Newly unsealed court documents reveal a grim timeline leading up to the horrifying deaths of three young girls in Washington state. Their father, Travis Decker, remains the prime suspect—and still hasn’t been caught.

Authorities say the 39-year-old homeless veteran was exhibiting signs of emotional collapse in the weeks leading up to the murders. His behavior became so erratic that his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, filed for a protection order, warning that something was dangerously off.

“He had seemed better,” Whitney wrote in the petition, “then it seemed like things just started happening one after another.”

Court filings detail how Decker, who had been living a transient lifestyle and showing increasing instability, was unraveling both mentally and emotionally. According to Whitney, his employer even called her directly out of concern. “His boss said he had talked to Travis on Friday, and he seemed like he was on the brink of something really extreme.”

Workplace issues were a major source of stress. Decker reportedly faced isolation and bullying from his colleagues, compounding his already fragile mental state. At the same time, he abruptly ended daily phone counseling sessions with a Georgia pastor that had previously been a source of support. Some of those sessions reportedly lasted hours, but Decker cut them off a month before the murders.

Roughly a week before the fatal weekend, Decker was in a car accident. While the crash didn’t cause serious physical harm, it appeared to push him further over the edge. Afterward, he called his daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—and ominously said he was “going to jail.” Then he unexpectedly showed up at Whitney’s home, seemingly remorseful, to apologize.

Court records also show that Decker was making emotional appeals to people from his past. He tried to reconnect with his brother and father, and he made romantic overtures toward Whitney. She rejected him, noting in her filing that he had even spoken to the girls about moving back in.

“Last week he tried to reconcile our marriage,” she wrote. “I rejected his advancements.”

Then came the unthinkable.

Decker was granted visitation with his daughters every other weekend, per court order. During his most recent visit—believed to be the weekend of May 31 to June 2—he allegedly killed them. Their bodies were discovered in a remote campground about 170 miles from the Canadian border, near Decker’s abandoned truck.

Investigators found the girls with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists zip-tied. Initial findings suggest that the cause of death was asphyxiation.

The case has rocked the state of Washington and sparked a multi-agency manhunt. Decker remains at large, and law enforcement officials say more than 100 personnel are now involved in the search. Over 500 tips have been fielded as the hunt for the fugitive intensifies.

Authorities revealed that before the crime, Decker had conducted online searches about how to relocate to Canada, raising suspicions that he may have premeditated the murders and planned to flee across the border.

As of Saturday, he was still on the run.

“We are urging the public not to approach him under any circumstances,” law enforcement said in a statement. “We don’t know if he is armed, and he should be considered dangerous.”

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to Decker’s arrest. Authorities are working around the clock to verify tips and monitor possible sightings.

This tragedy has reignited conversations around mental health support for veterans, the effectiveness of family court protections, and the dangers of untreated psychological crises. Mental health resources, especially for veterans dealing with PTSD and isolation, have once again come under scrutiny. While Whitney Decker had taken legal steps to protect her family, the legal system still allowed Travis regular access to their children.

The devastating loss of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia has left a community heartbroken and demanding answers. Their short lives were cut short in a way that no one should ever endure, and as the manhunt continues, their story is serving as a tragic reminder of the consequences of ignored warning signs.