Authorities are on the hunt for Travis Decker, a fugitive from Washington, who has been implicated in the deaths of his three young daughters. There’s growing concern that he might be deceased himself.
Decker, a 32-year-old military veteran, has been eluding capture since the remains of his daughters—Evelyn and Olivia, aged 9 and 5—were discovered in a disturbing state near his abandoned pickup truck.
“At this point, we don’t have specific evidence to suggest Decker is alive or still in the area,” stated the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation has, unfortunately, seen promising leads fizzle out over the last couple of weeks. Despite this, search efforts are ongoing. “Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice,” officials emphasized.
Efforts to locate Decker are focused on Blewett Pass, Lauderdale, Liberty, and Teenaway Valley.
As the search extends into its fourth week, Sheriff Mike Morrison noted that search teams are utilizing cadaver dogs in nearby Chelan County. “The former military resources are collaborating with Kittitas County,” he added, mentioning that further aerial operations are planned to reach more challenging terrain.
Some search resources are being redirected specifically to locate Decker and to ascertain if he may have succumbed to the wilderness conditions during this intensive search. “We’re prepared for this to escalate daily,” the sheriff noted.
This update comes after the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, publicly addressed the tragic loss of her children for the first time last week. “I really hope that the memory of the girls remains alive in everyone’s hearts,” she remarked during a memorial service on June 20. “They were incredible.”
