Court documents indicate that the three fathers of a daughter exhibited increasingly erratic behavior in the months leading up to the tragic murder.
Whitney Decker, Travis Decker’s ex-wife, expressed concerns about his deteriorating mental health, as reported by a local news outlet. For two years, she documented various unsettling incidents involving him.
Whitney finalized her divorce from Travis in September 2024, just nine months before he allegedly took the lives of their three daughters—Peitin, Evelyn, and Olivia—and left their bodies near a remote campsite in Washington.
Authorities discovered the children’s bodies with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties around their wrists.
“It has become increasingly evident that since our separation, Travis has struggled to maintain stability in his life,” Whitney noted in a declaration shared with the news outlet. She stated that his instability had negatively affected their children, causing them significant emotional distress.
According to her, the three girls were “deeply influenced” by his behavior, which led to increased stress levels.
She further described instances of extreme emotional reactions, including screaming and crying during drop-offs or when using the phone, as signs of distress.
Whitney claimed that Travis has mental health challenges, which were significant factors in their marriage’s collapse, highlighting issues like borderline personality disorder and narcissism.
Initially, Whitney filed for divorce in November 2022, emphasizing that there was no need for restraining orders or worries about abuse. At that time, Travis, a National Guard member, was facing disciplinary issues for missing drills.
However, a lot changed in the two years between that first filing and their eventual separation.
In September 2024, Decker was temporarily listed in a parenting schedule change submitted by Whitney’s legal team. After leaving their family home in October 2022, he moved around several times, eventually settling in an apartment.
Whitney also noted incidents where Travis displayed alarming behavior, such as an explosion of rage against her objections, which frightened their daughters.
Six days before Christmas in 2023, Olivia reportedly yelled, distressed about Travis’s absence.
Whitney recalled another time when one daughter tried to find Travis while he was out with a dog, leading to a chaotic situation where he allegedly failed to comfort either child.
On another occasion, he reportedly attempted to stay in the basement with the girls after hitchhiking to her house.
“Travis loves our girls and has made sacrifices for our country, but he needs to get better for them,” Whitney stated, expressing that she didn’t intend to keep him away from their daughters.
Travis Decker is facing three murder charges, and authorities have offered a $20,000 reward for information concerning his location.
