The mother of the three girls found dead in Washington state said multiple system failures led to their deaths, as their accused killer father remains elusive.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the Wenatchee Police Department said that officers discovered 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker dead near the Rock Island Campground Monday.
Police suspect the children’s father, Travis Decker, 32, killed them during a planned visitation and then fled the area.
Court documents stated that the girls likely died from asphyxiation. Police said they found bloodied handprints and zip ties at the scene.
“He was an engaged father. He did have some limitations on his parenting time due to his mental illness,” Arianna Cozart, a lawyer for the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, said, according to KFYR-TV.
Cozart added that around a year and half ago, Travis Decker left the Army as a ranger and became homeless.
“He left voluntarily, so I believe his discharge was honorable. I think as far as the reserves, he just stopped showing up.”
Travis Decker reportedly struggled to maintain steady employment, working a number of minimum wage jobs. He was also diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, a condition that Cozart said was probably linked to his combat experience. He purportedly tried to get help, but had a lot of issues with veterans services.
“She [Whitney Decker] really feels that the system let her children down. It was the inadequacies in the services for our veterans that killed those children. That’s it,” Cozart added.
Officials didn’t send out an AMBER Alert, despite Travis Decker’s mental health issues, because they did not believe the children were in immediate danger.
“They did not see him as an immediate physical danger to his children, despite the fact that he had a well-established history of mental health issues,” Cozart said.
“Had they seen it that way, those children might still be alive, and that’s the thing that is so brutal, and the one thing she [the mom] is really hoping can be changed in this tragedy.”
Meanwhile, the search continues, but Decker’s survival skills from his 2014 deployment to Afghanistan are hindering search teams, My Northwest reports.
Investigators are asking residents and cabin owners in remote parts of Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish, and Okanogan counties to be vigilant, but to not approach Decker if spotted.
“We are asking for those owners to lock all of their doors, to include any sheds, outbuildings, and leave their window blinds open, and we recommend leaving outside lights on,” the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We are unsure if Mr. Decker is currently alive, so we are taking it that he is still out there,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said. “We will not rest until we’ve located him, whether he’s alive or he’s dead, we want to make sure he’s brought back.”
The U.S. Marshals Service announced a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to Decker’s arrest.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the CCSO tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit information online at https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/sheriff/forms/submit-a-tip.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Whitney Decker/Facebook]
