The father who killed 3 daughters was “active dad” but the “system failed,” said the ex-wife’s lawyer

Travis Decker, the father accused of having murdered his three young girls near a Washington campsite, lacked mental health resources and was fighting with a post-traumatic stress disorder, his ex-wife told ABC News.

Paitact Decker, 9 years old; Evelyn Decker, 8; And Olivia Decker, 5, were killed after leaving the house for a “planned visit” with Decker around 5 p.m. on May 30, officials said. Around 3 p.m. on Monday, the officials located the unoccupied Decker vehicle near the Rock Island campsite in Chelan County, Washington, and the three girls’ bodies, but “Decker was not located,” the police said.

On Thursday, Decker was not located, officials said.

Arianna Cozart, the lawyer for Whitney Decker, the ex -wife of the alleged murderer, told ABC News that Decker – who was a former army member – had mental health problems, including the SSPT, and could not receive aid thanks to the resources of veterans.

“The courts did not fail these girls. It was not the judge and it was not Whitney; it was our system,” said Cozart. “”[Whitney] One has the impression that the system really dropped Travis. If someone had provided Travis with the help they needed, these girls would be alive. “”

But before the girls disappear last week, “there were no red flags,” said Cozart.

“He had mental health problems and instability in his life that really led to restrictions on the overnight visits or by bringing them out of the region, but other than that he liked these girls and he and Whitney were able to communicate regularly, not only as a coparer, but as aims,” ​​said Cozart.

The couple, who got married for 10 years, met online when Travis Decker was parked at the base of the Army-Air force in Washington and never “spent an interval day after their meeting,” said Cozart. Due to the transfers of Decker in the army, the two lived in Italy for two years and Georgia for two years before moving to the Wenatchee Valley, said Cozart.

The SSPT of Travis Decker was something he “always carried with him” throughout their marriage, but did not start “spiral” until it came out of the active reserves in 2023, said Cozart. Throughout their stay together, Cozart said that Travis Decker was shouting in the middle of the night, soak the bed and would only sleep or two hours.

It was Travis Decker who initiated the end of his marriage to Whitney Decker in 2023, because he “had the impression that he was not worth it,” said Cozart.

Then, in September 2024, Whitney Decker – who had complete custody of children – decided to request a legal advisor and asked the court to “set up restrictions on his parenting” due to “factors concerning mental health and stability of Travis”, said Cozart.

The court granted visits so that the father visits the children for three hours on Friday and eight hours every weekend, as long as he stayed in the Wenatchee valley with the girls, said Cozart.

Cozart said the parental agreement “worked very well, so far”.

“Something came out of this man and he broke, that’s all. When this man picked up these girls, his babies, he had no plan to kill them; there is nothing that indicates that he did it,” said Cozart.

According to Cozart, Travis Decker picked up the girls on May 30, spoke to his ex-wife for about 15 to 20 minutes, then left: “He said:” Hey, I will see you at 8 years old [p.m.]”And he left, and he never returned,” said Cozart.

Cozart said that Whitney Decker stresses that his ex-husband was never violent towards his daughters, saying that he was an “active father” who was still present at the dance lessons of his children, theatrical productions and football matches.

Last week, Travis Decker began to tell his ex-wife that he had “nothing except for you and the girls”, but that did not raise the concern of Whitney Decker, said Cozart.

Although his ex-husband is on the run for killing their daughters, Cozart said that Whitney Decker had “a lot of love and empathy for Travis and who is in his heart”.

“He was a loving man, but something broke and whatever the monster that came out of him, it was something he was trained to do in the army,” said Cozart.

Whitney Decker and Cozart now argue for change in mental health resources accessible to veterans and also work with law enforcement officials to find reforms of the Amber alert system – because we were not published when the girls were missing last week.

“When there is a parent with limited visits that present these history of mental health problems and is a military veteran with the training necessary to kill 100 different ways, this amber alert should have been issued,” said Cozart.

Cozart, who had previously spent time with the three young sisters, described them as “full of light” and as “nice and compassionate little girls”.

Travis Decker, described as 5 feet, 8 inches high with black hair and brown eyes, was seen for the last time wearing a clear shirt and dark shorts, according to the police. Decker’s father flies to speak with detectives, officials said.

The officials said that anyone with information on Decker or who knows where he is should call 911 immediately.