WENATCHEE, Wash. — Friday marks day seven of the state-wide manhunt for Travis Decker, the Wenatchee father accused of kidnapping and killing his three young daughters.
Today deputies say they are narrowing down the search to Chelan and surrounding counties, with a focus on the mountains.
This is thanks to more than five hundred tips from the public.
Now, KIRO 7 is sharing an exclusive video that gives a closer look into Decker’s relationship with his daughters.
Since the beginning of the week, we have been in touch with the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, via her trusted friends and attorney. They tell us the reason this situation is so shocking is because they truly never saw it coming.
Through exclusive videos and pictures, we see Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia smiling, laughing, and having fun with their dad.
Whitney Decker even gave us a photo compilation turned into a video. She told her attorney she made the video as a Father’s Day gift for Travis prior to this year.
Arianna Cozart said she has represented Whitney during the divorce between her and Travis. She said Travis was very present in the girls’ lives.
“He was going to all the girls’ dance and soccer practices, everything they did, you name it, he was being very active,” said Arianna Cozart, Whitney’s attorney.
“Whitney would tell you Travis loved two things in this world,” Cozart said. “Those girls and Jesus. That was Travis.”
But she tells us a lot changed after Travis came back from his Army tour in Afghanistan.
“He was able to keep it together for the girls, but he certainly wasn’t kind to her [Whitney] and he struggled with feeling he was worth a family, feeling his life was worth that,” Cozart said.
Cozart said he is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and struggles with Complex PTSD.
“He sought resources, a lot of that we didn’t know before he abducted the girls,” Cozart said.
She tells us those veteran’s resources are crumbling, both here in the Valley and across the country. She said local organizations are even separating from some patients due to a lack of staffing and funding.
“If Travis would’ve been supported and his mental health struggles of course he never would’ve murdered his babies,” Cozart said.
She said one local VA especially is struggling.
“They haven’t been able to see any new veteran patients for six months,” she said.
Because of this, Decker was without the help he needed to work through his mental health issues.
“I know Whitney believes that these children would not be dead if our government military veterans would’ve been supported,” Cozart said.
Right now, Whitney Decker isn’t ready to speak out on this horrifying tragic situation. Cozart tells us in time, she will, saying she has already mentioned using her voice and story to advocate for veterans’ mental health benefits so that this never happens to anyone else.
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