Travis Decker Wanted; – Exactly one week after Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker were found murdered at a rural Chelan County campsite, police say they’re processing a raft of information — with still no sign of Travis Decker, the girl’s father and suspected killer.
Chelan County Undersheriff Dan Ozment said as of 6 p.m. Sunday, primary responsibilities in the search for Decker, 32, were handed over to federal authorities. The Wenatchee military veteran — who took his 5-, 8- and 9-year-old daughters for a court-approved visit on May 30 — is believed to have killed them by asphyxiation before disappearing from the murder scene.
“We had reached a point where we need to rest our local resources,” Ozment said in a press release. “Our command staff continues to be engaged with the search command while we give our teams time off to rest and recuperate and be ready to rejoin the search for, and capture of, the suspect.”
The girls’ bodies were found by a sheriff’s deputy June 2 near a primitive campsite in the Cascade Mountain foothills 17 miles west of Leavenworth, three days after they were reported overdue by their mother. The murders have sparked national attention and a wide-ranging manhunt deep into the Chelan County wilderness.
Ozment said a set of autopsies, completed Friday, confirmed the children’s cause of death. He also said blood samples taken from the scene, where Decker’s pickup truck was found, identified both male human blood and animal blood. Further DNA and fingerprint analyses are still being conducted.
“We appreciate the public’s patience, understanding and cooperation during this complex and emotional investigation,” Ozment said.
Travis Caleb Decker is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes, last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts. When last seen, his hair was long and he wore a goatee beard and mustache. He has several identifying arm and torso tattoos. Anyone seeing him is urged to call 911 immediately, and not to approach him.
Among other developments in the case:
• National forest roads, trails and campsites that were closed to the public starting June 5 as the search for Decker ramped up have now been reopened. The U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service reopened access to Upper Icicle Creek, the gateway to the Enchantment Lakes and the trail systems outside Stehekin, effective 8 a.m. Sunday.
• On Saturday, Gov. Bob Ferguson ordered the Washington National Guard to provide helicopter transportation for law enforcement involved in the search for Decker.
“As a parent, my heart goes out to Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia’s mom, Whitney, and all those who love them,” Ferguson said in a statement. “The brutal murder of these young children has shocked our state.”
• Ozment confirmed that Travis Decker’s dog was found alive near the scene, and turned over to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society for safekeeping. “We have collected a large amount of evidence, many of the suspect’s personal items, from the truck recovered on scene,” Ozment wrote.
• Federal agencies involved in the search have included the FBI, Homeland Security, Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service. In addition to three local charges of first-degree murder in kidnapping, Decker is also sought on a federal warrant charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
• The makeshift Memorial Park shrine in honor of Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker was partly disassembled last week, with Wenatchee city crews recovering items that would be damaged by weather. Parks director Dave Erickson said that includes teddy bears, written mementos, artwork and photos.
Donated items were turned over to Brookside Funeral Home in Wenatchee.  “We will leave the flowers still in the park until they’re not viable anymore,” Erickson told NCWLIFE.
