June 8, 2025

Bonus episode: Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker

Show Notes
Transcript

On Friday, May 30 2025, Travis Decker failed to return his three daughters—Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5) after a court-ordered visit in Wenatchee, Washington. Days later, their bodies were found at a remote campground.

Decker, a 32-year-old Army veteran with PTSD and BPD, vanished. He’s now wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. A nationwide manhunt is underway, with help from the FBI and U.S. Marshals. Authorities believe he may be using his military training to survive on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Sources

WEBVTT

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Hi.

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I'm Tina, and I'm Rich. If there's one thing we've

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learned in over twenty years of marriage, it's that some.

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Days you'll feel like killing your wife.

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And some days you'll feel like killing your husband.

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Welcome to a bonus episode of Love Mary Kill, Hey Rich,

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Hey Tina.

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How are you.

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I'm doing good? How are you?

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I'm all right. I've been consumed with this story this

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week about the Decker sisters. I told you a little

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bit about it. I started writing a lengthy social media

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post about it yesterday, and then I just kept finding

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more and more information, and I said, you know, maybe

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we should just do a bonus episode on the case.

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It's a very sad case. So today there are no

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snacks or shenanigans. Please listen with care. This is a

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deeply disturbing and heartbreaking case. The situation is still unfolding

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and details are quickly changing. We hope that Travis Decker

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will be found and brought to justice soon. On Friday

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May thirtieth, twenty twenty five, the Decker sisters Peyton nine,

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Evelyn eight, and Olivia five, disappeared during a court ordered

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visit with their father. Thirty two year old Army veteran

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Travis Decker in Winnatchee, Washington, about one hundred fifty miles

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east of Seattle. Travis had been granted limited custody three

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hours every Friday and eight hours every other weekend, with

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no overnights allowed, due to his ex wife's growing concerns

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about his mental health. Previously, when he was allowed overnight visits,

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the children had slept with him at an armory or

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in a tent, and their mother was not comfortable with

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those arrangements. Travis was not allowed to take the children

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more than twenty miles from their home. On May thirtieth,

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he arrived to pick up his daughters at five p m.

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He and their mother, Whitney Decker, thirty three, talked for

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about twenty minutes before he left with the girls. They

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had a good co parenting relationship. He said, I'll see

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you at eight o'clock. Everything seemed normal to Whitney, although

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later she said Travis seemed quieter than usual. Earlier that week,

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Travis told her he had nothing left in the world

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except for her, Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia. He'd recently been

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concerned about his beloved dog, Chinook. Because Travis didn't have

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a home or much money. He was worried about Chinook

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getting overheated in the summer months and having enough money

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to buy food for him. Whitney had offered to take

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the dog. It's unclear what happened to him. When the

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girls didn't return on time and Travis's phone went straight

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to voicemail, Whitney was worried. She called the Wenatchee Police

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department at nine forty five p m. They reached out

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to the Washington State Police to request an Amber alert,

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but the request was denied. Authority cited a lack of

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evidence that the children were in immediate danger, noting that

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Travis Decker had no prior history of domestic abuse. Instead,

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an endangered Missing Person alert or EMPA was issued, but

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not until the following day. More on this. Later, on Monday,

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June second, around three pm, three days after they went missing,

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the bodies of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia, were discovered near

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Rock Island Campground, a remote site in Shelan County, Washington,

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near the town of Leavenworth. The campground is about forty

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miles from their home in Winatchee and just eleven miles

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from the Canadian border. It was a devastating discovery. The

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girls were found down a wooded embankment with plastic bags

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over their heads and zip ties around their wrists. The

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coroner confirmed the cause of death as asphyxiation, a tragic

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end for the three precious little girls whose lives were

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just beginning. Have you seen pictures of the girls? I

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have just beautiful little girls.

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Yeah.

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Phone records show that Travis Decker visited the campground the

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day before the murders and the days leading up to

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his disappearance. Prosecutors say Decker searched Google for information on

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how to relocate to Canada. According to court documents, some

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of his searches included how does a person move to Canada,

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how to relocate to Canada? And Jobs Canada. Hundreds of

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people in the close knit community of Winatchi gathered to

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Tuesday at Memorial Park for a vigil for Peyton, Evelyn

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and Olivia. A large growing memorial filled with flowers, stuffed animals, drawings,

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and balloons sits at the park. The girls were beloved

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members of the community and active members of the Fabulous

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Feet Dance Studio and the Short Shakespeare Theater Group. Local

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resident Samansha DoD told Fox thirteen, Seattle quote. Seeing them

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every day, seeing how happy dancing made them feel, was

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truly special, and I think that's something that the studio

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itself is really going to miss. Decker's truck, a white

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twenty seventeen GMC Sierra, was found abandoned near the campground

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seventy five to one hundred yards from the girl's bodies.

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The truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate and

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inside his personal items were found, including blankets, food, car seats,

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and his wallet. A tent and cooler were also found nearby.

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On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest

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after charging him with three counts of first degree kidnapping

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and three counts of first deg murder, and ordered he

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beheld without bail. He hasn't been captured yet, but.

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But once he is there will be no bail exactly.

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On Thursday, an additional charge of evading arrest was added.

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I ask you a quick question. So you said blood

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was found on the tailgate or bloody handprints were found

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on the tailgate of his truck, but the girls were asphyxiated,

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so the blood wasn't from them. I assume, yeah.

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I don't know who the blood was from. It could

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have been from the girls, but so far we don't

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have a lot of details about the situation.

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Yeah. Travis Decker, who suffers from borderline personality disorder and

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post traumatic stress disorder, had recently quit counseling. He survived

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a traumatic car accident. He was living out of his truck,

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camping and sometimes staying in hotels, according to court records.

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Those close to him worried that he was on the

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verge of something dangerous. Whitney says that he isn't evil,

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but that quote, something broke in him. She believes this

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tragedy could have been prevented if law enforcement had acted

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sooner and issued an Amber alert on her behalf. Her

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attorney said, quote, something came out of this man and

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he broke. That's it. When that man picked up those

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girls his babies, he did not have a plan to

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kill them. There's nothing that indicates that he did. Travis

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Decker joined the Army in twenty twelve. He served in

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Afghanistan in twenty fourteen for four months, where he was

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among a group of elite airborne paratrooper rangers. From twenty

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fourteen to twenty sixteen, he was an automatic rifleman with

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the seventy fifth Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis McCord

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in Washington. Later, he transferred to the Washington National Guard

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in twenty twenty one, rising to the rank of sergeant.

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He was a full time member of the National Guard

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until twenty twenty four, when he became a part time member.

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He stopped attending required training sessions and was placed on leave.

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Disciplinary discharge proceedings were under way. A military spokeswoman told

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the AP quote, this is an absolute tragedy. We are

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mourning along with the community. In an interview with Fox

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News thirteen Seattle, a former squad member who served with

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a travist Decker in Italy, speaking anonymously, described him as quiet,

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hard working, somewhat of a loner, and exhibiting narcissistic traits.

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He revealed that Decker had been removed from the Elite

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Ranger Regiment after failing to complete training. According to the

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former squad mate, Travis idolized his father, a former Green Beret,

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and seemed determined to live up to his legacy, always

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carrying the weight of something to prove. He noted that

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Decker's social media accounts were deleted after the murders, though

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it's unclear whether he removed them himself or if they

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were taken down by authorities. Quote. All of us who

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served with him feel completely betrayed. Were beyond distraught over

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what's happened, he said. Whitney said that Travis attempted to

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get help from veteran resources, but none were available to him.

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She recalled him having recurrent nightmares and only being able

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to sleep for a few hours each night. She said

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he was a good, active father who loved his daughters

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very much. He never missed his daughter's dance classes, theater productions,

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or soccer games. Their custom the agreement was working. The

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couple were married for seven years before filing for divorce

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in twenty twenty three. Travis initiated the divorce after moving

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out of their home in late twenty twenty two, telling

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his wife he wasn't worth it.

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After meeting online, Whitney and Travis quickly became inseparable. The

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couple first lived together on a Joint Army Air Force

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base in Washington State, then spent two years stationed in

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Italy before relocating to Georgia for another two and then

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returned to Washington. In September twenty twenty four, Whitney, who

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had full custody of the children, petitioned the court to

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quote put restrictions in place on his parenting due to

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quote concerning factors regarding Travis's mental health and stability. In

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the filing, Whitney requested that Decker be evaluated for anger

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management and domestic violence and have a full psychiatric evaluation

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by a licensed psychiatrist. Ballure to comply would result in

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further limitations of his parental visitation. In court documents, she wrote, quote,

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Travis just keeps getting more and more unstable. He has

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made huge sacrifices to serve our country and loves his

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girls very much, but he has got to get better

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for our girls. Since her separation, it's become increasingly clear

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that Travis has been struggling to maintain stability. Travis also

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has some emotional and mental health issues that were the

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primary catalyst to the end of our marriage. His borderline

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personality disorder and narcissism became rampant. She described several troubling incidents,

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and one she said, Travis quote first into my home

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against my objections and yelled for the girls. In another

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just days before Christmas twenty twenty three, your daughter Olivia

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facetimed her mother in tears, screaming and crying with Travis

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nowhere in sight. After one of the girls was injured

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and a separate incident. Whitney claimed Travis hitchhiked to her

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house and asked to sleep in the basement with the girls. However,

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Whitney made it clear that Travis was not an abusive

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father or husband, although sometimes after a visit, the girls

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would return home crying or upset. According to The Seattle Times,

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Whitney said, quote, they are all happy, smart, well adjusted girls,

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with the exception of when Travis brings them back to

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me after his visitations. When Eshaw Winnie was doing her

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attorney Adrianna Cozart said quote, I think she is still

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reeling from losing her entire world. She is strong and

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kind and wants this tragedy to spur change and save lives.

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That is what is driving her right now. An Amber

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alert was not enacted because law enforcement did not believe

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that the girls were in imminent danger and there was

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no indication that Decker would harm his daughters, despite his

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history of mental health issues. He'd never been abusive or

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violent with them or Whitney. Instead of an AMBER alert,

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and endangered Missing Persons alert was issued, but not immediately.

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An EMPA notification does not send a push notification or

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text message to all cell phones in the targeted area

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about the missing child or children, as an AMBER alert does.

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We don't get an AMBU alert very often, but when

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you do, it's like super joy.

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Yeah, it's everywhere.

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Yeah, it's such a great tool for law enforcement. Chris Loftis,

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director of public Affairs for the Washington State Patrol, said, quote,

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in this case, it was a parent with custodial privileges

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and the children had not been returned home on time.

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But that's a rather common occurrence and not something where

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you just automatically assume abduction. We're people too, you know.

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So the loss of a child, the loss of two children,

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the loss of three children is devastating. Everybody always looks

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to how we can improve. Loftis said, there wasn't enough

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evidence that Peyton, Evelyn and Olivia were in peril. Quote,

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we just didn't have that. Everyone wishes we could turn

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back the clock. It's so devastating.

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Yeah.

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Captain Brian Chance of the Winatchee Police Department said in response, quote,

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were we frustrated? Yes, probably quite a little bit. When

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he was asked whether an Amber alert would have made

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a difference in the search for the Ducker sisters, he

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declined to speculate. White Decker is lobbying to change the

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Amber alert policy along with improving veterans' mental health benefits.

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Adriana Cozart, her attorney, set on her behalf quote, when

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there is a parent with limited visitation, that has a

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history of mental health issues, and is a military veteran

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with the training necessary to kill one hundred different ways,

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the Amber alert should have been issued. Travis Decker is

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now wanted on three accounts of first degree murder and kidnapping.

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More than five hundred tips have poured into law enforcement.

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There is a twenty thousand dollars reward for information leading

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to his capture and arrest. He may be traveling along

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the Pacific Crest Trail, which extends two thousand, six hundred

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and fifty miles along the Pacific coast from Canada to Mexico,

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passing through Washington State and Oregon. So it's a vast

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area that they're searching, but authorities have no leads on

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Decker's whereabouts. Shelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said at a

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press conference, quote it could be anywhere in the country.

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We're searching anywhere in every where. Morrison acknowledged that it

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is possible that Decker may have taken his own life. Quote,

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We're operating under the assumption that he's still out there

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despite the death of their three beautiful daughters. Whitney Decker

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says she has a lot of empathy for Travis and

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who he is at his core. Adriana Coozart said, quote,

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he was a loving man, but something broke and whatever

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monster came out of him, it's something that he was

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trained to do in the military. Although Travis was struggling

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with his own mental health, he was a good co parent,

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always communicating frequently with Whitney up until Friday evening when

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the girls went missing. Cosart added that the local via

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is struggling. Quote they haven't been able to see any

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new veteran patients for over six months.

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Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson released emergency funds in order

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to enact the Washington National Guard to help search for

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Travis Decker. On Friday, June sixth, A massive manhunt is

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underway involving over one hundred law enforcement officers searching for Decker,

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including US Marshalls and the FBI. Several trails and campsites

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have been closed to the public while the search continues.

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Law enforcement called him dangerous and a significant risk due

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to his extensive military training in mountaineering and navigation. He

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may be carrying a weapon. Decker's father is now involved

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in the search for his son. He said that Travis

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has experienced living off the grid for as long as

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two and a half months and could do so for

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an extended period of time. Law enforcement agree and believe

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that he could survive weeks or months in the wilderness.

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Helicopters are searching in remote, densely wooded areas, waterways, buildings,

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and structures for Decker. Special equipment to detect body heat

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levels is also being used. Search warrants have been issued

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for his cell phone data.

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I haven't read any reports about law enforcement having his

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actual phone. I'm sure that he doesn't have it on

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him anymore, but I don't know if law enforcement has

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found it. I'm guessing they haven't.

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Residents are reminded to keep their doors and windows locked,

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turn on outside lighting. Avoid closed areas, which currently include

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the Enchantments and the Icicle River area, and if you

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see Travistecker, do not approach him. Called nine one one immediately.

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Anyone with information should contact the Shelan County Sheriff's office.

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Some roadblocks have been removed and areas have been reopened

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as law enforcement believe the danger has passed, but warn

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the public to remain alert and vigilant. As of Saturday,

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the search is focused on the Cascade Mountains. Eric Hampton

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of East Cascades SWAT says the search teams are well

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equipped and highly skilled, but the rugged landscape poses a

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serious challenge. Hampton said quote, The terrain is steep, dense

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and vast. There are countless ways in and out, which

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makes searching incredibly difficult. We are hoping to exhaust this

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area for any sign of him. We are not going

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to leave any stone unturned. We are doing operations into

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the night. We have done them since Monday. We are

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working hard. Travistecker is five feet eight inches tall, one

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hundred and eighty pounds, with black hair, possibly in a ponytail,

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and brown eyes. According to police, he was last seen

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wearing a light shirt and dark shorts. If you have

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any information, called the CCSO tip line at five oh

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nine six six seven six eight four five or submit

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information to the tip line. We'll have a link in

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our show notes.

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Police just released new images of Decker from a ring camera.

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I think they were from before the girls went missing. Okay,

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but it's just crazy how much information we get from

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ring cameras these Okay, yeah, but I will post those images.

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A lot of people are questioning why an AMBER alert

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was not issued in the case of the Decker sisters,

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and with good reason. Amber stands for America's missing broadcast

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emergency response. Between four hundred and five hundred alerts are

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issued each year. The system is named for Amber Hagerman,

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a nine year old girl who was abducted in nineteen

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ninety six and murdered in Arlington, Texas, after going for

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a ride on her new pink bike. She was found

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four days later naked in a nearby creek. A Texas

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mother named Diane Simone, heartbroken over Amber's death, called a

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local radio station and asked why there wasn't a national

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alert system for missing children. She thought if citizens receive

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alerts for weather and crimes. Why couldn't law enforcement use

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a similar system to inform the public about missing children.

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Amber Alerts began in the Dallas Fort Worth area before

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spreading nationwide. Although her murderer has never been found, Amber's

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legacy has saved over a thousand children. The system is

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designed to quickly notify the public via media, highway signs,

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and text messages about serious child abduction cases in the

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hope that someone will spot the child, suspect, or vehicle.

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Amber's case, by the way, is still open and active.

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The police say that they still receive leads in the

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case every few months.

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They are a different criteria for issuing an Amber Alert

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depending on the state that you live in. The US

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Department of Justice recommends these for a criteria are met

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before an Amber Alert is issued. The child is under eighteen,

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there is evidence of abduction, Law enforcement believes the child

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is an imminent danger of serious injury or death. There

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is enough descriptive information suspect, vehicle, or license plate number

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to help locate the child or abductor. Some states might

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add additional requirements like the suspect must be named, the

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abduction must be confirmed and not just a missing person

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or a runaway, and the alert must be issued within

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a specific timeframe as short as possible, I think is

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their goal. There are several problems with AMBER alerts and criticisms.

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One of the biggest issues is the delay in issuing

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the alerts. Law enforcement must wait hours sometimes because they

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need to verify the details of the abduction. Another issue

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is the restrictive criteria needed. Some abductions don't qualify because

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the situation doesn't meet the strict definition of abduction. This

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happens a lot with custody disputes or runaways. Some people

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fear that the system is overused, and some people say

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that it's underused. Those alerts can kind of numb people.

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I think if you receive them all the time, I

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think we only receive one or two a year, so

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whenever we hear one, you know, it's always very jarring

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and we try to do our due diligence.

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Yeah. Well, I know, if we're out driving and we

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hear one, or we see one on a billboard or whatever,

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I immediately start keeping my eyes open for absolutely type

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of car.

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There's an issue with technological gaps. In rural or low

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tech areas, the alert might not reach enough people fast enough.

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And lastly, there's an issue with the public really understanding

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how Amber alerts are used. They're not automatically issued for

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every missing child, and it can be really confusing. I

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guess we know because we have a true crime podcast

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that if an Amber alert is issued, that means that

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child is in a very dangerous situation. And it is

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unfortunate though that there's a lot of missing children that

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are in dangerous situations and the Amber alert isn't used right.

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The Amber alert system is a powerful tool, but it's

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only as effective as the policies and behind it. Its

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success stories are real. Over eleven hundred children have been

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recovered thanks to the system, but the gaps are also real.

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Reform advocates call for better training, more consistent criteria, and

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increased flexibility, especially in high risk situations that don't check

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every box. This case has shaken the community of Winachi

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and the nation. The Winnatchi community is in mourning for Olivia, Evelyn,

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and Peyton. They were all students at Lincoln Elementary School

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in the Winatchie School district. A friend of the family

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tearfully recalled the girl's sunny dispositions quote they were just shining.

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They were always so happy. Hug your loved ones. You

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never know when the last time you're going to see them.

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Tell them you love them, because you never know. We'll

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continue to share updates as the search for Travis Stuckert continues.

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Until then. Say their names, Peyton, Evelyn, Olivia. They were kind, bright, active,

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compassionate little girls, full of light and love. And please

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be kind to Whitney. She did everything she could under

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impossible circuit stances and is now enduring a level of

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heartbreak no parents should ever face. Our thoughts are with

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her and her loved ones during this imaginable, unimaginable time.

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A GoFundMe has been set up for Whitney to help

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her with burial expenses, allow her to take off time

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from work to heal, counseling, and her legal fund. If

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you'd like to contribute, there is a link in our

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show notes How you doing.

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It's a tough one. It's a really tough one. Yeah,

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it's so heartbreaking.

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I think about this sign all the time that one

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of our neighbors at our old house had painted by

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their driveway. Do you remember what it said?

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It's said, I believe freedom is not free.

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I think about that all the time, especially this time

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of year when it's you know, like Memorial Day and

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Veterans Day, and you know, our soldiers deserve the very

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