A devastating crime shook the city of Washington, in the United States, with the tragic death of sisters Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker, aged 9, 8 and 5, respectively.

The girls were found dead last Monday (2), after a visit to their father, Travis Decker, 32, a former soldier who lived on the streets.

The episode caused national commotion and is being treated as a brutal case of triple homicide, with strong repercussions in discussions about child safety and the limits of shared custody.

According to official information, the girls were left in the care of their father for a visit previously agreed upon by the court with their mother, Whitney Decker, from whom Travis had been divorced since 2022.

The former soldier lived in a pickup truck parked in a makeshift camp about two hours from Seattle. The children disappeared after being searched by Travis on Friday (30).

When they were not returned on Saturday, as agreed, the mother tried to contact her ex-husband, but without success. The calls went straight to voicemail, which increased her concern.

In the absence of answers, the police were called and, on Sunday (1), an arrest warrant was issued for interference with custody. Hours later, the bodies of the three girls were found near Travis’ truck, abandoned near the camp.

The children had their wrists tied and plastic bags over their heads. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as asphyxiation. Travis fled the scene after the crime, and state and federal police are mobilizing to capture him. The charges against him have been upgraded to murder and kidnapping.

The case raises urgent questions about the psychological support of ex-combatants, the mechanisms of supervision in custody arrangements and the failures of protection that can allow apparently controlled situations to end in tragedy.

American society, still in shock, cries out for justice and answers in the face of violence that prematurely took three innocent lives. There is no information about the girls’ wake and burial.