Travis Decker manhunt: search for wanted, Wenatchee, Washington state father accused of suffocating to death his three young daughters intensifies amid locals joining expanded aerial and land search efforts for highly trained military veteran.
The search for a missing Wenatchee, Washington state father accused of suffocating to death his three young daughters after failing to return the girls to their mother after a custodial visit on Friday has intensified as local authorities vow to arrest the wanted man.
During a Wednesday morning press conference, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office gave an update on where and how they were searching for Travis Decker, 35, a Wenatchee father and former military veteran wanted for murder and kidnapping in connection to the deaths of his three daughters.
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Decker took his daughters Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia, ages 9, 8, and 5, for a scheduled visitation on the evening of Friday, May 30, only to fail to return with them as planned to their mom. The girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, reported them missing to local law enforcement that night.
An investigation led police to find the girls’ bodies in an area near Rock Island Campground west of Leavenworth after the wanted man’s vehicle was sighted in the area. Decker has yet to be found.
The crime scene involved searchers finding Decker’s truck with two bloody handprints on the back. The bodies of all three girls were found about 75 to 100 yards away down an embankment, and investigators noted zip ties and plastic bags were scattered throughout the area. The girls’ wrists were zip-tied or appeared to have been zip-tied, and each had a bag over their head. It appeared the girls had been suffocated and dying of asphyxiation.
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‘We will not rest until Travis is located,’ said Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison at a press conference on Tuesday.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) come Wednesday said they were conducting expansive aerial and ground searches for the highly trained military vet who previously fought in Afghanistan with assistance from multiple agencies.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office detailed providing two helicopters to assist in the search operations spanning across Chelan County and the local national forest and wilderness areas. CCSO Air Support is also conducting an air search around that same area, officials said on Wednesday.
More personnel from federal and local agencies arrived in Chelan County Wednesday morning to help with the search. The department has also received many offers for assistance from off-road vehicle owners and backcountry experts offering guide services, equipment and horses, officials shared.
The tragedy of the Wenatchee sisters has since raised questions about the effectiveness of the Amber alert system authorities typically use to upgrade cases of missing children.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to call the CCSO tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit information online if they have information about Travis Decker’s whereabouts.
CCSO said Decker is a military veteran with extensive training, and he may pose a significant threat if approached. It is unknown if Decker is armed.
CCSO will hold a press conference at 6 p.m. (P.S.T) Wednesday to provide another update on the search.
A GoFundme fundraiser for Whitney Decker to assist in legal costs and expenses related to the search of the Wenatchee sisters as of Wednesday afternoon had raised $539,376.
