‘Killer dad’ Travis Decker is caught on cops’ dashcam in agonizing missed opportunity… as ex’s heartbreaking words are revealed

Travis Decker appeared to be struggling mentally when he slammed his truck against the back of a car at a red light days before he allegedly killed his daughters.

It was the second time in three weeks that the former Army Ranger had crashed his truck against the back of another vehicle, but police let him go.

Three days later, Decker is believed to have strangled his three young children – Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 – at a campsite outside Leavenworth, Washington. He allegedly dumped their bodies and his truck, and has been wanted on murders charges since.

Decker’s ex-wife, Whitney, said he had been suffering from mental health issues in recent years and was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

The accused family annihilator had reportedly been living in his truck and talking about getting rid of his dog because of his financial situation.

Still, Whitney told police she didn’t believe Decker was dangerous, and that he loved his daughters, with whom he had a ‘good relationship.’ 

But dashcam footage from the May 27 traffic stop has added to the image of Decker’s poor mental state at the time.

Decker appeared in the 19-minute video with his arms crossed and a bored expression before he leaned on his car and then sat on the bumper. 

Travis Decker is seen on police footage three days before he allegedly killed his three daughters and went missing

Decker is accused of killing his three daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 

Travis Decker, 33, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping for the deaths of his three daughters 

 
At one point, he can be seen resting his head on his truck bed as the other driver and police officer interact.

The encounter has been compared to the 1998 drama movie Sliding Doors starring Gwyneth Paltrow. 

After the incident, the other driver told KING 5, which obtained the video, that Decker appeared ‘nervous and fidgety’ and ‘kept telling me not to call police’ claiming he would go to jail over the accident.

Decker was involved in two car crashes that were three weeks apart. His ex-wife had told a judge that he had been living out of his truck

When the driver told Decker he had to call police to report the crash, he said the alleged killer’s body language was ‘almost intimidating.’

‘I could tell he was not in his full senses,’ the driver added.

At the end of the video, Decker shook the driver’s hand for nine seconds. When the driver tried to pull away, Decker continued asking if he was going to be okay, the driver said.

The traffic stop happened three days before Decker picked up his daughters at their mother’s house for the last time, according to police. 

Whitney called police after Decker failed to bring them back. She told cops he was ‘quieter than usual’ when he collected the girls, which was ‘out of character’ for him. 

Decker was court-mandated to receive mental health treatment and domestic violence anger management counseling but had refused. Police said he was homeless and living out of his car.

Decker’s encounter with police brings to mind the 1998 drama movie Sliding Doors

Decker has been wanted since June 2, when officials found his truck and the bodies of his three daughters at a campground outside Leavenworth, Washington

On June 2, Decker’s vehicle was found, and authorities discovered his daughters’ remains at the campground.

He was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping, but police never found him.

Reports swirled two days later that Decker was spotted in Idaho, but authorities later dispelled the rumors.

An autopsy then confirmed the horrific cause of death for all three girls was suffocation, and their deaths were ruled a homicide.

Authorities have offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to Decker’s arrest 

Authorities later said there was no evidence that Decker was still alive as the sheriff’s office pivoted their search to include the use of cadaver dogs.

But some experts, including law enforcement and security analyst Todd McGhee, said Decker’s extensive military background may have enabled him to live in the wilderness undetected.

Decker joined the Army in 2013 and served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021, a communications director for the Washington Military Department previously confirmed to the Daily Mail.

The Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge due to Decker’s absences when his daughters were killed.