Authorities in Washington state are searching for an ex-military man accused of killing his three young daughters, and they believe he may already be dead.
The manhunt for Travis Decker, 33, who is accused of murdering his daughters, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia, took a new turn on Monday when the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office stated in a Facebook post that “there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area.” The search for Decker now spans two counties, with state and federal agencies participating, including the US Border Patrol and the US Marshals Service.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told USA Today on Monday that, in addition to “additional air operations” and “specialized search teams,” cadaver dogs would be used in the search for Decker.
According to the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, “Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search—a possibility that increases every day.” Decker has been described as a survivalist who has lived off the grid for more than two months at a time.
The three girls were discovered dead on June 2, just days after their father picked them up for a scheduled visitation and never returned them to their mother. All three girls died of suffocation and were discovered with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists zip-tied.
Authorities suspected Decker was on his way to the United States-Canadian border. According to an affidavit from a U.S. Marshals Service agent, Decker searched the internet for “how does a person move to canada,” “how to relocate to canada,” and “jobs canada” in the days leading up to his alleged murder of his daughters.
Whitney Decker, the mother of the three girls and Travis Decker’s ex-wife, broke her silence on June 20 at a public memorial service for her daughters in Wenatchee, Washington. Local NBC affiliate KING was present for the grieving mother’s unplanned remarks, during which she stated, “I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives in everyone’s heart.” She also said that Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia were “incredible.”
Travis Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping in relation to the deaths of his daughters.
Police have warned the public that if they see Travis Decker, they should call 911 right away and “do not attempt to contact or approach him.” Anyone with information should contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS TIPS.
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