long manhunt continues.
“Her only focus right now is that he’s found — no matter the outcome,” said attorney Arianna Cozart.
“She’s not thinking about whether he should be found alive or dead. She just wants peace. That’s all she wants.”
The children were last seen alive on May 30, when Decker picked them up for a court-approved custody visit. He never brought them back.
Two days later, authorities discovered his vehicle at the Rock Island Campground, smeared with bloody adult-sized handprints. The girls’ bodies were located nearby. They had been suffocated, according to autopsy results.
Survival Training and No Confirmed Sightings
Decker, a former Army veteran, is believed to be trained in survival tactics. The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office announced on June 23 they were scaling back local search efforts, saying there’s no solid evidence he’s still in the area — or even alive.
Federal agencies have now taken over the case.
Emotional Tribute at Vigil
At a recent public vigil attended by hundreds, Whitney described her daughters as bright, loving, and emotionally intuitive.
“I’m so thankful for the time I had with the girls,” she said through sobs.
“They helped me heal after the divorce. They let me into their world with kindness and open hearts.”
She described how the girls practiced talking through their emotions in therapy, a result of navigating their parents’ split in 2022, which she attributed to Travis’ mental health struggles.
“After the divorce, there were so many feelings in the house… but those feelings brought us together,” she shared.
Timeline of the Tragedy
- May 30: Travis picks up the girls around 5 p.m. and never returns.
- June 2: Decker’s vehicle is found abandoned with signs of a struggle. The girls’ bodies are discovered nearby.
- June 3–Present: Decker remains missing. A first-degree murder warrant has been issued.
- June 23: Authorities shift search tactics, unsure if Decker is still alive.
Strange Final Encounter
A neighbor who saw Decker on the day he picked up his daughters described the encounter as unsettling.
“He looked thin, distracted. He kept repeating questions like he wasn’t aware he’d already asked them,” said Binh Nguyen, who had known Decker for years.
“He had a sad face,” Nguyen recalled. “Something felt… off.”
The Search Continues
As the manhunt presses on, Whitney’s legal team says the grieving mother is doing everything she can to stay strong.
“There are no words for the pain she’s in,” Cozart said.
“Finding him is the only way she’ll begin to get answers — even if they’re answers she never wanted.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information on Travis Decker’s whereabouts to come forward.
