Chilling audio of fugitive dad Travis Decker reveals the suspected triple-murderer claiming he has by no means achieved something “unsafe” along with his three daughters — simply months earlier than he’s alleged to have killed them.
Within the eerie recording, the 32-year-old is heard pleading with a household courtroom decide to offer him entry to his ladies once more.
“Each time I’ve had the ladies, we have now been in campsites and nationwide forests and paid campsites which have campers,” Decker says within the audio taken from a September 2024 custody listening to and shared by the Wenatchee World.
“We’ve by no means achieved something that was unsafe, or something I wouldn’t need to put myself in,” he says in a single eerie phase, recorded eight months earlier than he allegedly murdered his three daughters after absconding with them throughout a court-ordered visitation on Might 30.
The our bodies of Olivia, 5, Evelyn, 8, and Paityn, 9, had been discovered with plastic baggage on their heads and zip ties round their wrists close to Rock Island Campground in a distant spot of Washington state, near Decker’s deserted truck.
Decker, who faces three counts of first-degree homicide and kidnapping, continues to be on the run regardless of an in depth manhunt.
The chilling recording was taken from a custody listening to following a decide’s choice to grant the ladies’ mom near-full custody of the three youngsters.
Issues concerning the veteran’s declining psychological well being, unstable dwelling scenario, and alleged endangerment of his youngsters had been raised by his ex-wife, Whitney Decker.
The considerations led to his visiting hours being slashed to a set period of time each different weekend.
Decker was homeless and had been dwelling between his RV and armed forces lodging, one thing he acknowledged wasn’t an “superb” place to carry three younger ladies within the audio recording.
“I perceive that my present place after I’m on my own isn’t superb, however my daughters aren’t part of that,” he mentioned within the clip.
“I solely get to see them over the weekends, and tenting is one thing that the 4 of us have achieved because the three of them had been in diapers,” he mentioned.
He reiterated that he had by no means put his daughters in danger, and mentioned that he took them to widespread campsites.
“I’ve by no means achieved something I really feel like that places them in any kind of a threat … that almost all households within the state of Washington, each campsite we’ve been to within the final month have been nearly fully booked out or offered out as a result of everyone’s out this time of yr,” he advised the decide, earlier than admitting his monetary difficulties.
“Once I stepped away from the Nationwide Guard, I used to be making $86,000 a yr and now I make I believe it’s like $38,000 a yr. If you begin over from zero and also you don’t have assist or a hand to get you thru, it makes it somewhat harder,” he mentioned.
Decker was warned by the decide that his scenario wasn’t a “secure” setting for his younger daughters to be in.
“That’s not secure … Whether or not it’s an RV, a tent, an Airbnb or motel — that’s not stability for these youngsters. That’s at all times a priority for the courtroom,” the decide will be heard telling Decker within the audio.
The small city of Wenatchee, the place the three ladies lived with their mom, stays in shock nearly three weeks on from the horrific discovery.
“Everyone has nightmares, however are you able to think about, that is past a nightmare. That is one thing that ought to have an effect on us. Always remember and bear in mind to help one another in a time of want — and even in not a time of want,” Wenatchee’s mayor Mike Poirier advised Fox 13 on Monday.
