(The Center Square) – The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has released new images of what Travis Decker, the Wenatchee, Wash., man suspected of killing his three young daughters, might look like after having been on the run for several weeks.
Decker, 32, has been charged with kidnapping and killing his daughters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn. The girls’ bodies were found at the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth on June 2, asphyxiated to death.
Multiple local and federal agencies are assisting in the manhunt, with the U.S. Border Patrol taking the lead in the search. Earlier this month, Gov. Bob Ferguson activated the Washington National Guard to aid law enforcement in the search for Decker.
There is a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Decker, who authorities say has extensive military training, including service in the U.S. Army and Washington National Guard. Decker is considered armed and dangerous.
The latest news release from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office says search teams remain focused on backcountry areas of Chelan, but following up on leads, authorities have expanded the hunt into neighboring Kittitas County.
“While search operations continue around the clock, CCSO detectives are further developing the criminal case, conducting follow-up interviews, processing evidence, and reviewing data and analysis from evidentiary items sent to the crime lab for processing,” Chelan County Undersheriff Dan Ozment said in the news release.
A social media post indicated Decker had been located, but Ozment said the post was fake.
“Our office was notified of a TikTok video that was released, which portrays Sheriff [Mike] Morrison and claims Mr. Decker has been taken into custody after a long standoff,” Ozmet said. “To be clear, Mr. Decker is not in custody and CCSO had no part in making the video.”
Decker, divorced from the children’s mother, had picked up his girls for a regular visit. The girls were first reported missing on May 30 after Decker failed to return them to their mother as part of their court-ordered visitation plan.
According to court documents, the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties on their wrists.
The horrifying crime has drawn national attention and put a spotlight on the complexity of family court cases and Decker’s declining mental health before his three daughters were found dead.
