Detailed Timeline Travis Decker (Update 7/3/25)

Pre-May 2025 (Specific dates vary):

• 2013-2021: Travis Decker serves as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.

• 2014: Travis Decker deploys to Afghanistan for four months.

• 2017: Travis Decker serves in the 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, stationed in Italy. He meets Whitney, who already has their first child, Paityn. During this time, he is described as quiet, hardworking, and somewhat narcissistic, and often speaks about his desire to follow in his Green Beret father's footsteps and return to Special Forces, despite having failed Ranger School multiple times.

• Sometime before September 2024: Travis Decker lives off-grid in the backwoods for over two months, utilizing his military training in navigation, survival, and other skills.

• September 2024: Whitney Decker files a petition to modify their parenting plan, citing Travis's worsening mental health issues and increasing instability. She states he is often living out of his truck and seeks to restrict overnight visits until he secures stable housing. The new custody agreement means Travis no longer has overnight stays with the girls.

• Recent past: Travis Decker faces financial struggles, including garnished wages due to back child support and a recent traffic ticket. He discusses rehoming his husky due to unstable housing.

May 2025:

• May 30:

• Travis Decker picks up his three daughters, Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5), from their Wenatchee home for a court-approved three-hour visitation. A neighbor, Binh Nguyen, observes Decker looking skinny with long hair and a beard, appearing "weird" and distracted.

• The girls are expected to return home by 8 p.m., but Travis does not drop them off.

• Whitney Decker attempts to call Travis multiple times, but his cellphone goes to voicemail.

• 10 p.m.: Whitney Decker reports the girls missing to the Wenatchee Police Department.

• Law enforcement checks local hotels, motels, and Confluence Park but cannot find Decker or the girls.

• Authorities believe Decker drove the girls to Rock Island Campground, where he had visited the night prior, and turned off his phone.

• May 31 (Saturday):

• Wenatchee Police issue an Endangered Missing Person Alert for Travis Decker and his daughters. Police state the investigation does not meet AMBER Alert criteria.

June 2025:

• June 1 (Monday):

• Travis Decker fails to show up for work; his boss notes "recent mental health concerns."

• Around 9 p.m.: Chelan County Emergency Management posts that Icicle Road in Leavenworth is closed at milepost 4 due to police activity.

• Around 10 p.m.: Law enforcement cancels the Endangered Missing Person Alert without explaining why or providing information on the girls or Decker.

• June 2 (Tuesday):

• A warrant is issued for Travis Decker's arrest for custodial interference.

• Law enforcement begins using cellphone records and license plate readers to find Decker.

• Just before 5 p.m.: Law enforcement finds Travis Decker's 2017 GMC truck abandoned and empty near Rock Island Campground.

• During their search, law enforcement finds zip ties and bags scattered in the area.

• Law enforcement eventually finds the bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker in the area. Autopsies later show they were suffocated and thrown down a remote Leavenworth campground embankment.

• Probable cause is established to arrest Decker for kidnapping and murder (three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping).

• 6 p.m.: A vigil is held for the girls at Memorial Park in Wenatchee.

• Around 7 p.m.: The Chelan County Sheriff's Office holds a news conference, demanding Decker turn himself in.

• Early June (unspecified date): Travis Decker deletes nearly all his social media posts, photos, videos, and unfollows most former comrades.

• June 5:

• 6:54 p.m. PDT: FOX 13 Seattle publishes an article with insights from an anonymous former Army squadmate about Travis Decker's background.

• 6:12 p.m. PDT: KREM publishes an article reminding the public to submit firsthand information to authorities.

• Chelan County Sheriff's Office posts additional photos of Decker on Facebook, including an older one without facial hair, and highlights his distinct arm tattoos.

• U.S. Marshals Service offers a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker's arrest.

• June 6: Governor Jay Inslee activates the National Guard, allocating emergency funds and ordering Guard resources, including helicopter transportation for law enforcement in remote areas, to support the search.

• June 10: A SWAT team spots a man running from a search helicopter in the Blewett Pass area, leading to the discovery of swept-up campsites, but the tactical teams return empty-handed.

• June 12:

• 10:40 p.m. PDT: FOX 13 Seattle publishes an article detailing the expansion of the manhunt into Kittitas County.

• Washington State Patrol provides over 23 flight hours of air support using Cessnas equipped with infrared cameras.

• Kittitas County Sheriff's deputies and tactical team members maintain an elevated presence near the Teanaway Valley and Blewett Pass areas.

• June 23: U.S. Marshals post photographs of law enforcement in the Alpine Lakes area of the Cascade Mountains involved in the active homicide investigation. Kittitas County Sheriff's Office states there is "no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area."

• June 24: PEOPLE.com publishes an article stating there is "No ‘Certain Evidence’ Travis Decker Is Alive — or Even if Murder Suspect Is in Washington: Sheriff."

• June 25 (Updated 7:19 AM EDT): CBS News reports that authorities are shifting resources to focus on finding Decker's remains, as the possibility of his death in the rugged wilderness increases daily. Human remains detection dogs are being used.

• June 26:

• 6:31 PM PDT: KING 5 News reports that DNA samples recovered from Travis Decker's truck (specifically, two bloody handprints on the tailgate) have been positively identified as his, confirming his presence at the crime scene and disputing the possibility of other suspects. DNA samples from personal items at the initial crime scene also matched.

• 1:04 PM EDT: PEOPLE.com publishes an article detailing Whitney Decker's statements to police about Travis's mental state, financial struggles, and consideration of rehoming his dog before the killings.

• June 30:

• 6:32 a.m. PDT: KIRO 7 News reports that it has been one month since the murders. Travis Decker is now on the U.S. Marshal’s “Top 15 Most Wanted” list.

• Sheriff Mike Morrison expresses frustration that Decker has not been found but emphasizes determination to bring closure and accountability.

• A public memorial is held in Wenatchee for Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker.

July 2025:

• July 1: PEOPLE.com publishes an article titled "He Discovered Travis Decker’s Truck, and Soon After, Slain Daughters Were Found. He Says He’s ‘Still Angry’."

Ongoing:

• The manhunt for Travis Decker continues, involving the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, Chelan County Volunteer Search and Rescue (CCVSAR), U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Ellensburg Police Department.

• Authorities continue to caution the public that Decker should be considered dangerous and should not be approached.

• The U.S. Marshals Service continues to offer a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading directly to Decker's arrest.

• Search efforts include K9 units, drone teams, and swift water search and rescue teams (planned deployment by National Park Service).

• Law enforcement is studying other notorious manhunts for strategies.

Cast of Characters

• Travis Decker: The 32-year-old father accused of kidnapping and murdering his three young daughters, Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5). He is a former U.S. Army infantryman (2013-2021) with deployment experience in Afghanistan (2014) and training in navigation, survival, and evasion (SERE). He previously failed Ranger School multiple times. Described by a former squadmate as quiet, hardworking, and narcissistic, and by his ex-wife as facing mental health issues, financial struggles, and unstable housing before the killings. He is the subject of a massive multi-agency manhunt and is on the U.S. Marshals' "Top 15 Most Wanted" list.

• Paityn Decker: Travis Decker's 9-year-old daughter, one of the three victims.

• Evelyn Decker: Travis Decker's 8-year-old daughter, one of the three victims.

• Olivia Decker: Travis Decker's 5-year-old daughter, one of the three victims.

• Whitney Decker: Travis Decker's ex-wife and the mother of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia. She reported the girls missing and has expressed her grief and frustration during the ongoing manhunt, stating her heartbreak is a driving force for the search teams.

• Sheriff Mike Morrison: Chelan County Sheriff. He is a key spokesperson for the law enforcement agencies involved in the manhunt, expressing confidence in the U.S. Marshals and determination to find Decker to bring closure to the family and community.

• Undersheriff Dan Ozment: Chelan County Undersheriff. He confirmed the positive DNA match of blood samples from the crime scene to Travis Decker, stating there is no reason to believe there are other suspects.

• Inspector Chris Whitsett: Kittitas County Sheriff's Inspector. He discussed the possibility of Decker dying in the wilderness due to the rugged conditions and the ongoing nature of the search.

• Anonymous Former Army Squadmate: A former comrade of Travis Decker who served with him in Italy in 2017. Provided insights into Decker's personality, military background (including his failure to complete Ranger School), and his admiration for his Green Beret father.

• Binh Nguyen: Travis Decker's neighbor who had a "weird" encounter with him on May 30, noting his changed appearance and distracted demeanor.

• Arianna Cozart: Whitney Decker's attorney. She has spoken on Whitney's behalf, stating Whitney never suspected Travis would harm the girls and expressing skepticism about the U.S. Marshals Service leading the investigation due to their familiarity with the local terrain.

• Governor Jay Inslee: Washington State Governor. He activated the National Guard to assist in the search efforts on June 6.

• Phoenix Gardineer: A resident of the Ingalls Creek area (within the expanded search area), who described the impact of the manhunt on her and her family's summer plans.

• Panthra Gardineer: Phoenix's sister, who also lives in the Ingalls Creek area and described seeing helicopters and planes flying low over their house.

• Anitria Nicol: A resident of the Ingalls Creek area (and grandmother to Phoenix and Panthra), who noted the heavy presence of helicopters and her family's increased vigilance.

NotebookLM can be inaccurate; please double check its responses.