It started like any other weekend. Three young sisters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, just 5 years old — were picked up by their father, Travis Decker, for what was supposed to be a brief, court-approved visit. Their mother, Whitney, had every reason to believe it would be a simple exchange. But hours passed, then a night — and suddenly, silence turned into dread.

By the time Monday afternoon arrived, the nightmare had deepened beyond anything imaginable. The girls were found dead, their small bodies discovered near Rock Island Campground in Wenatchee, Washington — a quiet, forested area nearly three hours from Seattle. Their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker, had vanished. Now, he’s the target of a nationwide manhunt.

Authorities believe that during that visit — one meant to last just three hours — Decker turned from father to fugitive. A military veteran with a history of mental health struggles, including a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, he reportedly wasn’t taking his medication and had refused to comply with parenting plans that called for therapy and anger management.

Whitney had long voiced her fears in court filings. She described her daughters sleeping in tents, in trucks, even armories, and being left with strangers during past visits. Her concerns had been growing, especially after one of the girls returned with bruises and another called, crying, unable to find their father.