Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker

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2:04Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including violence, abuse, and murder. This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice.

2:37Today, I'm discussing the case of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker. This is a case that's unfolding as I record this episode, and it needs as many eyes on it as possible. I will warn you that this is going to be a difficult episode, but it's incredibly important. At the end of May 2025, Whitney Decker reported her three daughters missing after their father, Travis Decker, failed to return them after their scheduled visit with him. She reported them missing less than two hours after they were due back home with her. However, a few days later, the girls were found deceased. Travis Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, but has not yet been located.

3:19He is considered to be dangerous, a threat to himself, and a threat to others. Like I said, this case needs as many eyes as possible on it, so let's dig in and see how we can help. This is the case of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker. It's Friday, May 30, 2025, in Wenatchee, Washington, and Whitney Decker is growing increasingly concerned because her ex-husband, 32-year-old Travis Decker, is late dropping off their three daughters after their scheduled visit. Peyton is nine, Evelyn is eight, and Olivia is just five years old. It was just a day visit, and they were supposed to be dropped off at 8pm, but Travis is late, and he isn't answering his phone.

4:03In fact, by this time, it was turned off completely. Now, in order to really understand this case, we need to talk about the circumstances that led up to this point. Basically, why Whitney is immediately freaked out when Travis is late without communicating why. Travis Decker used to have overnight visits with the girls, but Whitney asked for a modification to their parenting plan after she found out that Travis was living in an armory. He was in the National Guard and had a hard time finding and keeping stable housing. According to a statement from the Wenatchee Police Department, they believe Travis may have also been living in his vehicle, at various hotels and motels, or even campgrounds in the area.

4:44But the bottom line is, he did not have stable housing for three young girls. Through a variety of statements Whitney has made through her lawyer, Ariana Cozart, she has stated that Travis was never violent towards her or the girls. She described Travis as a present and active father, a father who attended their soccer games, dance, and theater performances. She also said that he was a good co-parent who was always in communication with her. She says that even if Travis was gonna be just a few minutes late, he would let her know. So to me, it makes sense that Whitney was immediately alarmed when Travis was late to drop off their daughters without telling her about it.

5:23While Travis is far from perfect, this does appear to be out of the ordinary for him. According to statements from Whitney's lawyer to ABC News, Whitney and Travis were married for 10 years. They met online when Travis was stationed at the Joint Army Air Force Base in Washington. They also lived in Italy for two years and Georgia for another two before moving to Wenatchee Valley. But she says that Travis's mental health really began to decline around 2023, when he got out of the active reserves. She says he would scream in the middle of the night, soak the bed, and only get one to two hours of sleep.

5:59They ultimately got divorced in 2023. According to Whitney's lawyer, the primary reasons were Travis's, quote, mental health struggles, including feelings of isolation, paranoia, and borderline personality disorder, end quote. She added that Travis was the one who initiated the divorce, because he, quote, felt like he wasn't worth it, end quote. Now, like I said, Travis is a veteran, and after serving as an army ranger in Afghanistan, he was diagnosed with complex PTSD as a result of combat. In 2021, he transferred from the active component of the U.S. military to the Washington National Guard.

6:40He is still pending a disciplinary discharge for failing to attend monthly drills. It looks like he hasn't gone since 2024. Whitney did have full custody of their children, but Travis also had visitation rights. While visiting Travis at the armory, the girls called Whitney crying, saying they couldn't find their dad anywhere. Whitney also says that one of the girls was injured on the workout equipment there. She was uncomfortable with them being around a lot of strange men and that they showed an overall emotional disruption after visiting with their father. Whitney says that she felt that they were overall being neglected while in his care.

7:16So in September, 2024, she asked her judge in Chalayan County Superior Court to modify the parenting plan. Travis did defend himself in court. As of recording this episode, they are still looking for Travis. So I'm going to play a clip of him speaking in court so you can understand what his voice sounds like. Every time I've had the girls, we have been in campsites in National Forests and paid campsites that have campers. We've never done anything that was unsafe or anything I wouldn't want to put myself in. I understand that my current position when I'm by myself isn't ideal, but my daughters aren't a part of that.

7:55I only get to see them over the weekends and camping is something that the four of us have done since the three of them were in diapers. I've never done anything I feel like that puts them in any sort of a risk that most families in the state of Washington, every campsite we've been to in the last month have been almost completely booked out or sold out because everybody's out this time of year Ultimately, the judge sided with Whitney. They decided it was in the girls' best interest to no longer have overnight visits with Travis until he found more stable housing outside of the armory, but they still allowed him to continue seeing the girls through scheduled visits.

8:40He could see them for three hours on Fridays and eight hours every other weekend, under the condition that he stayed in Wenatchee Valley. Travis was also ordered by the court to seek mental health treatment, attend anger management counseling, and undergo a full psychiatric evaluation. Otherwise, Whitney would have the choice to limit visitations with the girls. And ultimately, Travis did not comply. So fast forward a few months to Friday, May 30th, 2025. Travis is now late dropping the girls off and not answering Whitney's phone calls. Again, he was supposed to drop them off by 8 p.m. By 9.45, Whitney reports them missing to the Wenatchee Police Department.

9:24According to reporting by the New York Times, she specifically mentions that Travis was experiencing mental health issues. And this department does want to immediately issue an Amber Alert, but the Washington State Patrol declines it. They say this case just didn't meet the criteria of children being in immediate danger. Really, they seem to see it as just a custody dispute, and they argue that they see this all the time. But this is a decision that I must imagine still haunts those with the power to make it to this day. This message is sponsored by Greenlight. Money is this invisible thread that ties us all together.

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11:08It's Hulaween on Disney+. Watch frightful family favorites like Hocus Pocus and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+. I am the Pumpkin King! Then take the terror to ten with a thrilling new remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Scream, and more with Hulu-een on Disney+. All these and more screaming this Halloween season with Hulu on Disney+. Bundle subscription required. 18+. Select Hulu content via Disney+. Additional content on Hulu app. Terms apply. Visit Disneyplus.com slash Hulu for details. The following day, on Saturday, May 31st, the Wenatchee Police Department did issue an endangered missing persons alert, saying that three young girls were believed to be missing and unable to return home on their own.

11:52They also reiterated that the investigation had not met Amber Alert criteria. Unfortunately, because this was, for the most part, treated as a custody dispute, this really wasn't treated as an all-hands-on-deck type of situation when it came to searching for the girls. And on Monday, June 2nd, the Washington State Patrol announced that they were canceling the Endangered Missing Persons Alert. But they didn't say why. It wasn't until the following day, June 3rd, that they issued a press release announcing that Travis's truck was found by a deputy on patrol on the 2nd at 3.45 p.m. near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington.

12:33Travis was not located. And this next part is going to be hard to hear. All three girls, Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia, were also found deceased near Travis's truck. It was later revealed that they were suffocated. Plastic bags were placed over their heads and zip ties bound their wrists. Travis was already facing charges for custodial interference, but in a press conference, law enforcement announced that Travis was now being charged with three counts of first degree murder and one count of kidnapping. They added, quote, it is unknown whether Decker is currently armed, but he may pose a significant risk if approached, end quote.

13:18It's obviously just the worst case scenario. But let's take a moment to break down what we know about this area, scene, and Travis to get a better understanding of what may have happened here and where Travis may have gone after this. When you look at a map of the Rock Island campground, it is absolutely surrounded by forest, and it backs right up to Grindstone Mountain. There are also many creeks in the area. This is a first-come, first-served campsite with 20 single sites and two double sites. It's not terribly far from Wenatchee, where Travis picked up the girls. It's about 40 miles or just over an hour drive.

13:58It's a part of the larger Rocky Mountain Recreation Area as a whole. You can camp, hike, fish, it has just about everything. And this is very rugged terrain. Lots of trees, brush, water sources, hills, and mountains. While some areas look like they might be easy to navigate, like the designated trails and roads, there's also just a lot of untouched wilderness. Now, let's talk about the crime scene itself. There was a campsite found near Travis's truck. It seems like it wasn't right next to it, but within walking distance. Here, they found a tent, cooler, and a campfire. But the primary crime scene really does appear to be Travis's truck, which again is about where the girls were found.

14:43According to reporting by Fox 13 Seattle, there were two bloody handprints on Travis' truck, a white 2017 GMC Sierra. Inside, they found a variety of items, like blankets, food, car seats, and a wallet, presumably belonging to Travis. They also found zip ties and plastic bags. At the site, they also found Travis' dog, who was alive and later turned over to the Humane Society. As far as I could find, authorities have not stated if the dog was injured. And this is an important detail, because according to the sheriff's office, quote, blood samples were taken from the scene, have come back positive for belonging to a male, and another was not human blood, end quote.

15:29They added that further DNA and fingerprint analysis are still being conducted. Right now, we don't know if that blood belongs to Travis or if the non-human blood belongs to his dog. But I will say, just pure speculation here, if the human blood didn't belong to Travis, I think authorities would let us know that he's likely traveling with someone else, or that they believe someone else was involved. But that hasn't happened. So I do think it's safe to assume for now that it does likely belong to Travis. Whether he was injured somehow or hurt himself is obviously unclear. As for the non-human blood, of course, I really hope it doesn't belong to his dog.

16:10But with his survival skills, I don't think it's unrealistic to believe that it may belong to an animal he hunted at some point. But again, that is just speculation. However, this does lead me to discussing more of what we know about Travis, his possible mindset, and ability to survive in the wilderness as authorities believe he might be. According to the U.S. Marshals Service affidavit, Travis made a few concerning internet searches before his visitation with the girls, including how to relocate to Canada and how does a person move to Canada. It also seems that he was looking at potential job openings through a Canadian job site.

16:49And according to reporting by Fox 13 Seattle, his cell phone activity showed that he had visited the same campground the day prior to kidnapping the girls, which would make sense for the first degree murder charges he's facing. They also discover that his phone was turned off at about 6 p.m. on May 30th. Chalain County Sheriff Mike Morrison told the media that Travis does basically have a lifetime of experience being in this type of wilderness. He says that he spent a lot of time camping and being in the wilderness as a kid, and that it continued into adulthood. In addition to the survival skills he learned in the military, Travis has a passion for the outdoors, and according to his dad, would spend up to two and a half months at a time in nature.

17:33He also participated in caching, basically hiding supplies in different areas for future use. At the press conference, Mike Morrison announced a$20 ,000 reward being offered by the U.S. Marshals Office for information leading to his arrest, and asked Travis to turn himself in, saying, quote, 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 rest, and we're going to make sure we find you. You will be brought to justice. Those young ladies deserve it. End quote. But he added that they had no leads on where Travis could be, saying he could be anywhere in the nation.

18:17And while he didn't say this, I don't think it's unreasonable to believe that he may have been headed out of the nation as well, possibly to Canada due to his internet searches and proximity to Washington. When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you know your choices matter. You're the expert because you know what fits your life. And getting it right starts with good information. That's why America's beverage companies are sharing more information about our ingredients at goodtoknowfacts.org. No spin, no judgments, Just the facts straight from the experts for more than 140 beverage ingredients.

18:57Visit goodtoknowfacts.org. Josie, it's your new nanny Polly. The hand that rocks the cradle, a Hulu original. What do you know about her? Now streaming. You think if you try hard enough, you can stop bad things from happening, but you can't. Good help. Get out! Is hard to find. No! You need me do this. A Hulu original, the hand that rocks the cradle. Reddit R, now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundled subscribers. Terms apply. On June 8th, so just a little over a week into the investigation, the Chalayan County Sheriff's Office referred the case to federal authorities while still leading the criminal investigation.

19:40On their Facebook page, they wrote, quote, we had reached a point where we needed to rest our local resources. Our command staff continues to be engaged with the search command while we give our team's time off to rest and recuperate and be ready to rejoin the search for and capture of the suspect, end quote. So at this point, the FBI, Border Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Office are involved in the search for Travis. They're also joined by about half a dozen other law enforcement agencies in the surrounding area. But according to reporting by King 5 News. The FBI and U.S. Marshals Office are expected to take the lead on this case and manhunt.

20:20They are of course scouring the area of the campsite and the vast wilderness that surrounds it. As of shortly before recording this episode, Sheriff Morrison told King 5 News that their efforts have spanned over 2 ,900 square miles. So this is a huge search area. This case has also been extensively covered by local and national news outlets, and there have been some reported sightings of Travis. There's been a sighting near the unincorporated community of Tianaway in Kittitas County, and their local law enforcement has since gotten involved. Reports from concerned citizens have come from Idaho, Texas, Canada, and even as far as England.

21:01I mean, really, unfortunately, with about a three-day head start, it seems like Travis could have traveled almost anywhere. But there has been at least one what appears to be credible sighting of Travis. A hiking party in Chalayan County near the Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area of the Cascade Mountain Range reported seeing a lone hiker in the area. They described him as ill-prepared for the trail and weather conditions, and that he seemed to be avoiding other people. A helicopter was dispatched on June 10th, and they also spotted the lone hiker, but they quickly ran from sight near Colchuck Lake.

21:40And the Chalayan County Sheriff's Office did post on their Facebook page to say that they believe this person was Travis Decker. They added, quote, Teams later picked up a trail and deployed canines to the area, tracking the subject to the area of Ingalls Creek Trailhead on Highway 97, end quote. They've also urged anyone staying in cabins in the area to lock their doors and cars and to check any video footage they may have. Quote, if you have any cameras, including trail cameras in the area, please check them or submit a tip to the U.S. Marshals tip line with a location of the camera for law enforcement to check.

22:18End quote. Now these trails are still open, but they have urged people in the area to remain vigilant. It seems like they really are exhausting all resources in looking for Travis Decker. They've even partnered with a psychic to follow their lead. But of course, as of recording this episode, they are still looking for Travis. Which I do want to make very clear, because unfortunately, there has been some misinformation in this case as well. A TikTok video was created and circulated stating that Travis Decker had been taken into custody after a standoff with law enforcement. But the sheriff's office has come out to say that that video is false.

22:58He is not in custody and their office did not participate in the creation of that video. Now, while they are still searching for Travis, Whitney's lawyer told People Magazine that she believes it's likely he died by suicide. And I really do want to take a moment to honor what Whitney has been telling the media through statements made by her lawyer. We are outsiders in this case. Me, you listening, the media, the authorities, but Whitney isn't. She was married to this man for 10 years. She knows the complexities of his conditions and what is and isn't normal behavior for Travis. She also knows his struggles.

23:38She said Travis was attempting to seek care, but ultimately wasn't able to do so. She added that the system failed Travis, saying he was unable to receive help through veteran resources. Quote, the courts didn't fail these girls. It wasn't the judge and it wasn't Whitney. It was our system. Whitney feels like the system really let Travis down. If someone would have provided Travis with the help that he needed, those girls would be alive. He had some mental health issues and some instability in his life that really led to the restrictions as far as overnight visitation or him taking them out of the area.

24:15But other than that, he loved those girls very much, and him and Whitney were able to communicate on a regular basis, not just as co-parents, but as friends. End quote. Now this next part has been a hot topic of debate in this case. I've seen reports of a neighbor coming out to discuss possible domestic abuse. There's also been discussion of that as far as the custody case went. I don't know what's truth, what's rumor, and what's in between. I can only report on what I've seen. That's why I'm depending on all these quotes from Whitney's lawyer, and I do think it's really important to note here that she says that there were no red flags before this happened, and that Travis had never done anything like this before.

24:57She says Whitney had no indication that Travis might do something like this. Her lawyer told ABC News, quote, something came out of this man and he broke, That's it. When that man picked up those girls, his babies, he did not have a plan to kill them. There's nothing that indicates that he did. End quote. She further explained that when Travis picked them up, he spoke with Whitney for about 15 to 20 minutes and confirmed that he'd be back at 8 p.m. Whitney believes, quote, he was a loving man, but something broke, and whatever monster came out of him, it's something that he was trained to do in the military.

25:34End quote. Normally, I try my best to reserve most of my opinions for after the main episode, but with the narratives I'm seeing online, I feel like it's very important to discuss this here. I also think I do have quite a unique insight into these very complex feelings, insight into how it feels to have someone you love and care for harm the person you love most. The person most impacted by this, outside of the children who lost their lives, which of course is a tragedy, is their mom, Whitney Decker. The person whose opinion matters most right now in this case is Whitney Decker. She lost all three of her children and their father in an instant.

26:15She's not screaming that Travis is a monster who deserves the worst this world has to offer. Through statements made by her lawyer, she's explaining the circumstances that led to this happening, and I implore you to listen to her. I believe that Whitney is trying to discuss the issue of preventing horrific acts like this from happening again, specifically prevention through mental health services. In creating this episode, I am taking the lead from Whitney. I'm choosing to approach this case with the empathy that she's chosen to extend to Travis despite having every right not to. Of course, Travis has not been convicted of these crimes, but assuming that he is guilty, I am in no way excusing his behavior.