Father Is Suspected of Kidnapping, Killing 3 Daughters

Police in Washington state are searching for a father believed to have kidnapped and murdered his three daughters. Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9, were found dead on Monday, the Seattle Times reports. They were reported missing on Friday after their father, Travis Decker, failed to return them to their mother after a planned visit. The girls' bodies were found after police spotted Decker's unoccupied truck near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County. Police say Decker, 32, had been homeless and living out of the white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup. The girls lived with their mother in Wenatchee, around 100 miles east of Seattle.

Police did not disclose how the girls died or exactly where the bodies were found, People reports. Police said it's not clear whether Decker, who has extensive military experience, is armed, the AP reports. "Due to safety concerns do not attempt to contact or approach Decker," police said. In court documents related to a parenting plan, the girls' mother said Decker's mental health issues led to their divorce in 2022 and they were getting worse, reports KIRO 7. "Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable," she wrote last year. "He has made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his girls very much but he has got to get better for our girls." (More Washington state stories.)