The brutal killing of sisters Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker, aged nine, eight, and five, has deeply shaken the Washington community. The girls were discovered dead following a court-ordered visit with their father, Travis Decker, a 32-year-old homeless ex-soldier. The tragedy has sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of child custody protocols. Travis, who had been separated from the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, since 2022, was living in a pickup truck at a temporary encampment near Seattle. He picked up the children on Friday, but when they were not returned by Saturday, Whitney became alarmed. Her calls to him went unanswered, prompting her to report the situation to authorities. An arrest warrant for interference with custody was issued on Sunday. The next day, the girls’ bodies were found near Travis’s truck with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists bound. Autopsies revealed the cause of death to be asphyxiation.

Travis Decker fled after the crime, and a manhunt is now underway involving both state and federal law enforcement. He is facing upgraded charges of kidnapping and murder. The incident has highlighted serious flaws in the systems meant to protect children, especially in high-risk custody situations. It also raises concerns about the mental health support available to former combat veterans like Travis. As the community mourns, there is a growing call for justice and for reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future. Details about the girls’ funeral services have not yet been released.