Update:
The FBI has now taken command of the search for Travis Decker, the Chelan County father accused of killing his three young daughters before vanishing into the wilderness in June.
Sheriff Mike Morrison announced the shift during a press conference Monday, Aug. 25, calling the hunt for Decker one of the most complex and resource-intensive investigations the county has ever faced.
The FBI has deployed more than 100 personnel, including special agents, intelligence analysts, SWAT, medical staff, and a mobile command post.
Specialists from the bureau’s Critical Incident Response Group and Laboratory Division are also involved, bringing national expertise in child abduction cases, crisis response, and forensic analysis.
Investigators said their first step under federal leadership will be a detailed grid search within a mile of the campground where the girls were killed. Officials stressed the effort could take years but promised they will not stop until every possible lead is exhausted.
“We are not going to leave any stone unturned,” Morrison said.
Despite months of searching, authorities acknowledged there is still no clear evidence showing whether Decker is alive or dead. But with expanded resources, investigators say they now have the capability to document search zones thoroughly, ensuring that no ground is covered twice and no potential clue goes overlooked.
Original story:
Federal and local investigators are set to provide a major update on the months-long search for Travis Decker, the Chelan County man accused of killing his three young daughters near Leavenworth earlier this summer.
The FBI Seattle Field Office and the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office will provide new information at a press briefing scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25.
Among those speaking at the event will be Peter Orth, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent for the FBI’s Yakima and Tri-Cities Resident Agencies, and Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison.
Decker, 39, remains the sole suspect in the suffocation deaths of his daughters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 — whose bodies were discovered on June 2, near the Rock Island Campground along Icicle Creek.
Investigators said the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and wrists zip-tied. Forensic testing by the Washington State Crime Lab confirmed Decker’s DNA on the plastic bags and cable ties recovered at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials said no DNA belonging to anyone else was detected.
“The completion of this DNA analysis provides additional evidence that indicates Travis Decker is the only suspect involved in committing these homicides,” the sheriff’s office said in a recent statement.
Search Efforts Continue
Decker has remained missing since the killings, despite an extensive manhunt. Authorities have searched tens of thousands of acres in Chelan County and beyond, including Blewett Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, and the Enchantments, with help from the US Marshals Service and multiple law enforcement agencies.
Earlier this month, deputies investigated a reported sighting of Decker at Snoqualmie Pass, but the search was called off after several hours.
Last week, the US Forest Service closed Rock Island Campground at the request of the FBI as investigators continue their work in the area.
Call For Public’s Help
Authorities continue to urge anyone who sees Decker not to approach him, but instead to call 911 immediately.
A $20,000 reward remains in place for information leading to his arrest.
