Mom of 3 murdered girls shares shocking Father’s Day tribute to killer ex.


The mother of three young girls, allegedly murdered by her missing ex-husband, posted a bizarre Father’s Day tribute to him before their deaths. Whitney Decker created a 20-second video with photos of her daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—and their father, Travis Decker. The video was intended as a Father’s Day tribute to her ex-husband, a veteran now wanted for the suspected murders of their daughters. Her attorney, Arianna Cozart, shared the video with People.

It’s unclear when the video, featuring Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy,” was posted.

The bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia were found Monday at a campsite in Leavenworth, after their father, Travis, failed to return them from visitation on Friday. The girls, discovered 20 miles from their Washington home, were found with their wrists bound with zip ties and suffocated with plastic bags.

Travis, who reportedly suffers from complex PTSD and other mental health issues, has since gone into hiding. Despite this, their mother, through her attorney Cozart, claimed the girls’ deaths were a preventable tragedy that could have been avoided if officials had intervened.

She believes that “something broke inside” Decker and that he “wouldn’t have done what he did if he was himself,” Cozart shared in an emotional statement early Thursday.

“He clearly had some sort of breakdown, and all the trauma he’d been carrying inside for so long finally took over,” Cozart told the Seattle Times.

The attorney, speaking for Whitney, also pointed out that it was completely out of character for Decker not to return his daughters after their scheduled visit.

Cozart argued that Decker’s “declining mental health” and “out-of-character behavior” should have raised enough concern to trigger an Amber Alert.

She believes authorities should have recognized that the sisters were “missing” and in “substantial danger,” even though Decker hadn’t made an explicit threat.

Court documents reveal that when Whitney reported her daughters missing on Friday, she expressed concern about Decker’s unusual actions and his alleged worsening mental state. Whitney also informed police that Decker had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believed he wasn’t taking medication for it.

The father of three was required to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but documents show there was no indication he followed through.

In September, during divorce proceedings, Whitney stated that he had been “struggling to maintain stability” since their separation, and it was starting to impact their daughters.

She also mentioned that, despite her objections, he occasionally had the girls sleep at an armory while he was serving in the National Guard, according to the Seattle Times.

She also said Decker – was prone to ‘outbursts’ and would come into her house yelling for the girls – would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so.

‘I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,’ Whitney wrote in the court filing. ‘To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship.

‘But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.’

But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters.

She said the girls had a, ‘good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,’ and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit.

Whitney said that when Decker went to pick up the girls on Friday, he was “quieter than usual,” which she noted was “out of character” for him.

He had also reportedly been discussing getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles.

On Tuesday, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Decker and ordered him held without bail.

Authorities descended on Rock Island Campground Monday evening after discovering Decker’s truck.

Deputies from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office found the girls’ bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe they died from asphyxiation, with their wrists bound by zip ties, according to court documents.

The truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items such as blankets, food, car seats, and a wallet on the center console.

The campground showed signs of recent use, including a tent and a cooler nearby, but Decker was nowhere to be found.

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