Newly released audio has surfaced, shedding heartbreaking light on the desperate pleas of Travis Decker, a father now accused of a horrifying crime—the murder of his three young daughters. In the emotional recording, Decker can be heard asking a judge to allow him more time with the children he allegedly went on to kill. The nation was stunned in early June when the bodies of Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were discovered near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington. According to chilling court documents, the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists bound with zip ties. Their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker, has since vanished and remains the focus of an urgent manhunt.

Authorities have charged Decker with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping. Despite extensive efforts to locate him, he has evaded capture. The case has drawn nationwide attention, with federal officials stepping in to support the local search after resources in Chelan County were stretched thin. On June 8, federal authorities formally took over the hunt, as Chelan County Sheriff’s Office leadership announced they were continuing to lead the criminal investigation, even as they leaned on federal assistance to broaden the search. Law enforcement officials have asked the public to come forward with any information that might lead to Decker’s whereabouts.

Decker, who once served in Afghanistan in 2014 and later joined the Washington National Guard, is believed by some to be using his military training to avoid capture. There are even suspicions that he may have scouted out a hiding place long before carrying out the alleged killings. Given his knowledge of wilderness survival and tactical movement, many fear he could remain hidden for an extended period, especially in the remote areas of the Pacific Northwest.

For years, Decker had struggled with his mental health, an issue that played a major role in the custody battle between him and his ex-wife, Whitney. The former couple had three daughters together, and court records reveal that Whitney and her attorney had expressed serious concerns for the safety of the children during visits with Decker. As a result, his visitation rights were gradually reduced. In September 2024, a family court judge ruled that Whitney would have near-full custody of the girls, while Travis was granted limited visitation—typically a couple of days every other weekend.

In the newly surfaced audio recording, Decker can be heard trying to convince the judge to reconsider the parenting plan. His voice is filled with frustration and sorrow as he argues that the schedule deprived him of nearly all meaningful time with his children. “I already only get a day and a half, two days, with my daughters, and it’s two nights,” Decker said. He explained that his work, which frequently took him to various locations across Idaho as part of the U.S. Carpenter’s Union, made it even harder to maintain consistent contact with his daughters. “I am in the U.S. Carpenter’s Union, so where I go, where the work is, is where I come,” he stated. “And through the new parenting plan, it takes away basically all my opportunities to be around the girls when I’m not at work.”

Decker insisted that he wanted nothing more than to be a father to his daughters and be present for them, even if his job took him far from home. “If I have the opportunity to be there for my daughters, I feel like I should be able to be there for them and not have to find my way to be around my daughters,” he said. His words paint the picture of a man who felt cut off from his family and increasingly desperate.

However, troubling incidents during past visits raised serious red flags. In one instance, during an overnight stay at the Wenatchee armory, the girls were reportedly heard crying over the phone to their mother. This deeply disturbing moment was cited in the court case as a reason for revoking Decker’s overnight visitation privileges. Concerns about the children’s safety continued to mount as Decker’s behavior became increasingly erratic.

Despite these concerns, Decker defended the time he spent with his daughters, claiming that he never placed them in danger. “I don’t believe that my weekends should be completely taken away since I have been gone,” he said in the recording. He described their time together as wholesome and safe, explaining that he had taken them to national forests and campgrounds that were not only legal but also well-equipped for family visits. “Every time I’ve had the girls, we have been in campsites, in national forests and paid campsites that have campers. We’ve never done anything that was unsafe or anything I wouldn’t want to put myself in,” he claimed.

Now, these same words echo hauntingly against the backdrop of the tragic discovery of the girls’ lifeless bodies. The search for Decker has extended beyond state lines, and authorities continue to pursue every lead. They hope someone might have seen something—anything—that could help bring him to justice. The nation mourns the loss of three innocent children and grapples with the chilling reality of a father accused of committing an unspeakable act. As the investigation unfolds, attention turns to the complexities of family law, mental health, and the red flags that may have been missed before this tragedy occurred.

While the audio of Decker’s court plea offers a glimpse into the mind of a troubled father, it also raises painful questions: Could this have been prevented? Did the system fail to see the warning signs? And will Travis Decker ever be found? As those questions linger, the community and the country await answers—and hope for accountability.