Additional Coverage:
- Travis Decker search: FBI shuts down campsite where his 3 daughters were murdered as manhunt intensifies (the-independent.com)
Leavenworth Manhunt Intensifies in Triple Homicide Case
The search for Travis Decker, the 32-year-old former soldier wanted in connection with the deaths of his three young daughters, is entering a new phase. Nearly three months after the girls were found suffocated near Rock Island Campground, the FBI and local authorities have launched an extensive two-day grid search of the area.
Decker’s daughters, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia, were discovered on June 2nd with plastic bags over their heads, a short distance from Decker’s abandoned truck. DNA evidence from the scene linked Decker to the crime, and he was subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping.
Despite previous search efforts, Decker remains at large. Around 100 federal and local agents, including specialized teams with search dogs, electronics detection equipment, and dive units, are now combing the rugged terrain near Icicle Creek.
Rock Island and several other campgrounds, trailheads, and nearby roads have been temporarily closed to facilitate the search, with the closure expected to last until Wednesday morning. Officials have indicated that the closure could be extended if necessary.
“A search like this demands thoroughness,” stated FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Peter Orth, emphasizing the challenges posed by the dense vegetation.
Decker has been missing since failing to return his daughters to their mother in Wenatchee after a scheduled visit. His current status, whether alive or dead, remains unknown.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison commented on the ongoing manhunt, noting the pressure on Decker if he is indeed still alive. “He’s got to be perfect every single day; we just have to be perfect once,” Morrison stated.
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker’s apprehension.