Found Deceased Olivia 5, Evelyn 8 & Paityn Decker 9, Endangered Alert, visitation w/ homeless dad Travis Decker 32, wh 2017 GMC Sierra PU, Wenatchee, 30 May 2025

[Chimera]

I think he must have discarded the dog well away from the crime scene, or that is indicative that he had another car. If he left the dog tied up, tbe dog could have followed his scent when released. I don't think we've seen those answers posted yet, at which mile the dog was found. Of course I could have missed that info.

Even if not trained, I wonder if they could try to use the dog to 'follow' his scent ?

 

[Chimera]

Iirc they said he had been to that camp the day before he returned with the girls. Per his cell phone tracking, iirc

More evidence of premeditation.
Imo.

 

[NuttMegg]

Even if not trained, I wonder if they could try to use the dog to 'follow' his scent ?

Iinteresting. Maybe they could bring the dog to various places to see if the dog responds or shows interest.

 

[NoeticSoul]

Someone posted the map here early on. IiRC the camp was 18 miles up Icicle Rd. So I haven't seen where the dog was found, but if he walked away from the crime scene, imo the dog would have followed him.


What an interesting twist that the dog's life meant more to him than the children's.

bbm The fact that the dog meant more to him than the children means to me that his agenda was to punish the ex wife :/ perhaps she wasn't attached to the dog.. jmo

 

[Sundog]

bbm The fact that the dog meant more to him than the children means to me that his agenda was to punish the ex wife :/ perhaps she wasn't attached to the dog.. jmo

It could be, but at this point we just don't know. It's also possible that he was having a psychotic episode. If he is found alive we should know more.

 

[floridafreshsqueez]

I almost wonder if he tied up the dog to have the dog out of the way without interfering with the murders, rather than as a small mercy.

Again, everything left behind including the dog could be a red herring.

I looked at pix of the campground…while it does sound like it is frequented by people too often to hide, as a FL gal the terrain seems rugged enough to hide, and move stealthily with ease…or is that my ignorance?

If he had previously scouted hideouts and planned a certain path, that also gives him a head start.

It doesn’t look like there are major cave networks nearby, but imagine being able to find one or more on the go wouldn’t be difficult.

 

[Nikynoo]

The humane society post said it was found on Icicle Rd., so if not directly at the crime scene, it was on the same street.

Interesting that the dog didn’t follow him/go with him.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> as someone with BPD. It’s also often misdiagnosed and shares overlapping symptoms and behaviors with other conditions.

Anyways, MH issues can explain behavior but it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily attributable to a sequence of actions. If he is alive and faces the court, I doubt an insanity defense would go his way.

From what I gathered of the evidence left behind, someone correct me if I’m wrong…but is the implication that TD set up camp and then murdered the girls? It sounds like it was premeditated but that he presumably pretended they were all going to camp before he decided to act?

I agree regarding any MH issues he has maybe explaining some of his behavior, but, IMO, it was not a primary factor in him committing the premeditated murder of his three daughters in cold blood and then disappearing into the wilderness.

Also AFAIK, because he only had visitation with them for 3 hours during the dinnertime hours (5 - 8 pm), he was only supposed to be taking them "out to dinner" as before.

So taking them to the campsite he apparently had stayed at the day before (and only that day before was mentioned, IIRC, maybe based on cell data from LE?), would be an anomaly and not be in keeping with agreed upon plans.

Maybe he told the girls they were going to do something different and cook dinner at his campsite because maybe he admitted he was too broke to take them out to a restaurant, and wouldn't it be fun to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire sort of thing, as a ruse that wouldn't be too alarming (I hope)?

I don't think he had truly set up camp there, though, and had maybe set it up the day before as a staging area to take them the next day and kill them.

I don't think it would have made sense to the girls for him to pretend they were all going to camp out, when they would have known that would be out of the scope of the visitation arrangement, which was dinners out with dad, AFAIK.

 

[tlcya]

Rock Island Campground info
Rock Island Campground map view

 

[NuttMegg]

I agree regarding any MH issues he has maybe explaining some of his behavior, but, IMO, it was not a primary factor in him committing the premeditated murder of his three daughters in cold blood and then disappearing into the wilderness.

Also AFAIK, because he only had visitation with them for 3 hours during the dinnertime hours (5 - 8 pm), he was only supposed to be taking them "out to dinner" as before.

So taking them to the campsite he apparently had stayed at the day before (and only that day before was mentioned, IIRC, maybe based on cell data from LE?), would be an anomaly and not be in keeping with agreed upon plans.

Maybe he told the girls they were going to do something different and cook dinner at his campsite because maybe he admitted he was too broke to take them out to a restaurant, and wouldn't it be fun to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire sort of thing, as a ruse that wouldn't be too alarming (I hope)?

I don't think he had truly set up camp there, though, and had maybe set it up the day before as a staging area to take them the next day and kill them.

I don't think it would have made sense to the girls for him to pretend they were all going to camp out, when they would have known that would be out of the scope of the visitation arrangement, which was dinners out with dad, AFAIK.

18 miles up that road is quite a distance for a routine camp site. Gas money, etc. Plus someone here said those campsites needed registration. So I doubt he had been there more than a night or 2 before the murders. It would be interesting to learn if his truck was visible from Icicle road. The fact that the girls' bodies were up to a football field away from the camp, and down an embankment means to me that he didn't want them found soon. Why didn't he leave his truck at a different site to throw off LE.

 

[chipwhitley]

Has there been any confirmation that they’ve used heat-sensing SAR (like drones or helicopters with thermal imaging) around the Rock Island campground yet? Given his military background and survival training, I’d think that would be one of the first tools they’d deploy, especially if there’s any chance he’s hiding in the surrounding terrain. Curious if anyone’s heard more on that.

 

[NuttMegg]

Has there been any confirmation that they’ve used heat-sensing SAR (like drones or helicopters with thermal imaging) around the Rock Island campground yet? Given his military background and survival training, I’d think that would be one of the first tools they’d deploy, especially if there’s any chance he’s hiding in the surrounding terrain. Curious if anyone’s heard more on that.

I doubt they'd release any of that. They've got FBI, Homeland Security, State agencies, who knows what all else. Probably fish & game, federal land agencies for their terrain, trail knowledge.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Just my thoughts here, but even if this guy has no mental health issues at all, his CIRCUMSTANCES at this time, should have precluded him from ever having unsupervised overnight or weekend visits with the children.
Certainly good people can fine themselves homeless and entire families can find themselves homeless, but the circumstance of being homeless…instability, contact with total strangers, lack of money, etc…is no place anyone would voluntarily want children to be.
Despite what his ex-wife said about what a great guy he was…she was talking about him…not his homelessness, the court should have been advocating for the children and required supervised visitation until this guy’s situation improved and stabilized.
What a tragedy. Prayers out to everyone.

 

[Sundog]

Just my thoughts here, but even if this guy has no mental health issues at all, his CIRCUMSTANCES at this time, should have precluded him from ever having unsupervised overnight or weekend visits with the children.
Certainly good people can fine themselves homeless and entire families can find themselves homeless, but the circumstance of being homeless…instability, contact with total strangers, lack of money, etc…is no place anyone would voluntarily want children to be.
Despite what his ex-wife said about what a great guy he was…she was talking about him…not his homelessness, the court should have been advocating for the children and required supervised visitation until this guy’s situation improved and stabilized.
What a tragedy. Prayers out to everyone.

This was a three-hour visit, not overnight, just from 5 pm to 8 pm.

 

[bestill]

Someone posted the map here early on. IiRC the camp was 18 miles up Icicle Rd. So I haven't seen where the dog was found, but if he walked away from the crime scene, imo the dog would have followed him.


What an interesting twist that the dog's life meant more to him than the children's.

BBM, I was going to write the very same thing. I am wondering if he left the dog the at the camp while he picked the girls up from their mothers. She may have asked where's the dog and his answer was he's going to have to give the dog up due to his finances.

In that earlier post about a dog matching the description of his dog being at the shelter, it was also mentioned they were measuring the paws. I think the bloody prints are from the dog.

All JMO

 

[tlcya]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> ... the sheriff was on NewsNation last night and clarified it was an adult sized handprint. (4:18 mark in the video)

On a completely OT note, the Sheriff is a very very very attractive young man and so well spoken. I hadn't really noticed in the presser because I was absorbing the awful news being relayed. But yowza!

 

[Miss Poovy]

This was a three-hour visit, not overnight, just from 5 pm to 8 pm.

To me, it doesn’t matter how long the visitation was if he was in a mental decline & wanted to get back at the mom (if true) by killing their children!! I’m not over the top concerned about his diagnosis, if any, but his actual behavior, the kids reaction to it and not following the Court’s direction about an assessment.

At the end of the day, one may kill or harm or put a kid in a dangerous position in 30 minutes to 3 hours, if we need to look at it that way.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

This was a three-hour visit, not overnight, just from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Thanks for the correction.
Still, just my opinion, there should have been no unsupervised visitation.

 

[wvmoonangel]

I almost wonder if he tied up the dog to have the dog out of the way without interfering with the murders, rather than as a small mercy.

Again, everything left behind including the dog could be a red herring.

I looked at pix of the campground…while it does sound like it is frequented by people too often to hide, as a FL gal the terrain seems rugged enough to hide, and move stealthily with ease…or is that my ignorance?

If he had previously scouted hideouts and planned a certain path, that also gives him a head start.

It doesn’t look like there are major cave networks nearby, but imagine being able to find one or more on the go wouldn’t be difficult.

He's had extensive Military training so it is possible that he had built a makeshift hideout to hide in until dark.

 

[Sundog]

Thanks for the correction.
Still, just my opinion, there should have been no unsupervised visitation.

I agree, very unstable situation. It needed outside supervision. If the mother had gone with them, or tried to stop the visit at that time, then I think she could have also been in danger.