Three Young Sisters, Who Vanished After ‘Planned Visitation’ With Their Father, Found Dead — Police Release Details
Three young sisters who went missing after a scheduled visit with their father have been found dead, and police are now asking for the public’s help in locating him.
The bodies of three missing girls were discovered near Leavenworth in Chelan County, Washington, on Monday, June 2, 2025. Authorities have identified their father, Travis Decker, 32, as the prime suspect in their deaths.
The victims were identified as Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9. The sisters were reported missing on Friday, May 30, after their father failed to return them to their mother following a “planned visitation.”
Initially, they were supposed to be returned to their mother by 8 p.m. as agreed. However, after 90 minutes had passed and the children still hadn’t returned, she decided to contact the police.
According to police, the bodies were found after investigators located Travis’ truck near the Rock Island Campground. The vehicle was unoccupied, and the girls’ bodies were found nearby.
Investigations have shown that the girls appeared to have been zip-tied, and their heads were hooded with plastic bags. The cause of death is believed to be asphyxiation.
An image released by Wenatchee Police Department of Paityn Decker | Source: Facebook/Wenatchee Police Department
An image released by Wenatchee Police Department of Paityn Decker | Source: Facebook/Wenatchee Police Department
Travis is now wanted on three counts of first-degree aggravated murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping. Law enforcement officials caution that he may be armed and dangerous. They also noted that Travis is a former member of the military with extensive training.
The suspect was living in his truck, along with campsites and motels. He does not have a permanent home at the moment, and his family told police that he’d been struggling with his mental health.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts is urged to contact authorities immediately.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Whitney Decker, the grieving mother of the three girls. With a fundraising goal of $380,000, it has raised $332,556 in donations as of June 4, 2025.
The funds will help cover legal and burial expenses for the girls and ease the financial burden on Whitney as she takes time off work to grieve and give her children a proper farewell.
Four members of the Bockemeier family were found dead in Albuquerque on the morning of Saturday, May 24, 2025, in what police are investigating as a possible murder-suicide.
A distant shot of the neighborhood where the tragic incident occurred, as seen in a video shared on May 25, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KOAT
A distant shot of the neighborhood where the tragic incident occurred, as seen in a video shared on May 25, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KOAT
Around 6 a.m., Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) responded to a report of a house fire on the 2800 block of Georgia Street Northeast, near Candelaria and Louisiana. Upon arrival, firefighters found three deceased individuals inside the home. All three appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds before the fire began.
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Specialists were immediately called to the scene to begin an investigation.
APD later confirmed that the victims were a married couple, 76-year-old Stephen William Bockemeier and 77-year-old Marcia Elizabeth Bockemeier, and their 48-year-old son, Erik Josef Bockemeier.
The front door of the house where the tragedy unfolded, as seen in a video dated May 25, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KOAT
The front door of the house where the tragedy unfolded, as seen in a video dated May 25, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KOAT
Shortly after the discovery at the residence, APD received another call about a deceased person found outside the front entrance of the State Bar of New Mexico, located near the corner of Jefferson Street Northeast and Masthead Street Northeast. Police identified the individual as 35-year-old Andrew Stephen Bockemeier, another son of Stephen and Marcia.
Detectives found that the firearm used in the suicide matched the one used in the killings at the Georgia Street home. Police say this led them to conclude that Andrew likely shot and killed his parents and brother before taking his own life.
Police officers are seen in the area where the tragedy occurred in a video shared on May 25, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KOAT
Police officers are seen in the area where the tragedy occurred in a video shared on May 25, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KOAT
Authorities confirmed that a note was found at the residence, but its contents have not been released. APD continues to investigate the exact cause of the fire and any additional circumstances surrounding the event.
Gilbert Gallegos, APD’s communications director, stated, “The individual who died of suicide was the son of those parents, and that was his brother, who was killed in the house. So at this point, it appears this individual shot and killed his parents and his brother.”