Documents obtained by KIRO 7 News detailing the divorce of Whitney and Travis Decker and custody of their three children, show a period of concern before police say Travis took the sisters and killed them.
According to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, the bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia were discovered by law enforcement near Leavenworth on Monday, after their father had not returned following a planned custody visit on Friday.
Travis Decker has not been found. According to Chelan County, it is unknown if he is armed, but he may be dangerous.
As KIRO 7 News went through the court documents chronologically, it appears Whitney’s stance on Travis’ mental health changed as time went on.
Quotes below were taken directly from court documents and have not been edited for clarity, punctuation or grammar.
On Nov. 14, 2022, a petition of divorce was filed in Chelan County court by Whitney. Within the document, she noted that no protection order or restraining order was needed.
A parenting plan was also filed, where Whitney noted there were no concerns of ‘abandonment, neglect, child abuse, domestic violence, assault, or sex offense.’ Neither parent had an issue with ‘neglect, emotional or physical problems, substance, abuse, lack of emotional ties, abusive use of conflict, or withholding the child.’
Two years later, in future court documents that KIRO 7 obtained, these checkboxes were later changed.
On Jan. 21, 2023, both Travis and Whitney and completed the ‘Supporting Children Through Divorce’ program at the WSU Extension of Chelan and Douglas County.
On Mar. 7, 2023, a Findings and Conclusions about a Marriage document was filed, noting again that no protection order or restraining order was needed.
On Mar. 7, 2023, a parenting plan was finalized, again noting no concerns. Travis was scheduled to have the girls every other weekend, from Friday at 6pm to Sunday at 6pm.
A year later, according to the court documents, Whitney’s opinion on the mental health of her ex-husband appear to have changed.
>> Bodies of 3 missing Wenatchee sisters found; father still on the loose
On Sept. 20, 2024, a modification to the parental schedule was filed by Whitney’s attorney. In the documents, Travis is listed as a ‘transient’ and asking the court for a ‘major change in the parenting schedule.’ Whitney says ‘because of a substantial change in one parent’s situation.’
The proposed modified parenting plan noted a change to Travis, specifically Whitney said that Travis ‘neglected his parental duties towards a child’ and Travis ‘has a long-term emotional or physical problem that gets in the way of his ability to parent.’
Whitney requested Travis be evaluated for ‘anger management/domestic violence, and a full psychiatric evaluation by a licensed psychiatrist to include any potential diagnoses.’ She wanted the hearing within 30 days of the hearing.
She also wanted Travis to enroll in individual counseling sessions with a licensed mental health counselor at least twice a month.
She said if Travis did not do these things, the ‘mother will have the choice to further limit visitation.’
>> Court documents reveal how 3 Wenatchee sisters likely died
In a declaration, filed Sept. 20, 2024, Whitney said ‘Since our separation, it has become increasingly clear that Travis has been struggling to maintain stability in his life.’ The ‘lack of stability’ led to a ‘negative impact on our children.’ She said they were ‘deeply affected’ which led to ‘heightened emotional stress.’
‘This is demonstrated through screaming/crying bouts at drop off or when they get off a phone call,’ she wrote.
She said it was in the children’s best interest to no longer go overnight with their father until he was no longer homeless.
She noted that ‘Travis is able to attend events for our daughters, he is engaged and demonstrates a genuine love for them’ which are ‘meaningful and appreciated by our children.’
‘Travis also has some emotional/mental health issues that were the primary catalyst to the end of our marriage,’ she wrote. ‘His borderline personality disorder and narcissism became rampant.’
She explained in October of 2022, Travis moved into the armory in Wenatchee. A few months later he moved into an apartment in Wenatchee. When his lease was up he moved back into the armory, then purchased an RV. In May 2024, Travis ‘moved’ to Idaho with his RV, but it was soon repossessed.
‘There were times that I told him I didn’t feel comfortable with the girls staying in the armory with a bunch of strange men,’ she wrote. ‘He told me he was staying in the RV but then I found out he really was staying at the armory again.’
In June 2024, Whitney said she found out the girls were on mattresses at the armory.
‘He has had some outbursts where he has burst into my home against my objections and yelled for the girls,’ she wrote.
She then details incidents between Travis and the girls that include:
- 8/30/23 - ‘Didn’t want the girls this weekend even though it was his weekend. Said the girls walk on eggshells because of how he reprimands the dogs.’
- 12/19/23 - ‘Olivia FaceTimed me screaming crying Travis was nowhere in sight. Paityn had to go find him and he was with the dogs. Told me Paityn was unattended in the armory with Olivia playing on the lay pull-down machine and smashed Olivia’s fingers. Wasn’t comforting her. Olivia and Paityn were crying uncontrollably. Come to find out they had been sleeping in the armory.’
- 7/25/24 - ‘Hitchhiked to my house and asked to stay in the basement with the girls. 3 hours late. Said he could pick the girls up from the play but he was hitchhiking so the stranger would’ve had to pick them up.’
Whitney said that ‘Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. 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. I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all.’
On Sept. 27, 2024, Whitney and Travis appeared in court to discuss the petition to amend the parental schedule.
According to court minutes, Whitney’s attorney told the court that Travis had the children sleep at the armory around dozens of other men. That Travis was homeless and living in his truck. The attorney asked the court to stop the overnight visits with the children until he had secured safe housing.
Once Travis was under oath, he told the court there was no reason to change the order because he already didn’t have enough time with his children. He said he was voluntarily no longer full-time active Army and has more time to spend with the children.
The court ordered there was cause to modify the parenting plan.
Whitney’s attorney asked for Travis to receive a domestic violence evaluation and psychiatric assessment. The attorney also asked that Whitney be given the ability to limit visitation and that Travis should not be allowed to be alone with the children at any point.
Court documents say Travis objected, saying he liked to take the children camping on the weekends. He said he understood Whitney’s concerns about his living situation. He said he had no objection to paying child support, but he was currently unable to pay anything. He said it was important for the children to understand how the world works and how they could learn from his current condition.
The court disagreed.
The court agreed with Whitney and the proposed parenting plan. It also found limiting factors of neglect and emotional/physical problems against Travis. The court ordered Travis to get an anger management/domestic violence evaluation, and a psychiatric evaluation by a licensed psychiatrist.
KIRO 7 News has reached out to Chelan County to ask about the progress about those evaluations.
Travis was granted visitation every other weekend on Fridays from 5pm to 8pm, Saturdays from 11am to 7pm, and Sundays from 9am to 5pm.
On Friday, May 30, just before 10 p.m., the Wenatchee Police Department took a call from Whitney that said Travis had not returned with Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia after the planned custody visit.
According to documents regarding the custodial interference, Whitney told police their divorce was ‘civil,’ but after he lost his housing, the parenting plan was modified.
She ‘denied any domestic violence during their marriage, but did mention moments of power or control he used.’
The report says Whitney said Travis ‘randomly leaving or waking her up by screaming at her in the middle of the night.’
She also said she ‘believes he currently does not take medication.’
According to the documents, Travis refused to sign the parental modification form and did not seek the mental health, domestic violence, or anger management counseling the court ordered.
On the night the children were taken, Whitney said Travis ‘was quieter than usually which was out of character.’
The documents also note the children ‘left home with no supplies for the extended time is believed there is substantial risk of illness or physical injury.’
The bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia were discovered by law enforcement near Leavenworth on Monday.
A friend of the family started a GoFundMe for the girls’ mother.
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